Freedom vs License

Rom 14:19-21
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.  It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.”

Having grown up in a legalistic type of church that was ruled by do’s and don’ts, no one appreciates freedom in Christ more than I do.

Gal 5:1
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

These words are music to my ears. I will not willingly yoke myself with any group, person or church that would have me trade in my liberty for a set of rules. I enjoy being able to share my faith freely and to come before God just the way I am. I won’t force my views on anyone else and neither will I allow them to force their views on me. I love reading the Bible in the NIV or The Message or the RSV and am not limited to the King James Version.  I love contemporary worship. It facilitates my intimacy with God. I enjoy not having to put on a suit and tie to go to Sunday morning worship. I enjoy the occasional glass of wine with my dinner. I enjoy my freedom.

By the same token I respect other people’s freedom as well. If you like the KJV, suits and ties along with pipe organs then that is your choice. If I go visit your church then I will adapt accordingly. I won’t impose my freedom on you and disrespect your belief concerning worship.

1 Cor 8:9
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”

All expressions of worship are acceptable to the Lord, but if you believe that drinking wine is a sin then I won’t flaunt my freedom in front of you by drinking wine when you are around. That might sound hypocritical or 2 faced to some but it is not. It is just a matter of not being offensive to someone who is not in the same place spiritually that you are.  We are responsible for the light we have. God has convicted me of some things that He simply hasn’t addressed with other people. I have a brother that every time God addresses an issue in his life he comes at me like gangbusters about that issue. I try to explain to him that either God is not addressing that issue in my life right now, or He has already dealt with me on it.  Just because it is new to him doesn’t mean that everyone is in the same place.

Gal 5:13
“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

On the other hand I don’t dismiss what my brother says out of hand. I prayerfully consider it in case it is something that God wants to address or revisit with me. Freedom is not a license to do as we please regardless of who we hurt. Rather, we should use our freedom to build up and encourage, rather than to divide or rub our neighbors face in it.

If you are convinced that something is a sin, then I will refrain from exercising my freedom in that in front of you. I don’t want to tempt you into sinning.

Let me give an example. I have never had an issue with alcohol or drug addiction. I can enjoy the occasional glass of wine without feeling the need to finish the bottle. In fact, I usually only drink wine when there are others of the same persuasion around me because most of the time I will have one glass and the rest of the bottle will spoil before I have the desire to have another glass. I have the freedom to drink wine without sinning. However, I am very careful not to drink when there is someone around me is recovering from alcoholism. For them, even one glass is a sin. I would rather not indulge my freedom if it means not tempting my brother into relapsing.

1 Cor 10:23-24
"Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive.  Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”

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