What’s the Fruit of Spiritual Growth?
a sermon based on 1 Cor. 8:1-13 & 1 Cor. 13
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Have you ever insisted on being right on something and then it turned out that you were wrong after all?  I think we all have been in a situation like that.  That can be very embarrassing.

Knowledge is a tricky thing.  It often depends on perspective, and different people have different angles from which they look at things.  Today, I often use qualifiers such as "I think"  or "from my perspective" or "I'm not 100 percent sure, but . . ."  

The apostle Paul, author of the passage we read earlier, stated that realization a little later in his letter.  In Romans 13:12 he wrote: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” Socrates said it like this: “I know that I don't know.”

What Paul is teaching us here is that, as we spiritually grow, we should become aware that love is what it’s all about in the end—not faith, not hope, but love. Or in Paul’s own words: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (13:22)

And here we have it: spiritual growth is for strengthening our faith and our hope. But that’s not the main result: growing in love is the main fruit of spiritual growth, above everything else; because love is what’s going to remain in the end.

Today’s text provides a case study of this lesson.

 

Case Study: Is eating meat dedicated to idols ok?

Place: the Corinthian church

Issue: controversy over eating meat that was sacrificed to false gods.

Corinth was a pagan town who worshiped a variety of gods. Animals were offered up to the gods in public sacrifices.  Think of it as a religious pig roast; after the animals were grilled on the altar the barbeque was sold in the market—apparently a great source of income for the state in the name of religion.

The Corinthian Problem: some ate the meat, others did not and got offended at those who ate it.

Here is the interesting thing: Paul actually says that eating the meat wasn’t a problem in itself.  In fact, he calls those who did have the freedom to eat the meat stronger Christians.

They were stronger because their faith understanding was further along; these brothers and sisters understood that the idols were not real gods; they understood that these were just man-made gods. They understood the concept of one God who created the world and who rules the world—a concept theologians refer to as monotheism.

However, some of whom he calls “weaker” believers were troubled by it. They weren’t as far along in their theological understanding.  The possibility of eating the meat offered to other gods must have felt to them like they were cheating on God.

The Solution: Love over Faith!

So what does Paul recommend?  As a theologian and teacher he could have tried to educated the “weaker” Christians—bring them up to par with current theology.

But he didn’t.  Instead he asked those who were more enlightened theologically not to eat the meat: “Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.”  (8:13)

“Knowledge can puff you up, but love will always build up.

Now, having faith is good, learning theology is good.  But true spiritual growth will acknowledge that there is something more important than faith. And that is: showing love. Laying aside our own freedoms for the sake of a brother or sister is the ultimate show of love.

Conclusion:

I don’t know if there are issues in this church that correspond to the idol meat controversy. I do know that there are some of us who struggle with addictions, and that because of that, there are others of us who do not drink alcohol in their presence. That’s the same thing Paul is talking about.

Let me tell you: I appreciate my wife for not eating garlic . . . for me.  I cannot stand the smell nor the taste of garlic, even though my wife loves it. She tells me that it’s good for the body, she believes it lowers cholesterol and clears the arteries. I don’t believe any of it.  I believe that what tastes and smells this badly must be poisonous and one day scientists will prove me right.

But my wife, even though she has science on her side, does not eat food seasoned with garlic. Now that must be love, folks!

Let us learn from Paul (and my wife) this morning and let us strive for spiritual growth, not just in our faith and knowledge of God, but mostly in our love toward God and one another.

  Amen.