Last Sunday, we studied what the Bible has to say about the whole concept of rights from 1 Corinthians 8 (download/listen here). Though Paul addresses a specific situation involving food offered to idols, the key principle is just as true for us as it was for the Corinthians a couple thousand years ago. The gospel frees us to love others more than our own rights. It’s all too easy to be more defined by our rights or personal convictions in an area of biblical freedom than defined by the gospel. The movies we watch, the music we listen to, home school vs. public school, or courtship vs. dating are all good examples. While God’s Word provides general principles for making these decisions wisely, they are not moral issues of clear right and wrong. To think someone is more of a Christian because they share our rights or convictions in a matter of conscience or less of a Christian if they don’t is to travel down the dangerous path of legalism.
C.J. Mahaney defines legalism as “seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God.” When our relationships with others are more defined by our rights than our shared status as redeemed sinners, we’re functionally telling a lie about God. We’re basically saying, “Acceptance by God depends on your external behavior,” when God’s Word declares, “A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 2:16) God calls us to establish wise convictions in matters of conscience, but we must be careful to preserve the integrity of the gospel. Our rights in non-moral issues never earn any acceptance from God, nor does our performance on clear moral issues. We are justified or declared righteous before God only through faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his work on our behalf through the gospel. Let’s be a people who walk wisely by developing biblical convictions and obeying the voice of conscience. But may our rights in an area of biblical freedom never become the basis for our relationship with God or one another. The gospel frees us to love others more than our own rights.
- Matthew
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