Smeared conscience

1 Cor. 8:7-8,
“However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.”

Paraphrase of 1 Cor. 8:7-8,

Not everyone in Christ has knowledge through revelation. We are all growing “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ¹.” Prior to Christ, their conscience was conscious of the idol and its supposed power. They still believe and view eating this particular food would be considered as unto an idol. They are under a law in their heart still and their mind is growing in Christ. They believe in their heart if they eat the food offered to an idol they are condemned and their conscience is smeared. It is smeared with the judgment of the law written on the heart condemning them for not keeping their self-imposed law. Food does not represent us before God. If we eat the idol meat or not, we are no better or worse. Our righteousness is by His faith in us through grace. Some though are eating because other brothers are using their liberty to eat the meat and are not considering the brothers whose conscience is not as strong causing them to stumble. Those brothers whose consciences are weak are eating and putting themselves under self-imposed law. In doing so, they are smearing their consciences unto self-judgment. They are missing the mark according to the law of Christ. They are rebuilding what was already destroyed in Christ attempting to attain righteousness by mere human effort and self-will.