LIBERTY AND OUR LORD

 

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.  (Romans 14:8)

Followers of Christ are no longer slaves, but sons.  Jesus promised, “Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”  (John 8:36)  We are no more in bondage to sin, nor under the burden of law.  Understand, however, that we are not free to do what we want, but free to do what we ought.  Our liberty operates within the boundaries of the Lordship of Christ and our love for Christians.

Paul addresses A PROBLEM THAT UNDERMINES UNITY (Rom.14:1-6).  The conflict that had arisen in the church at Rome was over special diets and sacred days.  Positions were stated, Scriptures were quoted, sides were taken, and unity was threatened.  The Devil uses the tool of division to tear up churches.  How does such a breach in fellowship occur?

With out lips we may confess that salvation in solely by grace, but if we aren’t careful we add to it a list of rules.  Christians form their checklists and then we are back in bondage to legalism.  When we try to impose our regulations on someone else, then disputes arise.  Then, there were those who championed liberty who felt free to judge those who had a tender conscience and did not want to eat certain things associated with their former pagan ways.  They insisted on their rights—and unity was threatened.  Paul says that rather than impose our rules on others, or insist on our rights with others, we need to embrace our responsibilities to others.  Augustine said it well: “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity.”

Paul announces A PRINCIPLE THAT UNDERGIRDS UNITY (Rom.14:7-12).  The overriding principle that guards the Christian’s path and guides the church’s practice can be simply stated, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”  It is simple to say, but profound in practice.  All things are moving to that ultimate end when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Christ has the right to rule over us because of who He is—the Lord—and because of what He has done—save us.  In this life, we are responsible to Him, and in death we are accountable to Him.  Because of this, we must not use our liberty as a license to sin.  Grace provides the means and the might for holy living—that is, obedience to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  On the other hand, we are careful about using our convictions to judge others for that Christian belongs to Jesus and not us.  Christ is quite capable of directing them without our meddling.

When my sister and I used to get into an argument, we might point a finger at each other and say, “She started it; He started it!”  Dad would answer, “And I’m going to finish it!”  He did.  Jesus sets the standards for His saints.  He gets the final word to settle our disputes.  Within the parameters of His Lordship and our love for others, we are free.

WHY IS "GOOD" FOOD BAD FOR US?

All food in its natural state is good.  God made all things "good." He gave us vegetables, fruit and grain to eat originally (Gen.1:29-30). There was one prohibited fruit (2:16-17). It was for a "test" (3:1-6). After the fall, however, we desire what we should not have (Rom.7:8-24). 

Meat was later added to the diet except eating blood was prohibited (Gen.9:3-4).  Another prohibition came concerning the consumption of "fat" (Lev.3:17).

Under the law some meats were "unclean." (Lev.11).  The question is, “Why?”   Here’s some insight:

Why did God disallow certain animals for food? Was it merely an arbitrary test of religious obedience? Certain hygienic considerations were no doubt part of the reason, at least in the providence of God (Harrison, Leviticus, pp. 124–6, gives an elaboration of this view). But the primary reason seems to have been theological—to teach symbolically Israel’s status as the holy (separated) people of God. It is striking that the two major chapters on unclean foods are either introduced (Deut. 14:1–2) or concluded (Lev. 11:44–45) with an affirmation of Israel’s election to be a holy people of God. The threefold classification of animals into unclean, clean, and sacrificial seems to parallel the division of mankind into unclean (those excluded from the camp of Israel), clean (ordinary Israelites when not defiled), and the priesthood (those who offered sacrifices in the sanctuary; Wenham, Leviticus, p. 170).

Now God has cleansed all food (Acts 10).  What made eating some things “sinful” is that God said, “Don’t.”  So, the problem wasn’t the diet of what was put into the mouth, but the defiance that came out of the heart.  Jesus made this very point (see Matt.15:16-20).  If God says something is permissible, then it is no longer prohibited.

We are to be careful about legalism and license (Rom.14-15), practicing the law of liberty—which is the law of love (1 Cor.8) (Col.2:14-23).

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:12-20).  Thus, discipline is always called for (1 Cor.9:24-27).  We are to do all with gratitude and to the glory of God (1 Cor.10:23-31) (1 Tim.4:1-5).

Why then has medical science come to conclude that some foods that taste good have bad effects?  The issues are:

1)      man’s engineering and altering of foods chemically and genetically which can alter their original state in a way that makes it toxic;

2)      gluttony—too much of a good thing will make it a bad thing.  Scripture has much to say about this.  There is the example of Esau (Gen.25:29-34); a rebellious son (Deut.21:18-21); and these passages from Prov.23:1-8, 20-21 and Titus 1:12-13.  Many more could be referenced.

There is no dimension of a Christian’s life that isn’t subject to His Lordship—even the dinner table!  Study these verses and apply the teaching, then food that is “good” won’t be bad for you!