1 Timothy 4:4-5
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
Christians are free people. We are not bound by many things that trap other people. The sad thing is that we create our own traps. Our lists of does and don’ts can grow long. There are many good reasons for these lists. Many of the vices we avoid we should avoid because they are open doors to sin. There are things, however, that we label as vice that are open to interpretation. The line between these two, vice and freedom, is very difficult to determine sometimes and breeds opportunity to judge others. I see this struggle a lot and experience too often myself when I hear a Christian do certain activities. In this passage, Paul is talking specifically about how the false teachers in Ephesus were teaching that people should stay away from certain foods. Food is a relatively safe topic. Other issues require great wisdom, insight, knowledge of God’s word, love, and a willingness to listen to the greater body of Christ.
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