“I have the right to do anything,” – you say – but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything,” – but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)

To make sense of these verses, we need to see that there are two voices:

• One voice says, “I have the right to do anything.”
• The Apostle Paul says, “Not everything is beneficial nor constructive. You should not seek your own good but the good of others.”

I have the right and the freedom to act like a jerk. That is totally within my rights. But it is neither beneficial nor constructive. It does not seek the good of others.

I have the right to watch porn. It is totally within my rights to do so. But it is neither beneficial nor constructive. It does not seek the good of others. It is purely for the purpose of the self.

I have the right to lie. That is totally within my rights. But it is neither beneficial nor constructive. It harms others. It only attempts to protect the self.

The principle is to do those things that benefit others, those things that build up others, and those things that seek the good of others.

Notice that this seeks the “good” of others. It is not mere acquiescing to the wants of others. In fact, oftentimes, doing so would lead to more harm for the other than good. What is good is not determined by me, nor the other. God determines what is good and what is best. God and his word is the standard that determines what is good.

So, in treating others:

• Do that which is beneficial to others
• Do that which builds up the other
• Do that which is good for the other

This is how Jesus lived. Be like Jesus.

“Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake” (Psalm 79:9).

“Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name” – Grace.

“Deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake” – Mercy.

Grace and mercy. We use these words a lot as Christians, and we should. They are pivotal in helping us understand who God is and who we are. They are central understandings of the Christian faith for these two words contain the heart of the gospel.

Although they are similar they mean particular things.

Grace is when we receive what we don’t deserve:

• We are undeserving of God’s love, faithfulness, promises, adoption, salvation.
• We receive these things – not because we are deserving – but solely because of the glory of God’s name.
• We receive these things because God is gracious. We receive what we don’t deserve.

Mercy is when we don’t receive what we absolutely deserve:

• We are deserving of judgment, damnation, punishment, eternal hell.
• We are guilty. We are sinners. We deserve God’s wrath.
• But instead, God’s delivers and forgives us. That’s mercy.
• We receive these things and are delivered and forgiven from God’s wrath and punishment – not because we are undeserving of God’s wrath and punishment – but because of God’s mercy.

Grace and Mercy. That’s the gospel! That’s good news!

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak…When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall” (1 Corinthians 8:9, 12-13).

Yesterday, we looked at the positive command of these verses: How can I add value to the people around me?

Today, we will look at the negative consequence of these verses: When we sin against a brother and sister, we sin against Christ himself.

The context of these verses has to do with food sacrificed in pagan worship. Even though the strong and mature in the faith had no problems eating meat that had been used in pagan worship because they knew that there is only one true God, and that there are no other gods, the weak and the new in the faith were stumbling as a result of seeing Christians eat meat that had been used in pagan rituals.

Those who cause a brother or sister in the faith to stumble or fall sins not only against their fellow brothers and sisters. They sin against Christ himself!!! That is a loaded statement!

Let’s unpack that.

There is no separation of Christ from his followers. Just as there is no separation from the head from the body. As soon as such a decapitation occurs, the whole body is dead. So it is with the church of which Christ is the head and we are the body. When we sin against another, when we cause a brother or sister to fall because we refuse to curb the exercise of our freedom and rights, we sin against the very Christ we worship.

Jesus says in Matthew 18:6, “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

The little ones certainly refer to children, but they also refer to those new in the faith, those who are less mature in the faith.

Paul tells the church:

• Don’t let the exercise of your rights to become a stumbling block to the weak
• When you sin against them in this way and wound their conscience, you sin against Christ
• Don’t do anything that causes another to fall

As you go about this day:

• Add value to the people around you
• Don’t let the exercise of your freedom and rights to be a stumbling block to others

Protect, honor, and add value to the body of Christ for the sake of Christ.