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03.25.13

1 Corinthians 10.29 29  I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? (ESV)

It seems Paul is saying: know who you are. The freedom of the saint is that he is not governed by the principles of the world: he is governed by the wisdom that comes from heaven. But the logic of the world in defending its position sometimes sounds very logical. That’s why Paul seemed to be implying: know who you are; if you know who you are, you know how you are governed and under whose authority you are…and what’s lawful for you.

We don’t have too many pagan temples around these days. I’m not aware of such sacrifices being made to pagan gods in our culture. They may be out there but it isn’t a very public thing. So I don’t see too much of an issue in being invited to some restaurant and being told the steak I’m about to eat has been taken from a pagan sacrifice.

But the world does want to push its demands on me and dictate what my relationship with God looks like. The world around me wants me to accept that the institution of marriage is not limited to just a man and a woman; it insists that any two anybody’s can get married and it’s okay. The world around me wants me to accept its insistence it’s okay for a woman to abort her unborn child for any reason and of those the biggest: she doesn’t want to be burdened by an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. The world insists that my relationship with God is only valid or acceptable if I follow its guidelines for such relationship.

Paul said, “Bunk!” The argument here is whether paganism can dictate the parameters of my faith – it can’t but that is precisely where the rub comes. The rub is not that I am perceived religious, the rub is under whose authority I have placed myself. Society and the world do not easily yield ground to what they perceive as foreign authorities and intrusion upon theirs. That’s why knowing who I am in Christ, and under Whose authority I am, makes such a difference in how I live. And what I eat for that matter; and everything else I do.

Today, my calling is to represent well the God I serve in a world hostile to my belief. Today, my calling is to love (seeking the highest good) those with whom and around whom I live. Today, my calling is to resist the world’s (and society’s) attempts at telling me how I can or cannot worship. It really isn’t a matter of what I eat or avoid eating, it’s a matter of loving God and loving people – any and all.

My conduct must represent what I believe and my beliefs must be founded upon Christ. Otherwise I am ceding authority to another master whose heart and motives are not in sync with the Kingdom of which I am born. There has to be a difference in me and part of the difference comes from my knowing who I am, and Whose I am.

Father, shine through me today and help me to be a prism pristine and pure – Amen.