Sin for you but not sin for me?

A Christian man asked a new believer to join him at a local baseball game. The new believer was horrified. He said that baseball was sinful, and he would never watch it. Later, the older Christian was told this new believer’s background and realized that for this man, baseball had become sinful.

I was not told what he did then. Several responses are possible. He could have been a bit huffy and looked down at this new believer’s ideas as silly. He could have been insulted and decided to move to another church or not go at all if it meant giving up baseball. In thinking about parallels, what are my Christian freedoms and do my actions seem like sin to others?

The church at Corinth asked about issues in their culture that involved activities not covered by the law or any commandments. Today, some of those issues may have been whether they could go to movies, use the Internet, smoke cigarettes, dance, drink wine, or buy a lottery ticket. While the Bible gives no chapter and verse for doing these things, it does present principles — and most of them are not at all what we’d normally expect. One of these principles tells me that instead of fretting about my right to do what seems okay to me, I need to think about others. Like that man who had a problem with baseball, people can be sensitive to issues that are not a problem for me. To this, the Bible says:

But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (1 Corinthians 8:9–13)

Paul was willing to set his ‘rights’ aside if exercising those rights took a whack at the conscience of another Christian. I’m sad that I’ve not been as sensitive as Paul was nor as dedicated to the gospel. He would do anything and give up anything if it meant that God’s good news would be told, upheld and glorified. When it came to his rights as a Christian, he fully understood God set him free from rules. His conscience was clear, yet he did not cling to those rights.

If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ . . .  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:12; 26–27)

The word ‘disqualified’ confused me until I read that it means to be phony, or bogus, or having a misleading appearance. That is, if he did whatever he felt free to do, he could come across to some as not being a Christian. Those with a weak conscience would think he was ignoring conviction of sin and therefore was a hypocrite.

All this said, I might feel free to drink wine (my doctor says no), yet if I did, a new Christian with a former life as an alcoholic would see that as sinning. I could ignore that person’s booze issue and maybe become his excuse for falling off the wagon, or I could avoid him and only hang out with people who agree with me, or I could form a new rule of ‘thou shalt not drink wine’ that is not biblical but could be divisive. Or I could not bother drinking. It is one of those ‘take it or leave it’ issues that does not have a biblical guideline except an exhortation against drunkenness. It also says ‘’a little wine” is okay for stomach problems. No wine at all is recommended for me, not by the Bible but my heart specialist.

How do I know what others might stumble over because they think it is sinful even if I don’t see it that way? By less talking and more listening. Paying attention to what people say and how they react is more like Jesus than setting down a list of Do’s and Do nots that myself and others must live by. God will tell me by the inner voice of the Holy Spirit when I should or should not do something, sometimes for my own well-being and sometimes for the well-being of others. I just need to pay attention.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, I am listening. I am also thankful for the verses in Ecclesiastes that clearly set me up for this reading. They say it is better to be a person of few words than to talk too much!

True Freedom

When JJ gets out of jail, his freedom doesn’t last long. As soon as he realizes he is now responsible for himself, he is back behind bars.

When KL’s sickly spouse died, he felt instant freedom from the constant demands of being a care-giver, yet also moaned how lonely he is and how difficult to adapt to his ‘new’ life.

Most people do not want to be locked up or feel like a slave toward anything, but freedom is never about ‘doing what I please.’ Free people are still responsible for their actions. Christian freedom is like that also. It releases me from the dictates and demands of sin or any other kind of slavery, but it does not release me from being a responsible person.

For me, the worst slave-drivers and freedom-robbers are pride and legalism. Instead of enjoying the freedom that Christ gives, they dictate what I do, and pressure me into thinking I must be perfect to be accepted. Instead, God tells me . . .

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

The author of my devotional book lists and describes legalism, that system of trying to earn God’s favor by keeping a set of rules I have devised. Here is a shortened version of what he says . . .

1. Pride and legalism seek assurance based on what I do instead of what Christ has done.

2. Pride and legalism neglect responsibilities because I feels as if I am never good enough to do anything instead of trusting the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Pride and legalism focus on punishment and reward which easily transfers to others and becomes either jealousy or a critical spirit.

4. Pride and legalism add my rules to God’s Word —I decide what ‘acceptable Christian behavior’ is instead of trusting the Holy Spirit to do that job.

5. Pride and legalism set me up as a judge of me and everyone else, but none of us measure up.

All of this is contrary to the Gospel. Pride and legalism enslave me; walking with Jesus sets me free. The following passage describes how God releases me from sin and slavery . . .  and how I need to respond . . .

·       “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

·       “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

·       “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

·       “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

·       “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

·      “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” (Colossians 2:6–23)

Basically, this rich passage says that if Christ sets me free, I am free indeed. I’m not to pay attention to human pride or legalism, either in myself or from others, particularly the devil who keeps telling me to ‘work harder’ and that I’m not good enough. None of my rules will overcome sin, and pride cannot for it is at the root of sin.

