Liberty and Love
Romans 14:1-23

…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [Romans 14:17]

Liberty and love are faces of the Christian life worth evaluating side by side. For the Christian there is much liberty. He is free to eat all things or not eat all things. He is free to “esteem one day above another,” or “esteem every day alike.”  As you look at the doctrines of the Christian faith there are no hard and fast rules on what to eat and what not to eat or what day to esteem above another. “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.” [Rom 14:5] There is liberty in Christ on an individual and fellowship basis.

Love, however, should be at the core. Love is the all-embracing centerpiece of Christian behavior, even as we have seen over the past three Sunday messages. The greatest gift is love [ref. 1 Cor 13]; and the spiritual fruit is love [ref Gal 5:22-23]. Therefore, just because we have freedom in Christ does not mean that we should always exercise it.

Paul uses the example in this Chapter on food, but the principle extends beyond. While we are free in Christ to eat all foods [ref. Mark 7:19], because of our love for others, we should be willing to abstain from certain foods that offend. We can offend, however, in other ways. As mature Christians, we ought to be willing to forfeit some of our freedoms for the sake of another.

The key virtue is recognizing that it is ok to not have our way. I know, it doesn’t come naturally, but a supernatural work of the Spirit will put our way on the sideline for another. There’s a scripture; “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”  Even if we know our way is a better way, at times and in certain situations a person needs to be built up in love, and so we do it their way.

Therefore, the next time you see a brother or sister downcast because you are not following something they feel convicted on; consider yielding. Because in the end it is not worth severing your relationship from one that Christ saved.

“Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.” [Rom 14:15]

And so, yet again, love is the key. Love is the glue that holds the body of Christ together. “Love is the circulatory system of the spiritual body, which enables all members to function in a healthy harmonious way.” [Wiersbe]