First Cause

“For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.” (Romans 14:20)

All things are pure, but not necessarily so with our acts.

Things have no premeditation, thought/forethought, or desire. Things are static and are at best the second cause, but never a first cause.

Acts are not always pure. Act is will set into motion. Will is demonstrated and revealed through act. Action is the acid test of value. We do what we value and desire.

The spirit of a man determines and moves the will of the man. The spirit has intent, purpose and desire. The spirit is the first cause, the initial mover of the will. It sets the will into motion that generates the act. The spirit of the man is eventually demonstrated in his actions. To effect change in a man there must be a change in the spirit. This change happens when the Holy Ghost mingles with our spirit and opens our eyes to Christ our Lord and Savior. The first cause, the initial mover of the Holy Ghost is God. God is the first cause and initial mover of all things.

When the Apostle Paul said, “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils” (1 Corinthians 10:20).

It was not the sacrifice, (the thing) that was the sin. It was the act of sacrificing to the devils that was a sin. It was the fellowship (with the devils) that was the sin.

And again, in the next verse. It was not the thing, but the act that was the sin.

“Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.” (1 Corinthians 10:21).

Notice that anything to do with the devils (the act of drinking and partaking) is sin. It’s not so much the devils themselves, but rather our actions in relation to the devils.

But here the Apostle Paul makes a defining point about our things and our actions.

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)

As we have been saying, “all things are lawful”, because things do not sin. Things are static and do not “do” anything. But all things are not expedient (profitable) and all things do not edify because by design, the intent and purpose of certain things is meant for illicit, illegal, and immoral acts. So, by default a thing can be considered bad or sinful because there is only one act that can be done with it.

Here is something very important to understand. We’ve been stressing that it is in the act where sin resides and not in the thing. But for the act to be righteous and of the will of God, the act must have the Holy Spirit as its first cause and mover. It is important to know the cause and intent of the act. Too many people labor under the false notion that it is solely the act, the good deed that gets you into heaven. No! For the devil himself can do good deeds and acts and often times does, but the devil is never going to heaven. Why? Look at the first cause, the mover of the devils “good deeds”. The motivating factor is sin.

What’s your first cause, first mover of good deeds? Is it coming from the heart of Christ inside of you? Is it the love of Christ that is propelling and steering your acts? Or is there some other motive? Or no motive at all other than trying to score brownie points towards entering heaven?

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

We are the workmanship of God, created in Christ, designed and brought to life to do what God has ordained us to do. Our walk, the doing, are acts of righteousness and good will towards our fellow man.

Bill Hitchcock