1 Corinthians 8:3

This verse is one I have read many times, but this morning it caught my attention. Reading chapters 8 and 9 to get the whole context some things stand out. Before I get to that another passage in Matthew vs. 7:21-23 came to mind. “Not everyone that says to me Lord Lord…Many will say in that day, Lord Lord…..have we not.….and in thy name done many wonderful works….And then I will profess to them….I NEVER knew you!…..How sobering is that! (Read the whole chapter) 

So here we see that there are those who “know” God and those who God “knows”. Of coarse God knows everything and every one, but knowing in this context is an intimate two way relationship. Those referred to in Matthew apparently knew God enough to call Him “Lord” and even be engaged in Christian activity, but Jesus said He never “knew” them, and accused them of being lawless. (Disobedient - without law)

So how do we know God “knows” us? “If any man “love God”, the same is “known” of Him”. We know that love of God is expressed in obedience to Him. See John 14:21, 23, 24, John 15:10, (and countless others).

The love of God is not mere feelings or words, although we may have both, but the love of God is primarily proven by obedience. And the supreme expression is summed up in the great commandment, to “Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves”. John 15:10 says: “And this is my commandment that you love one another”. There are many other passages and examples that could be given, but the point is clear. 1 John goes into great detail on this and challenges us in that “If we cannot love our brother who we see, how can we love God who we cannot see”?

I have probably not said anything here most Christians do not already know. But getting back to the original scripture in the opening verse, I began to see just what this love involves. It is easy to love when it’s convenient, in our own interest, to love those we like, those who accept us and who fellowship with us, family, friends, etc. (Jesus said even the unbelievers do that!)

Looking at what Paul is saying I see where real love is more than that. I see the practical application and not just some abstract idea we tend to agree with but not always apply.

To get to the point: Paul speaks of food offered to idols, Christian liberty, and those who are not there yet in there understanding of liberty. The exact situation in Corinth is not something we face today, but the principle is. Do we love enough to give up our “Christian rights” so that we don’t offend a weaker person, or maybe an un saved person? Do we care enough about someone to deny ourselves something (whatever it might be even of it “permissible”)? It may not even directly offend a specific person, but what about the “appearance of evil”? It could be anything that may put a question mark on Christianity. (Remember Paul to the Jews in Romans 2:24 “For the name of God is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you” – We are an open book for the world to read!)

            Continuing with Paul in Corinthians 10, he goes into great detail to defend the right of those ministering the Gospel to “live from the Gospel” (compensation) but then completely rejects for himself what he defends as rightful. He has every right to claim the scriptures he quotes from the OT, yet the love he has takes precedence over his rights and refuses to receive what he can rightly take for himself. He would rather not use that right so as to not “hinder the cause of Christ” or put a stumbling block in anyone’s path. What was perfectly legitimate for him he rejected for the love of the Lord, and how others would perceive the Gospel. (How far we have come when we look at the church today regarding these things) This is not to say ministers should not be paid, we are in a completely different culture – but the principle remains).

He goes on to say how he becomes “all things to all people that he may win some”. He didn’t compromise his convictions, but he did condescend to men that he might win them to Christ. His “Christian Rights” were never above loving others and it cost him that which he could have claimed as his own.

These are practical ways in which Paul denied himself and an example for us to follow. I have to ask myself, have I loved others like this? Have I given up anything that was my “right” that I worked so hard for and “deserve”?  Have I loved those who did me wrong because of my “right” to be angry? Has my love for others cost me anything beyond my surplus or what comes natural to me? Have I ever actually suffered loss on my part to put another above myself and my needs? These are questions we all should ask ourselves and we are the only ones that can honestly answer them.

Remember Jesus at the temple watching the people giving, His praise was for the one who gave the least monetarily, but gave the most because she gave all she had.

Are we called to do anything less, and does the love we have towards others cost us anything? Jesus paid the ultimate price for us, but we are also called to walk as He walked.

It is not so much our proclamation that we know Him as much as it is does He really “know” us?