Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge - 1 Corinthians 8:2
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Food Offered to Idols
Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; 3 but anyone who loves God is known by him. 4 Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "no idol in the world really exists," and that "there is no God but one." 5 Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
Reflecting on 1 Corinthians 8:1-6, focus verse 2, and my conversion story. I realized that when I had first accepted Christ as my personal LORD and Saviour, I became very legalistic in my faith. This included not holding joss sticks whenever my family gathered to pray in front of my late father's urn. This unknowingly caused much heartache to my widowed mom, who witnessed her only son, ie moi, not honoring the memory of my late father.
After I became Catholic, I checked with my God pa about this struggle which I faced annually during my father's death anniversary. My God pa assured me that so long as I prayed to the Heavenly Father, that I was only holding the joss sticks to honor the memory of my late earthly father, and not worshipping him as an idol or god. It was ok to hold joss sticks as a Catholic to honor my late father, and out of love for my bereaved mom. I felt as if a heavy stone was lifted from my shoulders when I asked my mom for a lit joss-stick. My brother-in-law asked if I was Catholic, as he had observed that my mom had been sad all those years when I insisted on not holding joss stick at my dad's death anniversary but didn't dare to upset me. He observed that her face lightened up when I asked her to pass me a joss stick.
I'll close my short sharing with this beautiful worship song about true worship titled, "Nothing Else + The Heart of Worship"
Nothing Else + The Heart of Worship – Kari Jobe | Take 2
Chorus
I'm caught up in Your presence
I just want to sit here at Your feet
I'm caught up in this holy moment
I never wanna leave
Oh, I'm not here for blessings Jesus,
You don't owe me anything
More than anything that You can do
I just want You
Verse
I'm sorry when I've just gone through the motions
I'm sorry when I just sang another song
Take me back to where we started
I open up my heart to You
Verse 2
I'm sorry when I've come with my agenda
I'm sorry when I forgot that You're enough
Take me back to where we started
I open up my heart to You
(Repeat Chorus)
Bridge x8
I just want You
Nothing else, nothing else
Nothing else will do
Bridge 2
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart
Bridge 3
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
Ending
I just want You
Nothing else, nothing else
Nothing else will do
Source: Worship Together | Take 2
Reflection on 1 Corinthians 8:1-6 by Chris Tan
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