“That’s how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.”
Romans 12:5, CEV
When we follow Jesus, we will not make any real progress unless we commit to following him together. We must grow to the wonderful, purposeful point when we start to understand that our essential unity is the work of God in our hearts. He purposefully blends us–our spirits, personality and thoughts.
We learn we can’t make it alone. I am an American Christian, and independence is a characteristic of my culture. We inherently become people who ride hard and ride alone. There seems like there is not room for two where I am going. If you get there, I guess we’ll be brothers. But this is not the Scriptures.
Having tried to live my faith in another culture, I discoveredI neededa different mentality completely. I had to learn to reach out to another way of thinking. I discovered that my new understanding had to include others. If we win, it is because we are a team. Soccer was the national sport of my new country–I don’t think it has been successful in the U.S. because it’s fundamentally a true team sport. We don’t think like a team. We don’t like it.
“Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.”
Philippians 1:27, CEV
Unity will leave its mark. If we choose this particular approach we need to “think alike”. That takes a bit of a miracle sometimes. But this intrinsic unity has become the norm. We are very used to the idea of Jesus saving individual men and women. But it is a long leap for us to believe that we are sanctified through groups–called Churches.
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
1 Corinthians 1:10, ESV
No. Absolutely zero. Divisions. There is to be agreement in every person. There is to be a unity, in the very specific area of our thinking and our discernment. And this is sent to us in Jesus’ name. Paul understands that the name of Jesus (the Lord and Christ) is to have a definite preeminence, and his wonderful authority was to lead us to this unity.
The implications are this–not agreeing to Jesus’ authority, divides the Church. Simple. And that is exactly how we are to understand these issues. We don’t need to be “rocket-science theologians” here, after all Paul was directing his remarks to simple believers. He believed that they would understand.
The Holy Spirit is like a magnet. The power that pulls us to Jesus works in us all. We find that iron filings of all shapes and sizes are also ‘connected’ to Him, and we’re connected with each other. It is His magnetism that draws us to each other.
How committed are you to unity in your town? The Church gathers on Saturday or Sunday (almost always). The believers that attend are your brothers and sisters. They come to worship and pray, and hear the Word.
It is an interesting point that when Paul refers to the Church, and John in the Book of Revelation–it is connected to geography. It is the “Church of Rome” or the “Church of the Colossians.” Thinking this way, will change how you perceive the Church of Jesus.
“In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity.”
“Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to you with my empty cup uncertain in asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better I’d have come running with a bucket.”
-Nancy Spiegelberg
There can be no freedom from condemnation without submission to the saving life of Christ. This is a definite and critical point.
Without a faith in Him, we are left with the option of carrying our own guilt. This is a staggering possibility, and our lives turn to drinking and “drugging” and other things. We must escape from all this pain and sin. We are walking out condemnation, and the weight of this is immense.
Much of our life can be distilled from this viciousness. We absorb it, adapt to it, thinking it will ease up some. But it doesn’t, and it won’t. We turn to all kinds of ‘pain absorbers’ looking to cope with this mindset. There are escapes, and we try them all. But ultimately we end up with one that is quite imperfect, and we ‘sort of’ become a little numb. Our hearts become numb and hard.
Condemnation twists us and who are in Christ.
It deforms our spirit and destroys our confidence before our Father in Heaven. His love is still being poured out, but we have placed a cover on our vessel. We are blocking His mercy by our unwillingness to be forgiven. All of our guilt seems a reasonable reaction to the heaviness of our sin.
Humans were not designed to handle guilt, and its “cousin” fear. When we do try, we short-circuit. Pain is always avoided, and that ends up corralling us into bondage. From here, we can still mentally assent to the Bible; we can still have a sense of spirituality. But it will always be filtered through our sense of condemnation.
Faith in the complete action of Jesus is enough. Because I believe He carried the full weight of my sin, past—-present—future, I can walk out a free man. Yes, sin does require justice, it is to be condemned. But my faith, trust or confidence enables me to separate from the sin that would take me, straight to the bottom.
In this release, we are supposed to live. Freed from every condemnation. You must displace condemnation with grace.
We have the joy of the forgiven sinner, and that really makes no sense at all.
It isn’t at all rational. But it is legal, and it is binding. And permanent. There have been too many lies, for too long. Grace is meant to be the most radical concept we have ever confronted. And truly it is.
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.”
“Others may, you cannot.” There are certain things that other believers are allowed to do that are forbidden for you personally. These are not the “biggies” like adultery, or murder (or anything in the flesh, see Galatians 5:19-21).
However, there are the relatively small things of individual conscience. They are the issues of personal preference. Sometimes a Christian has the liberty to smoke or drink a glass of wine. Since there are nothing specific in the Bible against these, some feel free to exercise a certain amount of liberty.
In Paul’s time, meat that had been offered up to idols was afterwards sold in the markets. Some believers would buy the meat; others stringently objected to this. Their faith wouldn’t allow this.
“All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake;26 for the earth is the Lord’s, andall it contains.29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?”
1 Corinthians 10:23-26, 29
I believe conscience is how we are meant to conduct certain decisions. We’re to always surrender our right to do something that might offend another’s principles. Their faith should never be weakened by your actions or behavior. At that point– it becomes sin.
“Idol meat” (code for things of “individual preference”) should never be a stumbling point for other believers. Some issues of conscience could be:
the theatre, ballet, dancing,
internet, reading material,
sporting events, parties
parades, arena performances,
movies, TV
Halloween, solstice observances,
smoking, chewing tobacco,
drinking wine or a beer, (but not drunkenness),
playing cards,
medications, mental health services,
rock music, Christmas, eating pork, etc.
Perhaps the real issue to grasp is the mannerin which we’ll serve another brother’s faith. I believe that that is the core point. Often the conscience has to be trusted to become the guidance we seek in doing the will of the Lord.
I may have throughly confused you, I pray that I haven’t. Just keep in mind that your conscience should be “tuned in” to the Lord’s Spirit. It is not an infallible guide. Great questions to ask when your wondering if it is right or not:
Is it loving?
is it God-honoring?
is it going to encourage a brother or sister?
what would be right?
does it edify (build up)?
Follow the Lord’s lead, “WWJD?” It may sound corny, but there is something of value here.
Broken Believers 