A Church Of Freedom

A pastor walks into the courtyard of a restaurant with a beer in his hands. A brother in Christ walks out to his car in the church parking lot and lights up a cigarette or pipe. A woman in the pew across from you is wearing clothing that is a little more provocative than you’d prefer. A college age member of your small group is seen entering a theater where an “R” rated movie is playing.

What goes thru your mind in each of the above scenarios? Is there righteous indignation? Is there a sense of holy concern for these people, who would so willingly partake of worldly things, unhealthy and which could lead them astray? Does it even register?

I’ve heard many a sermon on the issue of holiness and being set apart for God, tied directly to these practices. Most preached against them. If not, out rightly declaring these things ungodly, the inference is that such liberties should be sacrificed for the sake of the weaker brethren among us, lest we create a stumbling block that could cause them to falter in their faith.

No doubt, many of you could point to Scriptures requiring the “mature” believer not to engage in such liberties, for the sake of the Gospel. But, is this the kind of church Paul and Christ would have? As Paul said to the Galatians, so I would say in these cases…having begun in the spirit by faith, are we now perfected in the flesh, by works?

While I understand and agree that when in the presence of a young believer that is struggling with certain liberties, we ought not to engage in them, for their sake. But, for how long and to what end? Are we, then, setting up laws and standards of behavior as ordinances in the church, that run against the law of liberty we have in Christ?

In Col 2:20-23, Paul writes,
“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

In 1 Tim 4:1-5, Paul again writes,
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”

What is also clear in Paul’s writings within Romans 14 and 1 Cor 8, is that we who are strong in the faith, must be ready, at all times, to defer to the needs of the weaker brethren, foregoing our liberties for their sake. Further, to encourage a weaker brother to partake against his own conscience is a double sin, bringing the weaker brother to a place of operating without faith, and those encouraging them to partake to a place of acting without love or concern. Clearly, the onus is on those strong in faith to protect the weaker brother. But, to what end and for how long?

Should it not be a goal for all who are strong in the faith and who understand our liberties, to teach, admonish and lead the weaker brother into a place of maturity? Not that they should have to also enjoy those liberties others enjoy. For some, those liberties were once and still are an addiction that they should never want to partake in again. However, they can be at a place of maturity where they can allow others to enjoy their personal liberties and not have it affect their own personal faith.

The Church of Jesus Christ should be a place of freedom….freedom from coercion (cajoling or shaming weaker brethren into partaking of liberties they would not otherwise); and freedom from a judgmental attitude (the looking down the nose at a brother who chooses to enjoy a personal liberty).

We all are one in Christ, no matter our position on personal liberties. Let it be our goal to be willing to both lay down our personal freedoms and liberties for any that are weak; but, once identified as weak, let us dedicate ourselves to train those weaker brethren up into mature believers, free to choose to either partake of, or deny themselves liberties as they choose.