I Corinthians 10 continued

Do you remember a couple of days ago how I wrote that I would feel "odd" to eat food that someone had left out for their "god" to eat?

Well...I just discovered there's a good reason for it!

Did you know that food left out for false gods is food left out for demons? yes! Demons!

Read this:
blockquote>19What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Do you see it? If you don't give something to God, you know...the one and only True God...then you are giving it to demons... to Satan actually. This is why it is not a good idea to eat food that others leave out for their "gods". If you eat it, you are eating something that has been offered to demons. Demons are NOT on the side of God. They are most definitely on the side of Satan.

As a believer you can't do both. You can't eat demon food and God's food.

Paul goes on to explain this better.

23"All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. 24Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

Through Christ, we have freedom from the law. But just because we have that freedom, it doesn't mean that we can do whatever we want.

25Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." 27If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience-- 29I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

When we do stuff, we have to consider the ramifications of what we are doing. If we eat something that has been sacrificed to a demon (even if the other person thinks it has been offered to a "god") we need to consider what they are thinking AND we need what we are really doing. We need to remember that what we do has an impact on those around us. If we cheerfully eat food given to idols...that may give the impression that we agree with the practice. We DON"T want to do that. It's one thing to eat at a non-believers house, to just have tea or dinner with them. It's another thing entirely if we eat food that they have told us has been offered up to their "god". Thanks to Matthew Henry's commentary for helping me get a better handle on this passage.

31So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved

Pual concludes this chapter reminding us that we are to do all things in order to bring glory to God. It's actually the only thing that really counts.

Are we giving glory to God? Are we being non-offensive to non-believers and believers alike so that more people can be brought to faith in Christ? Are we being pleasing to those around us so they can see the glory of God in us?