THE ROLE OF SPIRITUAL FOOD - Conclusion

 Immature Christians often struggle when faced with situations that call for reasoning on Bible principles and applying them. If no Bibler law exists, some might feel that they can do whatever they want. Others might ask for a rule when there is no rule required. For instance, Christians in Corinth apparently asked Paul for a rule about whether they could eat food that had been offered to and idol. Rather than tell them what to do, Paul acknowledged the role of the conscience and the fact that each person has a "right to choose." He reasoned on principles that allow each individual to be a peace with his conscience while not stumbling others. (1 Corinthians 8:4, 7-9) Paul was thus helping the Corinthians to grow up spiritually so they could use their own powers of discernment instead of depending on someone else or simply looking for rules. 

We learn a valuable lesson from Paul wrote to the Christians. Some had not continued to grow spiritually; they had actually "gone back" to needing milk, not solid [spiritual]food." (Hebrews 5:12) They had failed to keep up with the truth, which was being progressively revealed through the congregation. (Proverbs 4:18) For example, many Jewish believers were still promoting the Mosaic Law even though some 30 years earlier the Law had been done away with on the basis of Christ's sacrifice. (Romans 10:4; Titus 1:10) Surely it was not too much to ask Jewish Christians to adjust their thinking over a period of 30 years! Anyone who has read Paul's inspired letter to the Hebrews can confirm that this book contains solid spiritual food.  It was just what those Christians needed to strengthen their faith in the superiority of the Christian arrangement for worship and to give them the courage to keep preaching in spite of opposition from the Jews. - HEBREWS 10:19-23. 

Next time: AVOID BEING OVERCONFIDENT

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