Freedom to Edify

November 26, 2023 Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8; 10:23 - 11:1 Lesson Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:23 - 11:1 As Christians, we should know that we are seen as role models by others. This can be a challenge for us because we don't know who is observing us as such. We should assume that our behavior is being observed and imitated by others. How we exercise our freedom around others can be for their good or bad. It depends on what they observed us doing. In every area of freedom, there are decisions to be made because freedom itself demands its own conformance. Salvation in Jesus Christ is the ultimate freedom. All requirements for holiness based on the Law are demonstrated to perfection in Christ. Christians are liberated from anything that could possibly enslave us. If we know this, then we must take care to not allow our freedom in Christ to become an offense to others. In other words, we should not allow our freedom to cause others to be enslaved. Christians show maturity as we learn to limit our freedoms so that non-Christians are not confused by our way of living. This was one of the areas of concern Paul addressed in his letter to the Corinthian congregation. One example of this involved eating animals that were first offered to an idol god. This was a religious ritual for some unsaved people in Corinth. When a person participated in eating what was offered to an idol, they considered it a form of worship of that idol. When a Christian participated in eating the same, it was considered an act of worship by non-Christians in Corinth. It would be difficult to evangelize those unsaved people later if you are seen as worshipping the same god they worship. If accepting Christ does not deliver one from idol worship, then why do it? To be sure, a Christian is free to eat whatever they choose if they understand that all of it comes from God. The Christian's faith is not affected by what they eat or don't eat. However, people who are lost and believe that eating offered animals as a religious ritual would protect them will not readily agree to listen to any good news about a Jesus who can deliver them from that protection. Mature Christians should avoid creating confusion for unsaved people by restricting our behavior. We have the freedom to do it, but we choose to not exercise our freedom that we might reach the unsaved for Christ. We can reach the unsaved by adjusting our behavior in their presence. Some situations are easier to avoid than they are to explain. Christians should meet people where they are, and not where we are. We can assist people to get to where we are if we first meet them where they are. Our goal should always include building up, or edifying, others. We must adjust to people, and their culture, to be able to edify them. However, we don't adjust by compromising our faith or standards. We must always present ourselves as children of God. Being children of God does not mean that we are better than others. We are saved by grace through faith and not our actions or self-worth. Unsaved people are just as valuable as saved people. The difference is we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Our calling is to share the good news that God has provided salvation through Jesus Christ. It is a difficult message to convey when the unsaved cannot see any God in us. Has being a Christian made any difference in our lives? We should be able to demonstrate that difference as well as talk about it. Our demonstration of salvation begins with how we exercise our freedom in Christ. If our lives confuse people, make them feel belittled, or show no concern for the welfare of others, then our testimony will have no effect on them. Salvation should also empower us with the wisdom of God that teaches us how to behave around others. Robert C. Hudson November 11, 2023

Freedom to Love

November 12, 2023 Background Scripture: Romans 13:8 - 10; 1 Corinthians 13:8 - 13 Lesson Passage: Romans 13:8 - 10; 1 Corinthians 13:8 - 13 When we speak of biblical love, we should be careful to distinguish what is meant—especially from a Greek language perspective. Greek is the original language of the New Testament writings. There are several Greek words that are translated as love in English. We need to know which of the Greek words was translated for the passages of scriptures under consideration. In today's lesson, both passages in our Background Scripture use the word love as translated from the Greek word agape. This Greek word, agape, is used in religious literature to denote a peculiar type of benevolent love. This benevolent love is determined by the one who loves and not by the one who receives such benevolence. When God demonstrates such benevolence towards mankind, it is always based on mankind's need as determined by God. Jesus is God's greatest display of agape. God's benevolence is always extended without selfishness. This type of benevolence is peculiar because it is motivated by the needs of the one receiving it. Christians learn to show this type of benevolent love because we have first received such love from God. I dare say that is the only way such love is possible in us. We can love in this manner because God demonstrated this love for us. And as He demonstrates it, God transforms us. Unselfishly being motivated by the needs of another person is not a natural human response. Most natural human responses flow in both directions; we give and expect to receive because of our giving. For example, people are more likely to show affection because we desire to receive affection. It is very selfish behavior. We are motivated by what we want for ourselves. In fact, if we continue to not receive, it is very likely that we will stop giving! Our actions show that we are slaves to our own needs and desires, and not trying to minister to the needs of others. Agape is a different type of behavior in people. It is totally unselfish and not self-serving. When we see the need in others and are motivated to meet that need, then our action brings us joy to know that the other person is better afterwards. The motivation for us to extend this benevolent love to others does not come from our flesh. Therefore, agape doesn't allow our flesh to enslave us as an act of selfishness. There is no unintentional pain resulting from unmet fleshly desires on the part of the one extending such love. Paul's conclusion in his letter to the church in Rome is that this benevolent love fulfills the entire Law. He also informed the church located in Corinth that this benevolent love is enduring. Paul described it as the greatest of the three abiding graces of God: faith, hope, and love. Because it is of God, it takes on His eternal nature. One can practice benevolence without love, and one can practice love without benevolence. It is only when both occur as a response to the needs of the other person that we find freedom in expressing benevolent love towards them. That is one reason we embrace the fact that it fulfills the Law. Attempting to fulfill the Law by adhering to its precepts always leads to bondage. The weakness of our flesh ensures enslavement as an outcome of attempting to be righteous by keeping the Law. But if there is going to be freedom in demonstrating love to a neighbor, it will only occur as we allow the agape of God to flow from Him and through us. When we practice that, then we pay the debt of love we owe others and we find the freedom to love! Robert C. Hudson October 27, 2023

