Q-A: How to Live by Liberty

Q-A: How to Live by the Liberty*
of Love and Personal Conviction
*(personal actions being directed by love or conviction)

Do you really understand what it means to 'walk in the Spirit'? Is the concept of walking in the Spirit clear and meaningful, or is it vague and elusive? I'd like to write this short article to either confirm or clarify this topic for you. I trust it will bless you.

One can draw from many of Paul's passages to learn about spiritual living, but Romans.14 is one of my favourites, and the chapter that really opened my eyes to what it means to walk in the Spirit. Let's look at some focused verses [with my own added commentary] from this chapter to bring you to a simple, yet clear understanding.

For some context, please note that Paul is writing regarding eating meat offered to idols. This was a contentious issue in the early church because the church at Rome was made up of both Jew and Gentile converts. The Jews were still mindful of Jewish laws while the Roman converts were free-going and really couldn't care less about rules and traditions. This caused Gentile converts to look down upon Jewish converts and despise their strict livelihood, whereas the Jewish converts would judge the Gentile converts for their loose living and defiled way of life. So, Paul tackles this problem with some incredible advice that delivers to us even in this day a beautiful picture of what it is to walk in liberty in the Holy Spirit. 

Let's read, paying full attention to the bolded and red texts below, 

Romans 14:2 For one [individual(Gentile)] believes he may eat all things, but he [another(Jew)] who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats [meat] despise [look down on] him who does not eat [meat] and let not him who does not eat [meat] judge him who eats [meat]; for God has received [both of] him. 4 Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. 5 One person(Jew) esteems one day above another; another(Gentile) esteems every day alike. Let each [individual] be fully convinced in his own mind [in what he believes].

What is the above saying? Clearly, we can see these two different characters in the church, each having their own opinion on what is the right way to live in the eyes of the Lord. Which one is right? Which one does the Lord honour the most? Isn't it interesting to see that the Lord (who knows the heart of man) receives them BOTH no matter if they eat the meat offered to idols or not, no matter if they honour the sabbath day of not! The key to this opening statement is not how you live before others, but how convicted you are in your own mind about your beliefs.

Now, you might say, isn't that too much liberty? One cannot just let everyone be allowed to do as they please in the body! Who knows what people with too much liberty will end up doing! Well, you are quite right. There must still be boundaries here, ------but what boundaries? Surely one cannot add a bunch of manmade rules that ultimately end up becoming traditions or rituals or observances and create dead works and a dead church! (See 'Man's laws' (point #3) in this study). 

The way the Word tackles this liberty issue is to add personal constraints on it which judges your own thoughts and actions and not your brothers. Let's have a look,

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this [be determined], not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. [act in love]

Isn't God wise, and sneaky! The liberty you have in your actions is to curb it based on your desire to not cause your brother to fall. In verse 2, Paul speaks of the brother with the weaker faith. It is your duty before God to act in a way that does not cause that weaker brother to doubt his convictions because of your liberty. Your actions should not cause him to violate his convictions because of pressure you place upon him, and your actions should not cause him to choose to do things that he is not convinced is right. It's interesting to note that there are no external (or manmade) rules here. There are no restrictions on your liberty except to act in love towards your brother and to ensure he is not hurt in his faith level or influenced beyond his faith and convictions because of your liberties.

Let's wrap up this lesson in spiritual walking with one last piece of advice,

Romans 14:22 Do you have faith [believing that what you do or choose is right in your heart]? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

Take note what Paul says here. It comes down to this. Whatever convictions you have regarding liberties, have it TO YOURSELF before God. Your actions are your own. Your convictions are your own. Do not place your convictions on others. In other words, if you believe it is wrong to smoke a cigarette because the Lord has worked in your heart that it is wrong and that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, then smoking a cigarette for you will be a sin. You cannot however expect that others will see this as a sin if they have not been convinced of the same conviction by God. You cannot say to someone else, "It is a sin to smoke", if they have not had that revelation. For them, it is NOT a sin if they do not have that conviction. Seen from the other side, one encounters the constraint of love. If you have the freedom to smoke because the Lord has not yet convicted you in your heart regarding this act, then it is up to you to curb your desire and resist smoking a cigarette if you know your brother believes it is wrong. If you continue to smoke and it challenges your brother's faith, then you are not acting in love and you become a potential stumbling block in his path.

Can you see that walking in the Spirit is not some ultra-spiritual force that moves you left and right, or brings you visions or voices in your head! There is no mysticism or deep spiritual senses involved. It is simply a matter of knowing and applying God's Word in situations with the desire to please God through simple obedience and to choose to love your brother and prevent him from stumbling because of your convictions. Other than this, your actions are your own and you hold them before God and do whatever you have liberty to do based on your faith and your personal convictions. This is liberty in this age of grace.

I end with this warning from Paul's own hand,

Romans 14:23 But he who doubts [lacks conviction of what he approves] is condemned [and sins] if he eats [or does or says], because he does not eat [or do or say] from faith [but acts under condemnation, not being fully convinced in his heart]; for whatever is not from faith [from conviction] is sin.

I trust that this little window into spiritual liberty provides you with the knowledge of what it REALLY means to walk in the Spirit. Stop over-spiritualizing things and just realize that God wants you to live your life, to enjoy all it has to offer and to be confident in what you do, simply ensuring that your heart approves of it and that you have the full conviction of its righteousness. As Acts 17:28 says, "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; ..."

God bless you as you journey through this life in love and the conviction of the Spirit.