Being Responsibly Free

KEY VERSE: “Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak.” —I Corinthians 8:9

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: I Corinthians 8:8-13; 19-23; 10:32, 33

TO UNDERSTAND THE Apostle Paul’s lesson about our responsibilities to fellow brethren, it is first of all necessary to fully understand what liberty in Christ means. It seems evident that liberty in Christ is something quite apart from the ordinary human concept of liberty.

When Jesus said to those who believed on him that they would know the truth and that the truth would make them free, they replied, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” Jesus’ answer to this question was, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”—John 8:32-36

The thought here is clear. Our liberty in Christ is freedom from control by the great taskmaster, Sin. In Galations 5:13, Paul wrote, “Ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty as an occasion in the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

Paul warned that this liberty does not imply the right to give loose reign to the flesh. The Christian’s struggle against the weaknesses of his fallen nature is to be just as energetic as though he expected to gain perfection and God’s approval by his own efforts. Selfishness is basic to all human weaknesses, but instead of serving and catering to self, we are to serve the brethren, even to the point of laying down our lives for them.

A Christian’s conscience is regulated by his understanding of the truth concerning God’s will. Since there are varying degrees of understanding, there will be different views among the Lord’s people as to what is right and what is wrong. This has always been true among the brethren, and will continue to be until the last member passes beyond the veil. There are certain details of conduct which constituted tests of love in the Early Church which are no longer issues among the brethren. But the viewpoint of the apostles in these matters can, and should, serve as guides for us, even now.

The offering of meat to a lifeless idol, which represents a nonexistent god, in no way affects the meat, so no harm, morally or otherwise, can come from eating such meat. But Paul pointed out that the liberty of action resulting from knowledge should not be used if its use would cause a weaker brother to stumble. The lesson is that there are conditions under which it is best voluntarily to refrain from doing what would be the most pleasing to ourselves, even though it would be right, in order to be of greater service to others. This simply means that the liberty of action which we attain through a knowledge of the truth should not be considered more important than the spiritual welfare of our brethren. We cannot insist on exercising our own liberty—regardless of the effect it may have upon others—and, in so doing, also be pleasing to the Lord.

Liberty in Christ is a freedom from the condemnation of sin based upon believing in Christ and obeying his commandments, of which love is the prime factor. Its emphasis is not on liberty of action.

Indeed, the Christian’s personal liberties are often curtailed by the law of love, for love is a daily laying down and giving up, a continual foregoing of our own preferences so that others might be blessed. Those who have taken the Master’s name have no liberty to go in any direction other than the way he went.

Paul wrote, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”—II Cor. 3:17

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