Freedom from Expectations

November 5, 2023 Background Scripture: Acts 15:1 - 21 Lesson Passage: Acts 15:1 - 11 We tend to live our lives motivated by expectations. We either live up to or down to what is expected of us. We are conditioned this way early in life. We receive positive or negative feedback to influence our pattern of behavior. The type of feedback we receive either encourages us to continue a particular behavior or abandon it. As adults, we usually live according to how our behavior was conditioned as children and youth. Expectations bring out of individuals the expected norms of a group. The expected norms of a group become the group's culture. Having stated that, let's consider today's topic as it relates to the Background Scripture. Jewish people of the first century had a religion and culture that were one and the same. Their religion is known as Judaism. Judaism embodies a system of laws and rituals. Those laws govern their everyday behavior. The recognition and observance of their holy days were both religious and cultural. One of the prescribed rituals was the circumcision of male babies on the eighth day. This ritual was also prescribed for Gentiles who wished to practice Judaism. This ritual dated back to the days of Abraham who predated the Law of Moses by hundreds of years. During the time of Moses, circumcision was incorporated into the Law. Where was the demarcation point where religion ended and culture continued? Jews who became Christians didn't have to answer that. They just kept living as Jews. That's one of the reasons the first congregation of Christians, located in Jerusalem, continued to go to the Temple on the Sabbath. It was both religiously and culturally right for them. They always did that, and they always were going to do it. However, when Jewish Christians interacted with Gentile Christians, there was discomfort for the Jews when the Gentiles did not adhere to the Jewish cultural norms. After being confronted by some Jewish Christians concerning it, a Gentile congregation sought directions by sending a delegation to Jerusalem to get clarification on this issue from the Apostles, However, this was not a settled matter within the Jerusalem congregation. When Jews in the first century accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, it seemed to have created a rift in their culture. That became clear from the ensuing conversation around the mission of the delegation from the Gentile congregation. After comments from the Jerusalem congregation on both sides of the issue, Peter stood and addressed the group. God had demonstrated to Peter His acceptance of the Gentile believers in Cornelius' house based solely on their faith. Therefore, Peter concluded that the Jerusalem congregation, and leaders, should not impose expectations on the Gentile believers that God did not require of them. In other words, if a person is saved by God based solely on their faith in Jesus Christ, Jewish religious rituals would not make them more saved. Those rituals would only impose a yoke of bondage on them. Peter acknowledged that neither the Jews of old nor the ones at that time were able to bear that yoke. Peter's conclusion was that all people are saved by the grace of God through their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Since expecting the Gentiles to carry the yoke of bondage provided no benefit to anyone, then removing that expectation of them brought immediate freedom. The Gentile Christians were still expected to be God-fearing moral people. However, they were not expected to follow religious rituals as a requirement of their salvation. Put another way, the Gentile Christians would still have expectations of them, but those expectations would not enslave them to the Law. Robert C Hudson October 27, 2023