Freedom in Bondage?

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

"Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."

Our Lord Jesus is the ultimate freedom fighter, he has liberated us foremost from the 'old self' into the 'new creation'. His idea of true freedom, however, is not the same as our modern understanding of the idea (anything goes), yet closer to a classical definition in a sense that freedom/free will is a God-given gift that is enshrined in a basic understanding of responsibility and accountability to God. The Greek philosopher Plato is attributed the quote: "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." and if I am not mistaken, the Chinese philosopher Confucius, has a similar concept. It is, however, ultimately predicated on the idea of living right, morality and ethics, which is rooted in God's nature and Divine Command which are of special importance to the Hebrews/Jews. On another note, it is important to note that the apostle Paul exhorts us to rely instead on discernment rather than our knowledge (of doctrine, of the rules and even of our freedom) for our daily living. Christianity is about relationships, and foremost is God's as our Holy Father, yet we relate to Jesus Christ through the people around us. Such is diametrically opposite of world religions that seek to dissolve all 'attachments' — to live a life of meditation and hermitage. I believe it is challenging to live a life of solitude, and yet it is equally or maybe even more challenging to live relating to fallen humanity, such us ourselves. Now discernment in daily living, especially in relating to others, we pray for, earnestly, from the Holy Spirit to guide us in exercising our God-given freedoms. In order that we may abound in love for our neighbor, especially infants in the faith, let us use discernment not to cause them to stumble on our freedoms, and if I may add as a minor note, on our laws as well. Finally, "the only form of restraint acceptable in liberty is self-restraint", we go so further that to be able to restrain oneself is to submit our human nature to God. Jesus has freed us from the chains that bind, of sin and of legalism into the greater freedom of the fruit of the Spirit, all of it and especially, self-control, "against such, there is no law."

1 Peter 2:16-17

"Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor."

~07.11.2013