1 Corinthians 8:7-13

"However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."

The Christian who understands that he has the freedom to do something (in this case, eat meat once offered to a fake thing) has the responsibility to make loving choices that will build up other Christians, making them stronger and bringing them into a closer relationship with God. If, on the other hand, the knowledgeable Christian over-values his freedom to do something, he will make choices that will be destructive. The choices may not be self-destructive, but they will hurt others.

If another Christian is unsure about doing something and he sees you doing it, he may be encouraged to do that thing, which to him seems like a sin. Then after he has done it, his conscience plagues him. He may think himself to be a failure, and acting on his presumed failure, he may turn away from Christianity and return to his former practices.

Knowing the potentially damaging effects of your choices, you must sensitively seek to build you fellow Christians up in love. Christ died for your brother. Can you fail to love him? But one protests, “I know that I am allowed to engage in this activity,” remember the words of verse two: “If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.”