True Liberty!

What we do, the actions we take, the lifestyle we live all have an impact on others. In today's culture and even in the church world there is an attitude of "don't tell me how to live" or " dont tell me what I can and can't do. I'm under grace and that's law!" ... I just read something interesting as I was doing a study on the word "liberty" in the Greek, and something Paul presents in regards to liberty is interesting. Many present the idea that liberty is basically the freedom to live however they want, free from moral codes and so forth. Yet, Paul makes an interesting point in the tenth chapter of 1 Corinthians that, while you may not have a problem with doing a particular activity or eating or drinking something because you are living a life in liberty, your choice to participate or consume that could cause offense to another person and cause them to stumble. That while we may have liberty to do things, it doesn't always mean it is profitable.



"But if someone tells you, This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol, do not eat it, out of consideration for the person who informed you, and for conscience’s sake-- I mean for the sake of his conscience, not yours, [do not eat it]. For why should another man’s scruples apply to me and my liberty of action be determined by his conscience? If I partake [of my food] with thankfulness, why am I accused and spoken evil of because of that for which I give thanks? So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. Do not let yourselves be [hindrances by giving] an offense to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God [do not lead others into sin by your mode of life]; Just as I myself strive to please [to accommodate myself to the opinions, desires, and interests of others, adapting myself to] all men in everything I do, not aiming at or considering my own profit and advantage, but that of the many in order that they may be saved." (1 Corinthians 10:28-33 AMP)

Thinking along these lines further, what I see is that the greatest command of all is to love. Jesus said the whole law was summed up in that, LOVE. If I love someone the way Christ wants me to, then I would never want to knowingly do something to cause them offense or to cause them to stumble. So, not doing certain things is not a form of law and old covenant, just as living however you want is not a pure form of grace and liberty. It is a true act of love to restrain yourself from doing that thing. In addition, to think that liberty simply means freedom to live however you want is erroneous thinking. The greek word used in the New Testament for liberty is eleutheria.
This word carries a few meanings. It can mean, "liberty to do or to omit things having no relationship to salvation," but it can also mean "true liberty is living as we should, not as we please."

So, as we think on the liberty we have through grace. We must not think we are free to live however we want, but rather we are free to live how we should! We have been given a grace to live the way we should. To live in accordance with the just commands and moral codes established by God, long before the written Mosaic law. And our liberty should be used to live in a way that we glorify God and share His love with others! Paul himself said, "All things are legitimate [permissible--and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. Let no one then seek his own good and advantage and profit, but [rather] each one of the other [let him seek the welfare of his neighbor]. (1 Corinthians 10:23, 24 AMP) Meaning that while we may have the liberty or freedom to do certain things, it may not be profitable to the church as a whole, as it could cause damage, offense, hurt, and so forth to others. Let us always seek to put the welfare of others above our personal wants and needs. That is truly living in the grace we have been given, when we allow strengthening grace to undergird us and empower us to say "no" to certain things out of our love for those it offends or hurts. Let us allow the grace we've been given to empower us to truly exemplify true agape love and true liberty, the ability to live as we SHOULD not as we want!

I leave with one last passage of scripture. In this passage, the word freedom is the same Greek word, eleutheria, used for liberty.
"For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself." (Galatians 5:13, 14 AMP)

Til Next Time,
JRT