The Flesh vs the Spirit

When you consider our life in Christ, it stands in stark contrast to life in the flesh as we once knew it. Living in the Spirit is drastically different than living under the Law. Let's see what the Scriptures says about this difference. In the following table, let's list on the left-hand side those things that pertain to the flesh, the Law, and the old life before Christ. Then on the right-hand side we'll contrast those things to the Spirit, and new life in Christ.

Flesh / Law / Old	Christ / Spirit / New
"...you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ..." (Rom 7:4)	"so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (Rom 7:4)
"For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." (Rom 7:5)	"But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter." (Rom 7:6)
We serve "not in oldness of the letter." (Ro 7:6)	"We serve in newness of the Spirit." (Ro 7:6)
"I would not have come to know sin except through the Law" (Ro 7:7)	"...apart from the Law sin is dead." (Ro 7:8)
"when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died..." (Ro 7:9) "...making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me." (Rom 7:23)	"...the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." (Rom 8:2)
"and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;" (Rom 7:10)	"If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness." (Rom 8:10)
"So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." (Rom 7:12)	"...if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." (Gal 5:18)
"through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful." (Rom 7:13)	"...walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." (Gal 5:16)
"we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin." (Rom 7:14)	"...the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Rom 8:4)
"...nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh..." (Ro 7:18)	"...those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:24)
"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did:" (Rom 8:3a)	"...sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh [of Christ]" (Rom 8:3b)
"Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh..." (Rom 8:5a)	"...those who are according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit." (Rom 8:5b)
"the mind set on the flesh is death..." (Rom 8:6a)	"the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace" (Rom 8:6)
"...the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so," (Rom 8:7)
"those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8:8)	"...those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:24)
"...the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit..." (Gal 5:17a)	"...the Spirit [sets its desire] against the flesh...so that you may not do the things that you please." (Gal 5:17b)
"...if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." (Rom 8:9b)	"...you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you." (Rom 8:9a)
	"...if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Rom 8:11)
"...if you are living according to the flesh, you must die..." (Rom 8:13a)	"...if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Rom 8:13b)
"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21)	"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
“I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.” (Rom. 7:14)	“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves.” (Rom. 8:15)
"...a spirit of slavery leading to fear..." (Rom 8:15a)	"... a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'" (Rom 8:15b)
	"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God," (Rom 8:16)

Compare and contrast each point in the left-hand column in relation to the point directly beside it in the right-hand column. Then consider each point in the left-hand column in relation to other points that are not located directly beside them in the right-hand column. As you do so prayerfully, open up and let the Holy Spirit teach you new things you hadn't understood before.

Putting it All Together
I hope you will take some time to meditate on the greatness and the wonder of what we have in Christ, as listed in the right-hand column above, compared to what we had in the flesh. They are as different as night and day, and what we have now is better by far than anything the flesh or living under the Law has to offer. We have exchanged death for life and bondage to sin for freedom in the Spirit. Instead of slavery to fear, we have adoption as sons of Abba, Father, and the Spirit testifies that we are children of God. Rather than being those who practice the misdeeds of the flesh, who will not inherit the kingdom of God, we bear the fruit of the Spirit, against which there is no law. In place of unrelenting condemnation under the Law, there is now no condemnation in Christ. Rather than serving in the old way of the letter, we serve in the new way of the Spirit. Under the Law, sin became alive and we died, but apart from the Law sin is dead and we live. The Law could not reform us, since our flesh is weak and totally depraved, so the Law served to help us get to know sin. But now that we have died to the Law and to sin, the Spirit living in us is continually helping us get to know Christ better. Instead of being unable to please God, now the righteous requirement of the Law might be fully met in us.

Instead of walking the same old road for miles and miles, hearing the same old voice tell the same old lies, and trying to fill the same old holes inside, (as the lyrics go in the Chain Breaker song by Zach Williams), Jesus has made a way for us to be saved from sin and shame. He breaks every chain in our lives, opens every prison door, sets every captive free, and pours out His Holy Spirit upon us to fill all those empty holes inside. If you are still living in the flesh or under the Law, let me encourage you today -- there's a better life, and that is new life in Christ.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Flesh & Spirit image may be subject to copyright from 316Quotes. Used according to Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only. Chain Breaker lyrics written by Jonathan Lindley Smith / Mia Fieldes / Zach Williams, copyright © Essential Music Publishing.

