The Mosaic Law from the Old Testament was very clear even though complicated. Specific things were taboo. Certain things were commanded. The Pharisees added many more regulations than what was originally included the Law. These were difficult to follow but they were evident. An individual’s freedom was regulated. The oversight of the household was evident. The nation as a whole knew its position before God. Life was standardized.
When Jesus came on the scene, he declared the Age of Grace. It was not that the law was eliminated. It was fulfilled in him as the perfect sacrifice and as the Messiah sent from the Heavenly Father. Since no one could follow the Law, its purpose was fulfilled. As the Apostle Paul stated to his readers, everyone has fallen short of the glory of God. Scripture also says that if we have broken one commandment, we have broken all the commandments. The Law and Grace are not contradictory to each other. There are complementary to each other. What the law could not do Grace accomplished.
This places a major responsibility on each and every individual. We are no longer trying to fulfill every Dot and Tittle of the Law. Instead, we must be guided by the Holy Spirit. Many questions rose in the minds of early Christians. They wanted to know if a certain behavior was acceptable or when it was a sin. That is where our text comes in. We must realize that other people may be able to do something with a clear conscience toward God while certain others cannot.
It is no longer a matter of breaking the Law. It is more a matter of offending a brother in Christ. The concern lies at the doorstep of fellowship with our Lord. In our text Paul discussed the matter of eating meat sacrificed to idols. To some people it was no issue. Still, certain Christians had difficulty with the whole concept of eating meat sacrificed to idols because the only source of meat was what was sacrificed to idols and sold in the open marketplace.
Today we are not concerned about sacrificing to idols thereby offending a weaker brother. However, there are things in this modern world which we need to take any consideration. For instance, would a fellow Christian be offended if he saw someone who was a professor of Christ coming out of a bar even if it was just to use the telephone? If a college teacher was reviewing a movie as an assignment for his students, would a student be offended if the movie had swearwords? We can cite many examples of how a Christian could do something quite innocently and yet it be offensive to a new Christian. What should a Christian do in regard to the conscience of another Christian?
Since we do live in the Age of Grace, we have a greater responsibility to our fellow believers. We must be sensitive to the conscience of others so that they are not spiritually discouraged. This is why we say others may, but I cannot. The key is to recognize the situation and/or how it would affect someone else who is less spiritually mature. We always want to edify the church and edify fellow believers. As it comes to a relationship with the world, the believer is in a tenuous situation so that his testimony is not compromised.
Christian Writer 