INTRODUCTION
In this article i would be considering the above keywords under the following headings
1. THE PRACTICAL PURPOSE OF GLORIFYING GOD AND EDIFYING OTHERS
2. THE PERSONAL PRICE OF GLORIFYING GOD, EATING WITHOUT OFFENSE
3. THE PLEASING PATTERN FOR GLORIFYING GOD AND EVANGELIZING OTHERS
I will base my discussion from the following verse of the scripture. 1 Corinthians 10:23-33
God, your Creator, and Redeemer, deserves your hearts, lives, and attention. In everything you do, you should consider Him, exalt, honor, lift Him up, and glorify Him in all things, the scripture said in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”. This is the way you should live as children of God, that you are to glorify Him, so live your life to please the Lord and to let your light shine to make others glorify God through your lifestyle and dealings.
1. THE PRACTICAL PURPOSE OF GLORIFYING GOD AND EDIFYING OTHERS
1 Corinthians 10:23-24; 6:12-14; Romans 14:16-19; Ephesians 4:27-29; Matthew 5:13-16; John 15:8-14; Romans 15:2,6; Galatians 1:23-24; 1 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:4-5; John 5:30,44; 1 Corinthians 14:12
From the above scriptures, you will discover that God loves His Creation and all the creatures He has made in the world, and in everything you do, you should edify, enlighten and bring others close to the Lord for them to glorify Him. in the progress you make in life, and the practical things that you do, you are to please the Lord and edify others. And to achieve this, you must live a selfless and sacrificial life by forgetting yourself and edifying others. “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Corinthians 10:23). All things that you do which are lawful to you, but are not expedient to others. Although something may be lawful, proper and profitable to you, you need to consider if that thing is proper and profitable to others as well. All things edify not. So as a result of this, “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth” (1Corinthians 10:24).
There are times you seek your comfort and profit, but if you do this at the expense of others, that will not be right. Don’t enjoy yourself at the expense of others. You can do that thing which is lawful unto you, but for the growth and development of other believers, is that thing profitable?
Habits are easy to form but difficult to break. When you start doing things that are lawful unto you, but hindering others, and it becomes a habit, you are brought under the power of that habit, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” (1 Corinthians 6:12-13). If you form the habit of eating what is injurious to your body, you don’t think of the future, and the injury that this habit will cause to your body.
You are to dedicate your body to the Lord and the glory of God. That is how to preserve your body until the time that Christ will raise that body for His glory: “And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.” (1 Corinthians 6:14). “Let not then your good be evil spoken of” (Romans 14:16). When you are doing something good and people do not understand or are offended, then you need to reevaluate that good thing you are doing since they are offended at this. Meat, food, drink, helping others with provision—all these are good, but don’t do it with suspicion or cause offense to others. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17). In everything you do, consider righteousness, peace of God, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and every action will come out to make others righteous. Not everything acceptable is expedient, so, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Romans 14:19).
Do everything in the open and be transparent; bring everything to the open so that there is no secrecy in your life and dealings with others. “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). As children of God, you are members of the family; do not live isolated lives; you are to consider others in all that you do, don’t live independent and indifferent lives; you are to consider the effect of all you do in the lives of others as well in the family of God. Whatever will hinder the salvation of sinners, the development of saints, that you will not do.
“Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12). You may be passionate or zealous about Christian service, soul-winning, evangelism, and doing good to others, but then the people who are closest to you, you don’t care for their spiritual development; that is not Christian character. In everything you do, see that you consider the progress and edification of others as well. We must consider what edifies others.
2. THE PERSONAL PRICE OF GLORIFYING GOD, EATING WITHOUT OFFENSE
1 Corinthians 10:25-30; Romans 14:20-21; 1 Corinthians 8:9-13; Revelations 2:14-23; Genesis 25:32-34; Hebrews 12:15-17; Philippians 3:18-19; Proverbs 9:17-18; Psalms 106:13-15; Matthew 24:37-39, 48-51; Luke 12:19-21; John 6:25-27
You should pay the price even though it is not convenient for you; you should live your life and ensure that you are not creating any barriers between yourself and others. From the subtopic, ‘Eating’ represents everything you do or eat to develop yourself; please do all these things without offense.
