The Free Life
We have been called to live a free life and with that comes the responsibility of living right by treating people with respect and dignity.
But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a Christian still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.
1 Cor. 8:9 The Message
Paul was teaching here in response to issues people were having about eating meat that was offered to idols. Then, just as now, there were a lot of religious rules that people were supposed to live by. The church leaders would enforce these "rules" as if they were from God when, in fact, they were all man made rules.
Jesus gave us only two commands. One was to love God and the other was to love people. Love does not boss others around or enforce a bunch of rules. Love treats every person with respect so that they too can mature in Christ freely.
Jesus did not come to give us another religion but to give us a relationship with God.
We are wrong when we force our own beliefs on others just we are wrong when we judge or criticize people for what they believe. Our gift of freedom is meant to be used to demonstrate the perfect love of God not to belittle those who do not believe like we do.
In 1 Cor. 9:19-23 Paul talks about trying to understand other people and seeing things from their point of view so that he could help them come to know the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. He did not change his message but looked for common ground with all people so that he could use their similarities to help them know truth.
Use your freedom to help others receive theirs.
Heidirn
But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a Christian still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.
1 Cor. 8:9 The Message
Paul was teaching here in response to issues people were having about eating meat that was offered to idols. Then, just as now, there were a lot of religious rules that people were supposed to live by. The church leaders would enforce these "rules" as if they were from God when, in fact, they were all man made rules.
Jesus gave us only two commands. One was to love God and the other was to love people. Love does not boss others around or enforce a bunch of rules. Love treats every person with respect so that they too can mature in Christ freely.
Jesus did not come to give us another religion but to give us a relationship with God.
We are wrong when we force our own beliefs on others just we are wrong when we judge or criticize people for what they believe. Our gift of freedom is meant to be used to demonstrate the perfect love of God not to belittle those who do not believe like we do.
In 1 Cor. 9:19-23 Paul talks about trying to understand other people and seeing things from their point of view so that he could help them come to know the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. He did not change his message but looked for common ground with all people so that he could use their similarities to help them know truth.
Use your freedom to help others receive theirs.
Heidirn
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