Christian, we are free! Romans 8:1-2 states “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” We have tremendous freedom as believers. We must never let go of that truth!
Yet there is another truth that we must never let go of either! In 1 Corinthians 8:12 Paul writes “… when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ.” These two parallel themes run throughout Scripture. We have tremendous freedom in Christ and a mature believer limits their freedom for the sake of others.
The first century church debated food sacrificed to idols. Today, we debate different topics: personal finance, brands/types of food, how to spend your time, recreation and entertainment choices, clothing, alcohol, educational options, politics, where you should shop, war versus pacifism, spiritual gifts, different doctrinal creeds, styles of evangelism, methods of compassion, and on and on.
And we live in a day and age where we can air our opinions online with absolute rigidity. Private, personal convictions become public dogmatism. As a general pattern, I believe we speak too freely. We will find an article that supports our position and immediately repost it, effectively saying, “Look at this article I found. I’m right!” We lack an awareness of our readers. We don’t know their struggles or sins. Living out 1 Corinthians 8:12 means that we start thinking of other’s rights above our own.
Do you keep personal convictions private because you don’t want to violate someone else’s conscience? Christian, do you consistently limit your freedom in Christ because you are looking out for your brother or sister in church?
Josh
Posted in A Word from the Pastor