Pork it’s What’s for Dinner

by Tierra Nichols

Honey baked ham with sizzling glaze; juicy pork chops (shake n bake of course), and tender barbecued ribs with the meat falling off the bones, mmm! I’m getting hungry just writing about the dishes. As a child I couldn’t wait for my mother and my aunt in the middle of a dry summer day to throw on the hot dogs, ribs, and hamburgers on the steaming grill.

As I got older the idea of eating all this pork and being a Christian begin to haunt me.

Some people at church and other non-Christians would debate with me that it was not good and I was disrespecting God and my temple by eating this “unclean” animal. I didn’t quite understand, I didn’t feel like I was disrespecting God and I sure didn’t want to. So, I went to my Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth manual (Bible) and searched for the scripture that says I can’t eat this animal.

And there it was in Leviticus 11:7: And the pig, It is unclean for you.

I was upset, at first, because all those people I was debating with had made feel low. I was in serious contemplation over this, and that’s when God enlighted me. I don’t have to debate with people over what I eat, and feel guilty about eating bacon with my pancakes.

Why? Because Jesus made it possible through his blood and cleansed me from those former laws, For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)

So due to God’s fulfilled promise and Words I am enabled to enjoy the Honey Baked ham on Thanksgiving, crisp pieces of bacon, and anything else that contains pork. I am conscious of this, and am certain in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself; but for the man in whose opinion it is unclean, for him it is unclean. (Romans 14:14)

For the kingdom of God are not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

Jesus also has scriptures pertaining to what you eat for those who may still have doubt.

Matthew 15:11 – Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Matthew 15:20 – These are [the things] which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

I Corinthians 8:8 – But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

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