Personal Convictions

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

If they believed Paul that it was ok and thus they ate, they were NOT sinning.

Anyways, this is about conscious. IT is not saying he is sinning against God.

A sin against God is to break His commandment. Paul tells us it is OK to eat those meats. It is not a sin against God. So in this case it's a matter of this persons conscious. IF he eats and doubts he causes himself to stumble. That does not mean God damned him to hell.

23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

The beginning of the passage is about us condemning or judging others for eating or not eating meats. Of course If I condemn you because you just eat vegetables and not meat that will not send YOU to hell. If I go ahead and eat my meat in front of you and I know it offends you deeply Paul says it may cause you to stumble. Does that mean I can send you to hell? No, it does mean I can offend you and trouble you. That is why we call them PERSONAL convictions.

No only can you offend me, but if you cause me to stumble (sin, stumbling is committing sin) then you are not only causing me to sin but are bringing trouble upon yourself.

Romans 14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth


1 Corinthians 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
8 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.
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.


Let's see, DESTROY, CONDEMN, PERISH, SIN,, DAMNED, these are words Paul uses to tell us what happens to a weak brother who stumbles at a stronger brothers liberty and what happens to a strong brother who flaunts his liberty carelessly.

Yes, I would say you are aiding my passage to hell!

Here is the other issue, that they are personal and that they are based on personal views, one can get rid of their personal convictions too. If someone believes it's a sin to eat meats....but then through prayer and study he comes aware that this is NOT God's word and that we are liberty, changes his view, he no longer has that personal conviction.

Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.


1 Corinthians 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

Once the weak brother has the knowledge and understanding that everything made by God is good and cleansed by prayer, then that KNOWLEDGE eliminates the conviction they once held because now they know the truth.

And, Prax, some things we see clearly take others time, teaching, and revelation to grasp.

http://www.jesusveg.com/scholar.html

[Bro-Larry]

If we do something against our personal convictions, then it brings condemnation, even though it may not be a requirement from God.

Paul said in Acts 23:1, "I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." We know that his personal conviction to kill Christians was not from God. How could he truthfully say this?

Because he had never violated one of his personal convictions. He thought he was doing God 's service.