EATING AND DRINKING TO GOD'S GLORY


A. "WHETHER THEREFORE YE EAT, OR DRINK, OR WHATSOEVER YE DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD." - 1 Cor. 10:31
  1. Background to this wonderful and climactic rule for Christians:
    1. There was a controversy between Christians of Jewish origin and those of the Gentiles - Compare chapters 8 and 10.
    2. Paul emphasized this truth, "But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse." - 1 Cor. 8:8
  2. Our Saviour took a very similar position toward the legalistic attitude of the Pharisees on eating and drinking: Matt. 15:1-19
B. EATING AND DRINKING TO GOD'S GLORY
  1. This principle was set up in the Garden of Eden:
    1. Our first parents had specific instruction from the Creator as to what shall be theirs for food - Gen. 1:29
    2. They were tested on living to the glory of God; but they listened to the serpent and sinned against the glory of God - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-6
  2. To eat and drink to the glory of God implies:
    1. That we eat and drink the things God has told us to eat and drink.
    2. When we disregard his directive, we set ourselves against His will, and that is sinning against the glory of God.
    3. To disregard God's counsel is enmity against God - See 1 Ki. 13:21; 1 Sam. 15:23
  3. Just as the Lord differentiated between the fruit of the tree of life and the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so the Lord differentiated between the clean and the unclean:
    1. He did that before the flood - Gen. 7:1-6
    2. And He did the same to His people when He brought them out of Egypt - Lev. 11:1-28; Deut. 14:1-18
C. LET US TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT THE BIBLE RECORD ON THE CLEAN AND UNCLEAN MEATS
  1. Our Lord, who created all things in the first place:
    1. Took a positive stand on the swine question - Compare Mark 5:12-17 with Luke 15:11-32.
    2. It was He who said through the prophet Isaiah, "They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord." - Isa. 65:1-9; 66:17
  2. There are those who claim that Christ cleansed the swine, but the facts show that the swine is as filthy as ever:
    1. It is Paul who says, "touch not the unclean thing" - 2 Cor. 6:17
    2. That shows that the things in nature have not changed any since God differentiated between the clean and the unclean.
  3. Objections answered:
    1. 1 Tim. 4:1-6 is quoted by the opposition to show that since Christ died all animals are clean.
    2. But when you read the context very carefully, you will note these facts:
      1. Paul warns against the doctrines of devils, but the teaching of the difference between the clean and the unclean has its source in God and not with the devil.
      2. All the things that we pray over become holy and may be eaten, but read the words of Paul again, "they are sanctified by the Word of God and prayer". To sanctify means to set apart; true, you are at liberty to eat the things God has set apart to be eaten.
      3. Acts 10:10-16 is appealed to, to show that since the resurrection of Christ all things are to be eaten, but when you read the context you will note that the vision concerned itself not with the swine but rather with bringing the gospel to the Gentiles - Acts 10:10- 28. It remains that we can eat and drink to the glory of God only when we follow His directive; when we obey Him.


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