WEBVTT 00:00:00.270 --> 00:00:04.849 In two previous Heart to Heart Talks, we were 00:00:04.849 --> 00:00:08.750 discussing a portion of the eighth chapter of 00:00:08.750 --> 00:00:15.509 1 Corinthians. And as you well know, these young 00:00:15.509 --> 00:00:19.829 Corinthian Christians had contacted Paul because 00:00:19.829 --> 00:00:24.829 they were very disturbed over this thing of the 00:00:24.829 --> 00:00:32.700 eating of meat. meat that had been sacrificed 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:38.039 to idols. That part of it which is afterward 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:45.539 on sale be eaten by Christians. Frankly, they 00:00:45.539 --> 00:00:50.619 wanted to know whether it was a sin for them 00:00:50.619 --> 00:00:56.399 as Christians to eat that part of the meat that 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:01.140 was left on the carcass. of the animal after 00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:07.560 the rest of it had been sacrificed to idols. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:13.239 This is the most interesting discussion. The 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:16.420 first thing that Paul did in answering the question 00:01:16.420 --> 00:01:24.019 was to just make a very definite statement. And 00:01:24.019 --> 00:01:30.700 this is what he said. We know that we all have 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:37.719 knowledge. Part knowledge. Here's the very definite 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:41.400 statement that he makes in answer to their question 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:48.480 to eat this meat or not to eat this meat. The 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:53.920 knowledge that there was no idols. The knowledge 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:59.180 that there was no reality in these idols. since 00:01:59.180 --> 00:02:01.239 they've been born again, since they had that 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:03.780 wonderful new birth experience. He's saying to 00:02:03.780 --> 00:02:07.079 them, you have the knowledge now, the spiritual 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:09.439 insight, the spiritual knowledge, that there 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:14.560 is no meaning whatsoever in this sacrifice to 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:21.340 these idols. These idols are only made of stone, 00:02:21.580 --> 00:02:25.400 of wood, made with human hands. How in the world? 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:28.879 Could there be anything sacred about these idols? 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:36.000 Consequently, we can do as we like. We can eat. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:43.780 You're absolutely free. You may eat that meat 00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:50.840 if you so desire because you are free. All this 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:57.719 wonderful, wonderful freedom. this glorious freedom 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:02.840 in Christ Jesus. But wait a minute. Oh, oh, wait 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:14.719 just a minute. He continues to say, but take 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:20.860 heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours, 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:26.539 this freedom of yours, becomes a stumbling block 00:03:26.539 --> 00:03:34.319 to them that are weak. Pause a minute. Stop whatever 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:37.439 you're doing. I feel this subject is so important. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:41.860 I would like to have your full attention for 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:46.919 just a few minutes as we discuss it. It means 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:50.479 something to be a Christian. That experience 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:52.979 of being born again. is the greatest experience 00:03:52.979 --> 00:03:58.199 in the whole world. It gives you a liberty. It 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:01.599 gives you a freedom. You are no longer in the 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:08.240 bondage of Satan. You're no longer in sin's bondage. 00:04:08.539 --> 00:04:13.680 Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. You're 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:18.899 set free from the bondage of sin, of Satan. That 00:04:18.899 --> 00:04:25.709 glorious experience. of being born again. Prior 00:04:25.709 --> 00:04:28.889 to that glorious experience, you are literally 00:04:28.889 --> 00:04:35.269 bound by the chains of Satan. That's the reason 00:04:35.269 --> 00:04:37.310 you do things that you would not do of yourself. 00:04:39.329 --> 00:04:44.170 Things that, in your better judgment, you know 00:04:44.170 --> 00:04:47.829 you should not do. And yet for the life of you, 00:04:49.129 --> 00:04:52.790 There is no human power, not enough willpower 00:04:52.790 --> 00:04:58.129 of yourself to restrain yourself from doing those 00:04:58.129 --> 00:05:04.509 things. What is it? You are a slave to sin. You 00:05:04.509 --> 00:05:08.910 are Satan's slave. You're in bondage. You're 00:05:08.910 --> 00:05:14.350 in deep, dark bondage to Satan. And the only 00:05:14.350 --> 00:05:17.129 one who can set you free is Jesus Christ, the 00:05:17.129 --> 00:05:21.680 Son of God. There is only one power that can 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:26.800 give you freedom and break those chains of darkness. 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:30.579 And that's the divine son of the living God. 