We should be respecters of all people that we may win some to Christ. If we hold Jesus up and the love that He is…others will be drawn to the salvation God offers in Him.
Matthew 25:45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
Jesus said, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). And it's actually a good thing if our first thought when we read this is: I can never do that. That's part of the point! Our weakness drives us to depend on His perfection and peace, not our own.
If we can trust Jesus with our eternal salvation, we can trust Him in the troubles we will face today. He doesn't promise us a life free from trouble (John 16:33), but He does promise that He will walk alongside us, never leaving us alone (Deuteronomy 31:6). First 5
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
Asked once how she would like to be remembered, Rosalynn Carter said: "I would like for people to think that I took advantage of the opportunities I had and did the best I could." A grace that touched everyone she met. Sabbath Moments
1 Corinthians 8:9-13
9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. The New King James Version
The knowledgeable believers were correct in their view of idols, but it did not matter. If the weaker brothers and sisters saw other believers eating food offered to idols, they might also eat, in violation of their own conscience. To go against the conscience was in fact sinning. By their knowledge the stronger believers were causing the weaker believers to stumble. Paul exhorted the strong believers to show love to the weaker ones by refraining from offending them. The NKJV Study Bible
The Corinthians who considered themselves more spiritual assumed that they had the right to do whatever they wanted without considering the effects of their actions upon other believers. Paul considers it sinful behavior for a believer to exercise their rights in a way that harms a fellow member of the church.
Against Christ implies that Christ counts what is done to His people as being done to Him. The Corinthians must realize that their actions affect the entire community of believers.
Paul expresses the distance that he is willing to go to demonstrate his love for fellow believers. Although Paul knows that it is theoretically acceptable to consume meat sacrificed to idols, he does not act on such knowledge or appeal to his right to freedom. Instead, he bases his decisions concerning ethically neutral matters on his love for believers in Christ. Faithlife Study Bible
He who has the Spirit of Christ in him, will love those whom Christ loved so as to die for them. Injuries done to Christians, are done to Christ; but most of all, the entangling them in guilt: wounding their consciences, is wounding him. We should be very tender of doing any thing that may occasion stumbling to others, though it may be innocent in itself. Men cannot thus sin against their brethren, without offending Christ, and endangering their own souls. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Romans 14:15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
Romans 14:20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
1 Corinthians 8:4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
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