As an unbeliever, you were answerable to nobody; you did all things independently without consideration for others, but now that you are born again, you want to do all things to the edification of others. As a Christian, you must consider whatever you are buying, and if your conscience does not approve of it, you will not buy that thing, Consider the glory of God in all things that you even buy as Christians. Always go with your conscience anywhere you go. “If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake” (1 Corinthians 10:27).
If you are invited to a feast or lunch of what if offered unto idols, you will not be part of it as a Christian, “But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:” (1 Corinthians 10:28). And whatever you do, consider the conscience of others as well; the Christian life is a communal life that considers others. Whatever you do, consider the effect of that on the lives of other people. You destroy the conscience of others because you don’t consider what you are doing, that you justify yourself and don’t consider others’ conscience, “Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other; for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?” (1 Corinthians 10:29). Always justifying yourself, and other people’s consciences are disturbed and defiled, you destroy the conscience of others and the works of the kingdom of God because you are not willing to pay the price of eating not to glorify God, “For meat destroys not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man whoeateth with offence.” (Romans 14:20). You must be conscious of this, “but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense” (Romans 14:20b).
Some people do not consider how that thing glorifies God, edifies the church, affects the brethren, or makes you spiritual, but they just do it according to their habits. There are things people do that they enjoy, their flesh, the body and life will enjoy that, but it brings leanness into their soul, “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul” (Psalms 106:15). You should not centre your lives on what you eat or drink only, but what will profit your souls: “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed” (John6:27). You don’t just seek the Lord because of material gain or joy. This is what the
Lord wants you to do, not to live on material things, blessings or secular opportunities comes the Lord, let’s labour and pray to get the eternal things, fulfill the ministry, calling that God has given His church, and to glorify God.
3. THE PLEASING PATTERN FOR GLORIFYING GOD AND EVANGELIZING OTHERS
1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 3:17,23-24; Matthew 7:12; 1 Corinthians 10:32; 2 Corinthians 6:3; Philippians 1:10-11; Acts 24:15-16; 1 Corinthians 10:33; Romans 10:1,9-10; 1 Corinthians 9:19-22; 2 Timothy 2:10
The pattern of life, action, lifestyle, behaviour and the character that pleases the Lord. The purpose why God has placed us on earth is for us to go and evangelise others, for God is not willing that anyone should perish but that all His creatures should come to repentance, and so you please God in everything you do will be to draw others to the Lord. “Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33). When you are saved, darkness passes away, and light comes in, to give enlightenment, and show the way clearly on how to worship, glorify and think of God
every time, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6). “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17).
Whatsoever you do, do it with a purpose and an eye to glorify God. Whatever you cannot do in the Name of Jesus, cannot glorify God, so don’t do it. Make everything you do to the service of The Lord, the salvation of sinners, the edification of the saints and the development and building
up of the body of Christ, “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:24). “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12). Do everything as you want others to do unto you, for this is what glorifies God in your life. You must not be offensive, “Give none offence”…..(1 Corinthians 10:32a). Don’t be an offence unto others; the nominal churchgoers, the denominational and religious ones, the Gentiles, the idolatrous people, and the church of God, don’t be an offence, “Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:” (2 Corinthians 6:3). “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10). That your life and disposition will be excellent, in everything you do or say, you want to do it without offence unto the praise and glory of God. And that you are filled with the fruits of righteousness that will bring glory and praise to God, “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:11). “And herein do I exercise myself, to always have a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). No offence toward God Who sees every motive, the intention of the heart, thoughts and everything, and no offence towards men – the Jews, religious ones, the Gentiles, the Church of God, and all men.“Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33). Paul is telling us that what he demands from us, he did himself, not seeking his profit, but that of many that they may be saved. As a preacher and minister, your lifestyle, action, behaviour and consistency in holiness and consecration should lead the sinner and backslider to salvation and restoration. The believer will want to endure unto the end
You are to do things that will edify others and bring them to salvation. You are to deny yourself of anything that will not hinder the salvation of others like Paul the Apostle, “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And
unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-22). Whatever we may go through, we endure all that for the salvation of others to be saved, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also
obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).
Conclusion
Whatever will hinder the progress of others and distract their attention from that heavenly goal, we repent of and take away from our lives so that others can be saved. Endure all things for the elect’s sake. What are you willing to endure, deny yourself of, and give up so that the people around you might be saved, the saints to be sanctified, and everyone to be ready for the coming of the Lord? We are living for the glory of God, the salvation of sinners, and the edification of others, not to be an offense to others and to evangelize as many as possible.
