Christian Liberty Series

If you have liberty that a certain practice is okay, you may choose to limit that practice because you know that in the bigger picture of your life, indulging in that freedom may not really be as important as the benefits of limiting your liberty for a greater good.

You know I am not by nature the neatest person. I like to drape my clothes all over the chair or the bed or the floor. But if you walk into my home, you will find them hung up. Why? Not because I have to, but because I love my wife. My love is stronger than my sense of freedom. We need to ask, what’s more important, my liberty or my love? Next, principle 5 of building unity through liberty:

5. Build up the Body - 19-21 - As Americans we are impacted with a twisted way of thinking that everything is about ME! We live in a consumer driven culture. We come to church and we want the songs to be the songs we like, we want the sermon to be one that helps us and that we find entertaining, we don’t want to be bored, we just want to be fed so WE grow spiritually. But that is FAR from God’s plan or ideal. Rather that is based in sinful pride and selfishness.

God’s plan rather is for us to focus on the good of the whole body of Christ. God wants you to think about how you can help your brothers and sisters in Christ grow spiritually and in their walk with God. In verse 19 Paul tells us, Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. The NLT states it this way: So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. The idea that we come away with is this: When we have UNITY in the church it will lead to MUTUAL growth. When we learn to get along, to consider one another, to not expect everything to go our own way, we will grow and we will help our brother or sister to grow as well.

Paul says to aim for peace - for harmony - so that we can grow. It’s hard to grow when you’re fighting in the church; it’s hard to grow when you’re putting out fires. God’s desire is to see peace and unity and harmony in the church so we can all grow together.

In verse 21, ( It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.) Paul reminds us that we can win the battle and lose the war. Even though we may have liberty, we don’t want to harm a brother or sister by the exercising of our liberty. Principle 6 -

6. Keep a Clear Conscience - 22-23- Paul says here, So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. I don’t think Paul is saying “Keep your liberty a secret.” Rather I think Paul is saying, If you have liberty, use it for God’s approval. Don’t exercise your liberty to gain the approval of man. The Phillips version translates the verse this way: Your personal convictions are a matter of faith between yourself and God. The key to liberty is that we answer to God for the choices we make. At the end of the day, we want Him to be pleased with how we lived our lives. And principle # 7 -