Freedom in Christ

 

“For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

(Romans 14:23 ESV)

 

As believers, our morality, our practices, and our lifestyle are derived from the Word of God. They’re derived from Scripture, as it reveals to us the nature and character of God. And we find in Scripture, of course, what God has declared to be sinful and what he has declared righteous.

 

God gives to us clear boundaries. We’re not to steal, trusting that God will provide for our needs and remaining content with that he’s given. We’re not to murder, or otherwise bring harm to our neighbor. And we’re not to bear false witness about our neighbor, choosing instead to protect his reputation.

 

As we, then, behave in ways that violate these truths, we confess our sin and repent. As we discover tendencies within ourselves that contradict these truths, we confess them and repent. And as we discover mindsets, attitudes, and feelings that contradict these truths, we confess them and repent.

 

We seek the forgiveness of God. We seek the salvation of God. And we seek the strength of God, that we might serve and glorify him in all that we do.

 

However, we yet find differences in the church when it comes to the lifestyle that we live. We find some differences in the church when it comes to the practices in which we engage. And these differences relate to the freedoms we have in Christ.

 

As we seek to live in the faith we confess, there are believers who struggle with the freedoms we have in Christ. For whatever reason, they can’t bring themselves to accept them.  And, at the same time, others in the church are able to enjoy them.

 

 The cases I’m referring to are those where neither party is sinning. Neither party is violating the Law of God. And neither party is ignoring or dismissing the Word of God.

 

There are those, for example, who abstain entirely from alcohol while others use it in moderation. There are those who will only worship and nap on Sunday, while others feel free to engage in activities for which they’ve had little time throughout the week. And there are those who are compelled to fast at various times while others are not.

 

However, no matter our conviction, we must be fully persuaded. We must be fully convinced in our own heart. And we must live according to our conviction.

 

We must do so because, as we see in the above passage, whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. If we then engage in a practice, lacking the conviction that we have the freedom to do so, we are sinning. And, in that case, we are guilty.

 

We are guilty not because that practice is condemned by God. We’re guilty because we are convicted in doing so. We’re guilty because we are not acting in faith.

 

If our conscience is not clear before God, when it comes to a certain practice, we must not engage in it. If having a glass of wine with dinner violates our conscience, we dare not do so. If weeding the garden on Sunday afternoon violates our conscience, we dare not do so. And if eating meat during Lent violates our conscience, we dare not do so.

 

But if, on the other hand, our conscience is clear, we can go ahead with it. We can have that glass of wine, we can go out and weed the garden, or we can enjoy that steak. We can do so without sin.

 

Our actions are to proceed from our faith. They’re to flow from our faith. They’re to result from the faith that we believe and confess.