*********************************

Jesus, wow. You are my freedom. In you, I am out of jail, set free from the tyranny of sin and of always insisting on having my own way. I can laugh at bondage instead of opening myself up to it. Bless You, my Lord, and my Deliverer.

Whom do I serve? Whom do I trust?

Numbers 23:1–30, 1 Corinthians 6:12–7:16, Psalm 20:1–9

Balaam is still in these readings and in my thoughts. He was ordered to curse the Israelites, but he replied, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations! Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!” (Numbers 23:8–10)

This sounds so good, but remember one thing – he willingly went with Balak to do what he was told and instead, God puts a blessing in his mouth. Then the king ordered him again to curse Israel. Balaam did not. This time he said, “Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’” (Numbers 23:20–23)

Two times Balaam willingly goes with Balak to curse the people of God, and two times God puts a blessing in his mouth instead. Is this Balaam being obedient, one of the good guys? I don’t think so. He is too willing to do the cursing. If he was a righteous man, he would never have gone with the king in the first place. Even though the Lord overruled, this does not make Balaam a special person! He was making arrogant choices.

The title of this devotional guide is “Connect the Testaments.” Sometimes I cannot see a connection. This time, the NT reading is also about decision making, but Paul is a far cry from Balaam. He knew that in Christ, and because of the grace of God, he was a free man, but he didn’t act without considering what he was doing or the consequences. He said, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

This does not mean that if Paul had been in Balaam’s shoes he would have thought it lawful to curse God’s people, but he would not have acted as if it was okay, or talked as if he was being obedient when he wasn’t. Christian freedom is not about mocking God or playing games. It is not about messing around with orders from the enemy, thinking I can do that and God will bail me out of trouble. I am not given freedom so I can say I trust Him and then rely on something else, either myself or some other source of wisdom or strength and do whatever pleases me.

“May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.” (Psalm 20:4–8)

My “chariots and horses” cannot answer my prayers, fulfill my plans, or save me from sin. Even if anything I trust besides God happens to ‘deliver’ me now and then, eventually they fail. Only the Lord can stand forever, and I stand only in His mercy in grace. This cannot be mocked or messed with but rejoiced in as my source of strength so as not to be like Balaam.

A place to practice obedience

Last night I got ticked off at a couple of things my husband did. Remembering that God says not to let the sun go down on my anger (Ephesians 4:26), I offered an apology before going to sleep. This morning, I thought how easily small things can mess up my God-given spiritual well-being. Keeping short accounts with God and with others is really important. Without it, nothing else seems to go the way it should.
 

God, true to His normal way of speaking to me, offers verses about marriage in today’s devotional reading. As I read the following verses, I thought how modern readers sometimes argue over what the New Testament says about marriage as these verses sound as if Paul thinks everyone should stay single. I’m sure there are times in every marriage when many would agree with that idea…

Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. (1 Corinthians 7:25–28)

Paul concludes this passage with another statement that adds to the idea that marriage is a big hindrance to serving God.

So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. (1 Corinthians 7:38)

However, I’m cautious about lifting anything out of its context. This passage says more than those verses. What is Paul’s real reason for telling his readers that marriage brings troubles and singleness is better? These are more of his thoughts and motivations for what he has written…

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. (1 Corinthians 7:32–34)

Paul is wanting all Christians to live in freedom from the cares of this world and the cares of trying to please a spouse, as opposed to being holy and pleasing the Lord. I don’t think he is saying the two are mutually exclusive, but that marriage adds an extra challenge to those whose hearts are set on putting Jesus Christ first in their lives and priorities.

Paul also says, “I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:35). He is not wanting to restrict people to singleness but cautions his readers against the reality that marriage can divide their devotions and put them in either/or situations where they must choose between the clear commands of the Lord and the present demands of married life.

Yet is this really the issue? In my own life, I have found marriage and the demands of being married an arena for godliness rather than a distraction from it. My focus is how to be a good Christian in marriage. I have different challenges than I would as a single person, but also different opportunities to develop a Christlike character. If I were a single person, I would not be concerned about all the husband/wife passages in the Bible, nor how to respond to my spouse in a way that demonstrates the relationship between Christ and His bride.

This is not to say that singleness is without challenges, but the relationship between married couples who love the Lord gives them a challenge to demonstrate obedience to God that might not otherwise be theirs. While working on this intimacy and relationship could be a distraction from service to the world “out there” it still has great value in developing that “good order” and “undivided devotion” that Paul talks about. This can make married people better equipped for any ministry.

Marriage also is an arena where Christians can learn how to be free from anxiety. We learn that, not by abandoning interest in pleasing God but learning how to please God with the added responsibility of caring for our spouse. He teaches me to please Him rather than being worldly and concerned with this life only. He also teaches me to do all that I do for my spouse with godly motivations and in the strength and grace supplied by the Holy Spirit. 

Whether he was married or not, maybe Paul said singleness was better because he could see that learning to rely on God in marriage is not an easy challenge!

---

Father, thanks for these thoughts from Your Word. You challenge me to respond to my husband as the church should respond to Christ. You also challenge me in many other ways to live for You and what better place to learn and practice that than in my home!