Can something be a sin to one person but not to another?
Not all sins. Just some "issues" of faith. You would be remiss if applying to all sins like murder, adultery, and such like.
For example, one person believes our body is our temple and drinking alcohol is a sin. Another person enjoys drinking beer. Would drinking be a sin for the first person but not the second?
In regards to meat offered to idols.. please read at this link to Bible Gateway of 1 Corinthians 8th chapter.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Corinthians+8&version=KJV
The passage applicable to drinking alcohol can be seen here from that link.
1 Corinthians 8:[SUP]
8 [/SUP]But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. [SUP]
9 [/SUP]But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. [SUP]
10 [/SUP]For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; [SUP]
11 [/SUP]And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? [SUP]
12 [/SUP]But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. [SUP]
13 [/SUP]Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Then there is...
Romans 14:
1Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. [SUP]
2 [/SUP]For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. [SUP]
3 [/SUP]Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him..........[SUP]
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Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
You know there are alcoholics out there and so they need to keep their conviction not to drink at all. So if someone hypes against drinking alcohol, even though you have scripture to the contrary that it is okay to drink but not get drunk, alcoholics cannot stop getting drunk when they drink.
One time, I told someone at work that it was okay to drink but not get drunk. If they cannot drink without getting drunk, then they should not drink at all. But soon after, he came to work the one morning drunk and got fired. I blame myself even though I had said that if they cannot drink without getting drunk, they should not drink at all, I should recognize that some people need to believe it is wrong to drink any alcohol at all. I had ask the Lord for forgiveness and there had been other times when I had said things without carefully discerning the person it was being said to that I needed His forgiveness for. I am relying on Him for me not to repeat that "sin" in causing a brother to stumble.
Another example: One person believes you should only pray to God while another person prays to saints, or to guardian angels. Would praying to another besides God be a sin if the first person did it, but not a sin for the second person?
Prayers are issued to gods. The heathen knows that. God the Father provided only one way to come to Him and that is through His Son as only His Son can answers prayers.
John 14: [SUP]
6 [/SUP]Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me....[SUP]13 [/SUP]And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [SUP]
14 [/SUP]If ye shall ask any thing in my name,
I will do it.
Only Jesus is at that throne of grace to be raying to God the Father by; there is no one else there.
Hebrews 4:[SUP]
12 [/SUP]For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [SUP]
13 [/SUP]Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. [SUP]
14 [/SUP]Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. [SUP]
15 [/SUP]For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [SUP]
16 [/SUP]Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
To pray to Mary or any other departed saints is to give credit to Mary or the saint for answers to prayer.
John 10:1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.........[SUP]
7 [/SUP]Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. [SUP]
8 [/SUP]All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
That is not an issue of faith; that is a sin. Prayers are offered to God. That is what Mary & the saints did when they were on earth so that they may give credit & glory to God the Father for answers to prayers in Jesus's name.
Do not listen to any rationalizations given to pray otherwise when you can see they are giving credit to answers to prayers to Mary or that saint. Going around Jesus is stealing His glory as the One that answers prayers.
Matthew 28:[SUP]
18 [/SUP]And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth......[SUP]
20 [/SUP]
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Third example: One person believes Saturday is the Sabbath. Another person worships on another day, say Sunday. Would worshiping on Sunday (and not on Saturday) be a sin to the first person but not to the second?
If it is a sin to one person then that person is forgetting that Jesus Christ is in them for why they are blameless for profaning the Sabbath day.
Matthew 12:1At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. [SUP]
2 [/SUP]But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. [SUP]
3 [/SUP]But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; [SUP]
4 [/SUP]How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? [SUP]
5 [/SUP]Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? [SUP]
6 [/SUP]But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. [SUP]
7 [/SUP]But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Jesus gave 2 examples in the O.T. on how saints that has profaned the Sabbath were guiltless because they were in the Temple, but One greater than the Temple was in that place for why His disciples were guiltless and that was because Jesus was with them. So that is why all saved believers today are guiltless for profaning the Sabbath because Jesus is in us.
When they see it as a sin, then how can they not judge other believers for profaning the Sabbath?
Romans 14:[SUP]
4 [/SUP]Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. [SUP]
5 [/SUP]One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. [SUP]
6 [/SUP]He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. [SUP]
7 [/SUP]For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. [SUP]
8 [/SUP]For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
Some issues of faith cannot be avoided when they are in your face about it, because they see it as a sin, but as they judge, they shall be judged. In other words, you are allowed to defend yourself then because no one can keep the Sabbath day as commanded in the way they kept it in the O.T. which is to stone to death those who profane the Sabbath. They certainly do not have any scripture in the N.T. explaining how to keep the Sabbath without stoning any one to death.
So not stoning any one to death for profaning the Sabbath is a sin if they want to keep it the way the O.T. saints did.
So they are not really keeping the Sabbath and they need to know that because their body is the temple of the Holy Spirit now and that Jesus Christ is in them, that is why all believers are blameless for profaning the Sabbath because He is Lord of the Sabbath... not the Sabbath lord over Him or those that are His.
1 Corinthians 6:[SUP]
19[/SUP]
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [SUP]20 [/SUP]For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
2 Corinthians 13:[SUP]
5 [/SUP]Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that
Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
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I guess what I'm getting at is this: Is sin an absolute standard? Or does it depend upon one's own standards?
That is why we have the scripture to know what is sin and what is not sin as He will help us prove all things to know this.
2 Timothy 3:[SUP]
14 [/SUP]But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; [SUP]
15 [/SUP]And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. [SUP]
16 [/SUP]All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [SUP]
17 [/SUP]That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
1 Thessalonians 5:[SUP]
21 [/SUP]Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. [SUP]
22 [/SUP]Abstain from all appearance of evil. [SUP]
23 [/SUP]And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [SUP]
24 [/SUP]Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
2 Timothy 4:[SUP]
18 [/SUP]And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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