1 Corinthians 8

1 Corinthians 8
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. ² Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. ³ But whoever loves God is known by God.

Some people put knowledge above love.  To love God is more important than what we "know".
 
⁴ So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” ⁵ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), ⁶ yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Meat sacrificed to idols is sacrificed to NOTHING and was OK for these early Christians to eat.

⁷ But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Some would not eat that meat (even though it was some of the best meat) because in their mind it had been defiled.

⁹ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹² When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Paul warned them not to be a stumbling block.

So where is a modern application as we do not have temples that serve meat sacrificed to a god?  I don't think this passage is about meat as much as it is about loving your fellow Christian.  Do you do something that causes you brother to stumble?

In my teens there was a leader in my church who grew up loving Led Zeppelin.  For Christmas one year his bride bought him the "Box Set".  He was so happy and proud and told us all about it.  He had no problem listening to that music.  However, I'd been raised that Led Zeppelin and other music of that era was evil.  I used this leaders freedom as a justification to ignore my conscience.  I won't get into weather Led Zeppelin is right or wrong for the Christian.  For me, at that time, it was wrong because of my personal belief.  I did not listen to the music because I knew it was OK and with a clear conscience. I did it because my brother was doing it.

I'm sure I could come up with many other examples, but the bottom line is to love you brother and sister more than you love your freedom.  Their walk with the Lord needs to be of greater importance to us than our freedom.  

God Bless.