Enjoying Christian Liberty
Titus 1:15 – “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
Three times in the New Testament, the subject of Christian liberty arises. It arises because strong Christians were enjoying their Christian liberty, and weak Christians were offended by it. In the case of Titus chapter 1, Christian liberty is seen in contrast to the commandments of men. In Romans 14 and I Corinthians 8, the subject of Christian liberty is raised in the issue of meat – whether or not Christians can eat meat that had been offered to idols.
Meat Sacrificed to Idols – I Corinthians 8
Allow me to paint a picture of what is happening in the New Testament. Some Christians purchased meat from a pagan temple. When weaker Christians saw this, they were offended. They thought that, by purchasing the meat, those Christians were taking part in idolatry. The weaker Christians were offended even more when some of the Christians would not only purchase meat from pagan temples, but they would also sit down and eat the meat inside the pagan temple (I Corinthians 8:10)!
Please note that Paul never condemns purchasing or eating meat that had been offered to idols. He doesn’t even condemn eating the meat inside of a pagan temple! As a matter of fact, Paul describes those who can eat such meat without feeling guilty as being strong. Those who feel guilty for eating such meat, however, he describes as weak (I Corinthians 8:10), having a weak conscience (I Corinthians 8:12).
Notice this. This is very important. The stricter ones – the ones who abstained from meat offered to idols – were considered to be weak Christians, while the ones who could eat of the meat without any sense of guilt were considered to be strong Christians (I Corinthians 8:7). I have seen this reversed in many churches. Some people think that they are more spiritual because they are stricter. In reality, however, the strictest are often the weakest.
Now, let us apply this to some issues of Christian liberty that are prevalent in today’s church. Today, we are not concerned with meat sacrificed to idols, but there are some issues with which the church today must deal. I get tickled when I look on Facebook, and someone announces that they are deleting their Facebook account in order to be more spiritual. There are actually preachers who preach that having a Facebook account is wrong. Some preach the same about the internet, claiming that it is a sin for an individual to access the internet. Though there are many issues with which I could deal, let me deal with the issue of Facebook as an example.
Let us use the principles found in I Corinthians 8, and apply those principles to the internet and Facebook in particular. Like the meat offered to idols, the internet and Facebook are not sinful in themselves. You may say, “Some people get on Facebook to gossip.” I say, “Some people don't get on Facebook to gossip!” It is a sin to be a talebearer (gossiper) either on or off Facebook. But if a person gets on Facebook to gossip, then Facebook is not the problem; gossip is the problem! I do acknowledge that anyone with a Facebook account ought to access Facebook with caution. People have met old acquaintances on Facebook and ended up shattering a family with adultery. But even then, Facebook is not the problem. The problem lies in the heart of the individual who is accessing a Facebook account. In Paul’s day, it was no doubt a sin to engage in idolatry (as it is today). If eating meat offered to idols caused one to worship an idol, then the meat was not the problem; idolatry was the problem! Strong Christians could eat the meat without any guilt because they had no idolatry in their hearts. And strong Christians can have a Facebook account without misbehaving.
You see, weak Christians in Paul’s day were stricter than the strong Christians. They deprived themselves liberties that Christ had given them. They had the liberty to eat any meat, whether it had been sacrificed to an idol or not. This is because, as strong Christians understood, an idol is nothing. Strong Christians knew that false gods are powerless figments of their worshippers’ imaginations. Because of this, it didn’t matter whether the meat was sacrificed to those idols or not. Paul explains this in I Corinthians 8:4-6. Paul goes on to say that those who do not know that an idol is nothing, and consequently refuse to eat meat sacrificed to idols, are the ones with a weak conscience.
This brings me to another point about the weak Christians in the Corinthian church. The Corinthian epistle was the only New Testament epistle that addressed the gift of tongues. When it came to the gifts of the Spirit, the Corinthians claimed to be spiritual. Yet, they were the most unspiritual church in the New Testament. They were divided instead of united (chapter 1); they were carnal (chapter 3); there was fornication among them (chapter 5); they were taking each other to civil court (chapter 6); they had issues concerning marriage (chapter 7); they had weak Christians who condemned themselves for eating meat sacrificed to idols (chapter 8); they had an authority problem (chapter 11); and they were devoid of teaching regarding the Lord’s supper (chapter 11). The same ones who showed how much “Holy Ghost power” they had by speaking in tongues didn’t have enough power to eat a slab of meat because it was offered to a powerless, pagan idol. And my, do we find this today! The ones who claim to have the most “Holy Ghost power” are some of the strictest ones. They abstain from everything! They can’t go somewhere if sinners are there. They can’t go to a restaurant that serves alcohol. I am convinced that Paul, who didn’t mind eating meat in a pagan temple (I Corinthians 8:10), wouldn’t mind eating a meal at Texas Roadhouse. But some can’t go to a place like that. Where’s all that Holy Ghost power they talk about? If they had real Holy Ghost power, they would be able to go to the gates of hell to win souls and not worry about being contaminated by the sins of others! But, like the Corinthians, they don’t have the power like they think they do! Since someone needs to say it, I’ll go ahead and say it – if you do not have enough power to get on Facebook without gossiping or committing adultery, then your power is pretty useless.