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:36.279 And it takes a divine savior. Not just an example, 00:05:36.420 --> 00:05:42.540 but the very son of the living God. And whom 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:47.509 the son sets free is free indeed. That glorious 00:05:47.509 --> 00:05:52.730 liberty. That wonderful freedom. That salvation 00:05:52.730 --> 00:05:58.850 gives to you. That Jesus gives to you. Oh, it's 00:05:58.850 --> 00:06:09.829 glorious. But wait. Love thinks of someone else. 00:06:10.449 --> 00:06:14.850 That person who's watching you. That person... 00:06:15.069 --> 00:06:20.050 over whom you have influence. And the actions 00:06:20.050 --> 00:06:29.050 of real Christians is the combination of knowledge 00:06:29.050 --> 00:06:35.810 and love. You cannot separate the two. And that's 00:06:35.810 --> 00:06:40.370 exactly what Paul is saying right here. To me, 00:06:40.370 --> 00:06:46.480 this is thrilling. He is saying, you're given 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:51.560 the liberty, you are given the freedom to eat 00:06:51.560 --> 00:07:00.920 that meat. But watch it. Let love govern your 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:05.839 action. You have the knowledge. You have the 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:11.079 spiritual knowledge that there's nothing supernatural. 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:16.279 in those idols. They're meaningless, absolutely 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:19.339 meaningless. There's no reality in them whatsoever. 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:24.959 There's no meaning in the sacrifice. You have 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:30.600 that knowledge, but let that knowledge be governed 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:36.920 by love. I think that Christians need this teaching 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:43.790 today more than... anything else because there 00:07:43.790 --> 00:07:47.829 are thousands of born -again men and women who 00:07:47.829 --> 00:07:51.449 have spiritual knowledge, but they do not allow 00:07:51.449 --> 00:07:56.250 that spiritual knowledge to be governed by love. 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:05.750 The two must work hand in hand to put a stumbling 00:08:05.750 --> 00:08:11.670 block in the way of that Man, that woman who 00:08:11.670 --> 00:08:16.430 is weak in the faith, or perhaps has never been 00:08:16.430 --> 00:08:22.709 born again, is a sin against Jesus Christ himself. 00:08:24.370 --> 00:08:33.429 Oh, you say I'm free. I have liberty. I have 00:08:33.429 --> 00:08:39.679 absolutely freedom in the spirit. But if you 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:44.259 misuse your freedom and you misuse that liberty, 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:53.720 then it becomes sin to you. Let me read that 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:55.899 personal word of God as found in the fifth chapter 00:08:55.899 --> 00:09:00.919 of Galatians. For brethren, and whenever the 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:04.440 Bible speaks of brethren, it always refers to 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:09.429 those who are born again. Brethren, ye have been 00:09:09.429 --> 00:09:17.250 called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for 00:09:17.250 --> 00:09:24.389 an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one 00:09:24.389 --> 00:09:28.830 another. Your salvation gives you this wonderful 00:09:28.830 --> 00:09:36.480 liberty. Mm -hmm. But don't misuse that liberty 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:40.159 which is given to you through your salvation. 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:45.000 Those of you who followed me in my previous heart 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:48.299 -to -heart talks regarding this eighth chapter 00:09:48.299 --> 00:09:50.980 of 1 Corinthians will remember that in one of 00:09:50.980 --> 00:09:59.159 them, I made a very definite statement that everything, 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:06.860 that God created was good. And nothing has been 00:10:06.860 --> 00:10:11.080 created except God himself created it. The evil 00:10:11.080 --> 00:10:14.519 one, the devil, never was given the power of 00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:19.320 creation. Never. Two things the devil was never 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:25.120 given power to do. That of creation and that 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:30.090 of healing sick bodies. You cannot... find any 00:10:30.090 --> 00:10:32.809 portion of the word of God where he was given 00:10:32.809 --> 00:10:35.009 the power to do either one of these two things. 00:10:35.690 --> 00:10:40.250 Never. Somebody said, I never thought of that. 00:10:40.470 --> 00:10:42.809 You know, many things that we take for granted 00:10:42.809 --> 00:10:50.750 are just preconceived ideas, not scripture. Everything 00:10:50.750 --> 00:10:58.000 in the universe that is created has been created 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:03.279 by the great creator. And he saw that it was 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:09.960 good. But when that which the great creator has 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:17.720 created is misused or used to excess, then that 00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:26.320 thing can become a sin. You could even take the 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:30.919 very word of God and misuse it. And it can become 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:35.519 a sin to you. I don't care what it is. Take anything. 