August 16, 2010
Today's reading is 1 Corinthians 8:1-6. Knowledge is the source of pride. Love is the source of sacrifice. So if I think I know something, it is proof that I actually do not know as I ought to know. But if I love God, if I revere Him, if I find my highest pleasure in Him, if I seek to commune with Him, that is proof that I am known by Him. The cross references for 8:3b are all about being known by God before the foundations of the world or birth and even spiritual birth (I think). That's the trouble with reading over something quickly. I have read over that many times and never made the connection in this context about loving God being proof of being known by Him.

As pertains to idols, I still think back to the passage(s) where it is made plain: how can we be the descendants of metal, wood or other inanimate objects. Where are those gods? They are false. So to be concerned about it would be superstitious once you have the knowledge that they are "nothing." But to the new believer I can imagine it would be very painful. MacArthur speaks of their conscience being violated. He says that the results are fear, shame and guilt (The MacArthur Study Bible). I can speak with personal experience there. Sometimes I have thoughts that enter my mind. I don't know exactly where they come from. The source of many I am certain is the garbage I used to watch on televisions and movies. Still more is garbage that I take in from the current events of the world around me. I'm not sure about the balance. The Bible talks about the wicked things that proceed forth from a man and it by those things he is defiled, not by the food he takes in (applicable here, I think - that is Mt. 15:15-20). I wish I had more time to look at that. But it is now time for me to go to bed.

This is a very challenging part of the day for me. It is very common for me to stay up until the last possible moments where I get the bare minimum amount of sleep possible. But that is very weak and is evidence of a character defect. So I humbly ask God to take that character defect away. I'm not sure if it is fear, control, or what. I'm not super concerned about identifying it, more concerned about it going away.