Now, let me go ahead and tighten this on down. It is clear that the strong Christians were the ones who could eat the meat sacrificed to idols. It was the weak Christians who could not do so, lest they defiled their conscience. I have brought this out several times in several different settings. I have had people, in defending their strict lifestyle, brag about how weak they are. Now, it sounds humble to hear someone talk about how weak they are. But Paul was not commending the Corinthians for being weak. It was a sharp rebuke when the Hebrew writer told the Hebrews that they should have been strong enough to teach the principles of God, but instead were weak and needed milk. When a Christian admits to being weak, they are admitting to being disobedient to God. We are commanded in Ephesians 6:10 – “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” You’re not supposed to be weak; you’re supposed to be strong! And if you claim to be filled with the Holy Ghost, you above all others should be strong! You should be strong enough to go around sinners without being defiled! You should be strong enough to get on Facebook without sinning! You should be strong enough to win souls in the red light district! You should be strong enough to go to a wicked workplace and live for God! You shouldn’t have to abstain from everything in the world if you are as strong as you should be!
One more point before I move on. What about these preachers who preach that Facebook is a sin? What about those who refuse to have a Facebook account, thinking that they are more spiritual because of their abstinence? Let me say that the Bible gives a clear answer regarding them. What about the weak Christians who refused to eat meat sacrificed to idols? Were they better off? NOT ONE BIT! Look at what Paul says regarding the weak Christians who thought they were spiritual by abstaining from meats:
I Corinthians 8:8 – “But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.”
Meat is not the problem! Idolatry is the problem! If you can eat the meat without partaking in idolatry, have at it! You were no more spiritual for eating or for rejecting the meat! That’s the Bible answer. You may think you’re spiritual because you have no Facebook account. I am here to tell you that it doesn’t make you one bit spiritual to either have or delete a Facebook account.
Now, how do I feel personally about ministers who abstain from Facebook, thinking they are more spiritual as a result of it? Or those ministers who abstain from restaurants that serve alcohol? First of all, I feel that they will stand before God for themselves. They can do whatever butters their bread. Do I commend them for abstaining from things that are not sinful to start with? No. I don’t admire them; I don’t look up to them. To be truthful, I pity them. I feel badly for them because they have such elementary understanding (if any) of the Biblical doctrine of Christian liberty. Please note that I do not hate such ministers. But I am convinced that their abstinence from “meat” does not make them one bit spiritual, whether or not they think it does. On the contrary, it betrays the fact that they are weak when they have been commanded to be strong.
Conclusion
When a person loves the Lord with all their heart, they want to draw close to Him. However, instead of drawing close to God in a Biblical manner (prayer, the word of God, attending church, soul winning, etc.), many times they try to get closer to God by giving up “things.” However, these people often show their instability when they do this. They get rid of Facebook for a while, and then they get back on. They abstain from the internet for a while, and then they get hooked back up. What would end the turmoil and instability is an understanding of Titus 1:15:
Titus 1:15 – “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
Unto the pure all “things” are pure. You can clearly see that “things” are not the problem. If you want to draw closer to God, then getting rid of “things” is not the way to go. Seek God in prayer and in His word. Now, if God instructs you to get rid of anything, then do it by all means. “Things” in themselves are tools that can be used for either good or evil. In context, Titus 1 is speaking of “commandments of men” (Titus 1:14). Getting rid of “things,” such as meat offered to idols, a Facebook account, or a restaurant that sells alcohol, are often the result of “commandments of men.”
Please understand that these principles found in I Corinthians 8 regarding meat offered to idols may apply to a lot of issues, not just Facebook or restaurants that serve alcohol. I only used these issues as examples because they are familiar to some with which I am acquainted. They can apply to nearly any issue where someone preaches a particular behavior to be a sin though the Bible does not condemn such. These principles apply to preachers who think they are spiritual because they do not wear a necktie; Christians who think they are spiritual because they abstain from putting up a Christmas tree; and on and on the list could go.
Also, please note that I am not angry with any of you who simply do not wish to have a Facebook page or go to a restaurant that serves alcohol. If you abstain from such because it makes you feel more spiritual, then I wish you the best. I say that with an honest heart. I only ask that you realize that you have more liberty in Christ than you are enjoying. Consequently, I ask you to refrain from doing as the false teachers of which Paul spoke who “came to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 2:4). If you are going to forfeit your liberty in Christ, please do not grow ill toward us who choose to enjoy our liberty in Christ.
It would be beneficial if preachers today would stop treating symptoms and start treating the root of the problem. If a pastor has a man in his church who met someone on Facebook and split up that person’s family, I wish that pastor would advise the man to delete his adulterous heart instead of advising him to delete his Facebook account. Many preachers who spend their time preaching against “things” usually miss the weightier matters of the heart. Unto the pure all “things” are pure.
In Romans 14, the subject of meat and Christian liberty is again the subject of discussion. In verse 22, Paul says, “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” If there is no Bible that declares it to be a sin, God said you are happy person if you can partake of it without any sense of guilt. This is the liberty of which God wants His children to partake.
