FREEDOM … we love it and as believers, we have a great deal of freedom in Christ. But we are also called to love and prefer others. So how much freedom are you willing to give up out of love for your spouse or your brother or sister in Christ if something is a stumbling block to them? And what about preferences? Are you more concerned about your likes and desires or about preferring someone else?

Freedom in Christ & Stumbling Blocks

1 Corinthians 8.1-13:

Freedom in Christ

We love freedom. And we should. Christ suffered and died to free us from sin’s power and penalty. His truth and grace set us free from both religious legalism and the hopelessness that a life of sin can bring. But freedom, though precious and valuable, should be used carefully. Paul said it this way:

… beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak (v. 9).

He ends this chapter with these thoughts:

And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble (vv. 12-13 NLT).

The Cause of Christ

What freedom in Christ are you willing to give up for your weaker brothers and sisters if the thing involved could be a stumbling block to them? What are you willing to forego for the cause of Christ?

Are you willing to give up that glass of wine if someone you know and love struggles in that area? Or if those around you, including your children, would see it as hypocritical?

Ladies, are you willing to quit wearing that new blouse if it might tempt your brother in Christ with wrong thoughts and become a stumbling block in his walk? Or cause your sister in Christ to wonder where her husband’s eyes are going?

Men, are you willing to forego going out with the guys and doing something you consider harmless if it causes your spouse distress?

Are you willing to skip lunch with a co-worker of the opposite sex so you don’t give an appearance of evil?

And what about at church … are you willing to give financially and to give of your time and talents so others might come to Christ? Or are you more concerned about your freedom to enjoy what you have and spend your time on what you enjoy?

The Great Commandments

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our hearts and that the second is like it, to love others as we do ourselves (Matt. 22.37-40). In the book of John, He said:

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends (Jn. 15.13).

Paul said it this way:

³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2.3-8).

Love is not measured by what we hold on to, but by what we are willing to offer up for others. It’s measured by our willingness to die to our selfish natures and prefer others above ourselves.

So, what are you and I willing to forgo for the cause of Christ? What freedoms and preferences are we willing lay down out of love for God and others?

Lord, Help Us

Lord, help us to lay down our freedoms for the good of others. Help us to prefer others as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2.3-4). Help us to love even when it goes against our feelings and even when the other person doesn’t show love in return. And help us to do it, not because it is demanded of us, but out of our desire to please You with our lives (2 Cor. 5.9). Let that be our number one goal, in Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen.

Today’s Other Readings:

Ecclesiastes 3:

To Everything There is a Season

This chapter begins:

1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven.
2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;

What a picture these verses present of life in our fallen world!

Paul Tripp says we live between “the already and the not yet.” We are already redeemed, but while our eternal destiny is secure, we still live in a fallen world.

We still experience grief and sickness along with happiness and health, as well as, times of loss and times of new beginnings.

Life has its seasons: the births of spring, the growth of summer, the aging of fall, and the deaths of winter.

There are times of war and struggle along with times of peace and rest; times to begin new endeavors and times to bring things to a close.

Each season and each struggle has its purpose. Without times of sorrow, times of joy would be less incredible. Yet without the dancing, death would be too much to bear.

Birth is full of hope and anticipation. But death opens the door to eternal life … “To everything there is a season.”

Psalm 102.1-17:

He Regards the Prayer of the Destitute

When the psalmist focused on his feelings in yesterday’s reading, he felt as if God had abandoned him, but this second part of the psalm includes these thoughts:

But You, O Lord … You will arise and have mercy on Zion … He shall appear in His glory. He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer.

Like the psalmist, when we are discouraged and feel abandoned, we must remind ourselves of the true character of God.

Proverbs 24.3-4:

Building Based on the Wisdom of God

Through wisdom a house is built … (v. 4).

This doesn’t just refer to a physical structure. It could be your family, your marriage, or your legacy. If we want to have a strong marriage or family, if we want to leave a spiritual legacy to our children’s children, we must build based on the wisdom of God.

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we will talk about contentment, wise counsel, money, God’s promise in trials, and 21 dating or premarital red flags.

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.

If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.

And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback (the paperback has 31 days of blank journaling pages with prompts to help you get started).

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.