Limiting Freedom Out Of Love

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.1 Corinthians 8:9

In 1 Corinthians 8-9 and Romans 14, Paul compared two groups of people in the Church: the strong and the weak. They were both dedicated, sincere and tried to please God to the best of their abilities. The strong tended to regard anything that was not expressly prohibited in the Bible or against social norms as okay. They were more liberal in their beliefs. The weak had a tendency to live by rules, regulations and traditions. They had a conscience that was more sensitive to offenses.

In Romans 14, the strong believers would eat meat while the “weak in faith” would eat only vegetables (14:1-2). The Bible goes on to say that ultimately, it is not a case of who is right and who is wrong. It is a case of who is walking by faith and who is not. Whether it is meat or vegetable, as long as you are eating in doubt, you are condemned already. It is faith that commends us to God (14:22-23).

There are certain things we should never do. They are spelled out very explicitly in the Bible-lying, killing, stealing, adultery. But there are also many issues in life that are amoral. They fall under the categories of culture, style and taste. Things like the music you listen to, the fashion you wear, the food you eat, the car you drive, and the house you live in. They are often not issues of right or wrong, sin or righteousness. They are simply matters of personal preference.

It is often very difficult for a Christian who hasn’t matured in the Holy Spirit and in faith to be accepting of others who are more liberated. It is always easier to live by a set of strict rules imposed upon us by some authority. Yet, to Paul, Christians who need to live by prohibitions are considered “weak in the faith” (14:1-2). Strong faith allows for great liberty.

However, even though Paul was obviously siding with the strong, he refused to put down the weak. You need to show respect for people who are not as liberated as you are. Acceptance means treating people with respect even when you don’t agree with them. There are many things in life which are perfectly permissible. Yet, you shouldn’t do anything in someone’s presence if what you do is going to hurt their conscience and stumble them. This is limiting your liberty out of love (1 Cor. 8:9). Maturity is when you can limit your own freedom for the benefit of other people. Paul says, “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (8:13). This applies to every aspect of life.