Focus: 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 - KJV
1. Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 2. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
Acts 15:28-29
There is only one God that exists. Indeed, there can only be one. Every other being to whom godship is ascribed is an idol. Now, because God is jealous, He frowns at our relating with idols in anyway or form. No other being aside God has any power. Over the earth, God has assigned power to man to be in dominion. Hence, not even Satan can exercise power over man in anything except the power volunteered to him by man. It follows that, even though a stone is inanimate, if a man decides to idolize it and pour libation on it regularly, the devil comes in it and takes over that dominion or authority given to the stone by the original possessor to turn the said possessor into a slave of the stone. By and large, when he starts to see the effect of the satanic takeover, he ascribes existence to the lifeless stone and starts to make offerings and sacrifices to it.
When man lost the understanding of the real identity of God in that he attributes to Him who He is not, God sent Jesus to reestablish relationship by revealing the truth about God. It is like calling a righteous man a thief and assuming he would accept it. Every attribute ascribed to God that does not depict Him is simply a lie and has not God in it. Hence, giving name to beings as God who do not have the attributes of God is idolatry. So, when a sacrifice is made to any such being who is not God, the tendency is for the enemy to come into it and take residence and authority. Those who partake of any such sacrifice by implication affirm the godship of the said idol and thereby infuriate God. It is possible because of our knowledge to believe that the sacrifice is wasted and sanctify the same in the name of the Lord and eat. Even if by doing so, we cancel the effect of the idol worship spiritually, we may not succeed in making onlookers believe we are doing the right thing. Hence, the counsel to fully abstain.
Beloved, there is no having any other god aside the Most High. Those who refuse to comply put themselves in the danger of rejection by the Lord. Eating animals offered to idols is simply venerating the said idol in the presence of others and that may serve as a form of evangelizing that same idol as legitimate. The repercussion of doing so is never good. Let us therefore hold God high as He is, by putting nothing else beside Him in all our doings. If you have been in the habit of eating meat anyhow while socializing, it is time to hold the brakes and check that which is dished whether it had not first been offered to a non-existent god.
SOLUTION: The only God that is, is the one presented by Jesus Christ as His father. He may have names in different acceptable cultures and climes. It is safe to remain on the side that Christ presents so as not to show allegiance to someone with the wrong attributes, as God.
Please pray: Father, we seek to know you the more: please let your Holy Spirit teach us the more about you that we may relate with you and not any stranger, in Jesus’ name. Help us so that we do not submit the power you have given to us to meaningless creatures to assert the same over us, in Jesus’ name. By your power in us, let the grace to discern and hold on to the truth abide with us evermore, in Jesus’ name.
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name.
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