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:41.000 Even this wonderful freedom and this glorious 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:44.539 liberty that you and I have as Christians, this 00:11:44.539 --> 00:11:48.019 freedom in the spirit, this liberty in the spirit, 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:55.710 can be misused and can become... a sin to you. 00:11:58.350 --> 00:12:08.269 Let not this liberty, watch it, this wonderful 00:12:08.269 --> 00:12:12.789 liberty, this freedom of the spirit, only use 00:12:12.789 --> 00:12:17.230 not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but 00:12:17.230 --> 00:12:20.549 by love serve one another. They have the right 00:12:20.549 --> 00:12:26.120 to eat these things, but Love will forego the 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:31.559 right and refrain from eating if by doing so 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:36.039 it would bring a reproach or a stumbling block 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:45.039 to someone else. Take heed, lest by any means 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:49.759 this liberty of yours become a stumbling block 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:58.169 to them that are weak. Now that's something to 00:12:58.169 --> 00:13:04.250 think about. God gives us good common sense. 00:13:04.389 --> 00:13:11.710 I remember something. Recently, I was called 00:13:11.710 --> 00:13:19.309 to the mortuary. A precious father had gone home 00:13:19.309 --> 00:13:24.559 to glory. Just two years prior to his passing, 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.639 he had found the Christ as his Savior in our 00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:32.659 services. His daughter was converted first. Oh, 00:13:32.659 --> 00:13:36.480 the father had a wonderful conversion. Wonderful. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:44.039 And his passing was one of real victory. But 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:47.419 all members of the family except the daughter 00:13:47.419 --> 00:13:53.639 were Roman Catholic. This glorious freedom of 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:58.340 the spirit, Jesus as the great high priest, had 00:13:58.340 --> 00:14:05.960 never come through, never. And at the time of 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:08.679 the father's death, and I was called to the mortuary, 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:14.759 there were the mass cards, there was the kneeling 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:19.559 bench, all the candles, all the ritual, all the 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:24.820 form. All the ceremony. And somebody rebuked 00:14:24.820 --> 00:14:30.779 me and said, Miss Cooman, did you not do anything 00:14:30.779 --> 00:14:34.320 about it or say anything about it? Well, I said, 00:14:34.379 --> 00:14:44.080 of course not. Why, indeed not. What did you 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:49.679 do about the kneeling bench? Well, I said nothing. 00:14:52.620 --> 00:14:55.899 What did you do about the burning candles? Well, 00:14:55.980 --> 00:15:03.120 my dear, nothing. What about the mass cards? 00:15:05.539 --> 00:15:16.340 Why, nothing, my dear. Nothing. I knew where 00:15:16.340 --> 00:15:21.000 that precious father had gone. He had the wonderful 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:28.000 light of the gospel. Oh, sure. His soul was in 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:34.539 the presence of almighty God. As I stood there 00:15:34.539 --> 00:15:42.440 before that open casket, I knew where that precious 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:47.320 soul was. It had gone all the way from earth 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:55.049 to blowing. As I stood there, I had the knowledge 00:15:55.049 --> 00:15:59.289 that all of these other things had nothing to 00:15:59.289 --> 00:16:07.110 do with that man's salvation. But watch. My love 00:16:07.110 --> 00:16:11.750 for the souls of members of that family who had 00:16:11.750 --> 00:16:16.450 not yet been converted governed my knowledge. 00:16:20.009 --> 00:16:26.809 And because love governed my knowledge, five 00:16:26.809 --> 00:16:30.370 members of that family were led to the Lord Jesus 00:16:30.370 --> 00:16:36.490 Christ just through love and not through rebuke 00:16:36.490 --> 00:16:49.830 and reproof. Used sanctified knowledge. mastered 00:16:49.830 --> 00:16:54.889 by love. Paul said, all things are lawful for 00:16:54.889 --> 00:16:59.769 me, but I will not be brought under the power 00:16:59.769 --> 00:17:05.210 of any. I will not let any one of these things 00:17:05.210 --> 00:17:15.170 that I am free to do become my master. My freedom 00:17:15.170 --> 00:17:20.589 shall not master me. My freedom, my liberty in 00:17:20.589 --> 00:17:25.190 the Lord will be mastered by my love for others 00:17:25.190 --> 00:17:34.430 and my love for him. Therefore, our liberty is 00:17:34.430 --> 00:17:41.789 limited when another person is involved. The 00:17:41.789 --> 00:17:44.450 most precious thing in the whole world is a soul. 00:17:44.970 --> 00:17:49.319 There's nothing. under heaven that is more precious 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:54.259 than the salvation of a lost soul. If I misuse 00:17:54.259 --> 00:17:59.500 my liberty, my freedom, the spirit, and in misusing 00:17:59.500 --> 00:18:04.519 my liberty mean the damnation of a soul, I sin 00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:09.579 in the use of my liberty. At all times, under 00:18:09.579 --> 00:18:14.819 all circumstances, that liberty that I enjoy 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:20.980 In the spirit, as a Christian, must be governed 00:18:20.980 --> 00:18:29.460 by my love for that unsayed person. If it means 00:18:29.460 --> 00:18:35.000 a sacrifice on my part, I am to make that sacrifice 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:40.299 and pay that price. For Paul said, if meat make 00:18:40.299 --> 00:18:46.250 my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh. I 00:18:46.250 --> 00:18:52.170 will eat no meat while the world standeth, lest 00:18:52.170 --> 00:18:58.250 I make my brother to offend. That's God's word. 00:18:58.430 --> 00:18:59.009 Amen.