Author's note:  I encourage you to read the other articles I have written on this topic, especially the following ones, beginning with the first three articles in the left-hand column:

The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The New Covenant Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? Righteousness by Faith Not Law

The Obedience of Faith Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Partaking of the Divine Nature Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe? The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

Also see You Must Be Born Again, The Spirit's Law of Life, The Spirit of the Law, The Truth Set Me Free, and Baptized with the Spirit. You can access the Main Directory for Seeking the Lord, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Garments of Godliness

Many preachers have gotten into trouble mentioning certain topics from the Bible.  One such topic is that of modesty, particularly in the way women dress.  People have contemptuously branded such men as "clothes line preachers" and will not tolerate such preaching.  But the Lord has plenty to say in His Word about how His people should dress, and we had better take heed.  He is coming back for a holy Bride, and this is part of the holiness He requires. Just look at some of these Scriptures:

Proper Clothing
The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness." (1Ti 2:9-11)

The apostle Peter wrote: "In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear." (1Pe 3:1-6)

Both Paul and Peter were explicit about what godly women should and should not wear on their bodies, which also applies to men.  The apostles were equally as clear about how the women should wear their hair, even the types of garments to wear, and which ones to avoid.  They also gave instruction on what kind of godly attitude should adorn holy women.

A Symbol of Authority on Her Head
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels." (1Co 11:3-10)

There are many opinions about this.  Some believe this refers to a woman's hair.  If a man grows his hair long, that is considered a head covering, according to this passage. Certainly I think it's important for a woman to take care of the veil God gave her, and not to cut it off like a man or to shave her head.

At the time of this writing, my wife and I did not believe she needed to wear a head covering, but we were open to being adjusted by the Lord. So we prayed and asked Him to show us, and subsequently we heard some testimonies that have changed our mind. Now we believe that a woman should cover her head when she is in the presence of the Lord.  This means she should cover her head when she prays, worships, prophesies, reads the Bible, or enters the house of worship. Also see my article Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering? for more on this. 

Jewelry, well-set hair, headbands, veils, headdresses, fine clothes, and sweet perfume
Please look at the heart of God and what He is after here. The prophet Isaiah wrote:

Moreover, the LORD said, "Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And tinkle the bangles on their feet, Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the LORD will make their foreheads bare." In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, finger rings, nose rings, festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils. Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. (Isa 3:16-24)

The Lord is after every proud, vain, and seductive heart among the daughters of Zion.

The Woman Dressed Like a Whore
King Solomon warned his son of the seductress..."In the twilight, in the evening, in the middle of the night and in the darkness....behold, a woman comes to meet him, dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. She is boisterous and rebellious, her feet do not remain at home." (Pro 7:9-11)

We know from Scripture that the Lord is not pleased with any woman dressed as a harlot.

Cross Dressing
Does God condone cross-dressing?  Certainly not! In fact it's detestable to Him.

"A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God." (Deu 22:5)

But hasn't cross-dressing crept into the church and doesn't it now abound in the Church?  Trousers are clothing for men, and yet many Christian women wear trousers, even during worship and prayer.  Some will say that they only wear so-called "Ladies trousers."  Well, if you do so, I encourage you to take that before the Lord to see what He says.  Just because some clothing manufacturer has changed the labeling to increase sales does not mean God has changed His mind.  We all need to let Him evaluate our wardrobe and make the necessary adjustments.

Worldliness
The world has fashions and trends.  But in adopting those, the Church seems to have forgotten that worldliness is a sin. Let's take the lead in showing the world what godliness looks like, rather than adopting those fashions and following the latest trends.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (1Jo 2:15-16)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Rom 12:2)

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." (Jam 4:4-6)

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (Jam 1:27)

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. (Mat 5:13)

Poorly Clothed
Here was the testimony of the apostle Paul: "To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless." (1Co 4:11). "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. (Act 20:33)

Does this mean we all need to be poorly clothed and homeless?  Certainly not. But if your emphasis is on outward adornment, on wearing gold jewelry and fine clothes, compare yourself to the life Paul lived and ask the Lord to correct you.

Special attention to those wearing fine clothes
For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?  (Jam 2:2-4)

Do you pay special attention to those who are adorned well outwardly? Do you want to look like them? Do you treat them differently than those who are poorly clothed?   

White Garments to Cover Your Nakedness
You can be clothed in the finest clothes, and yet be naked before God.  Jesus says,

"I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see." (Rev 3:18)

Garments Polluted by the Flesh
Our garments can become polluted by the flesh that wears them, if we are carnal-minded and worldly.

And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. (Jud 1:22-23).

We should hate the garments polluted by the flesh, and refuse to wear them.  Think of the fleshly spirit at work in those who design and produce such immodest garments.  We should be disgusted and reject such things.

What God is Saying to sister Claire Andoun
There is a woman, named sister Claire Andoun Atongo, from Cameroon, who says the Lord has been speaking to her about the dirtiness in His Church (see video testimony). He's been showing her that there is a strange power that has come into the Church, because this unclean spirit has been invited in by the women of God, and the pastors will not preach against it.  This strange power is the Queen of the Coast, who leads the sisters in the Church to dress immodestly.

She says this spirit has taken the fire out of the men of God.  I did not watch her entire Warning from God to All Women, but only the first 20 minutes or so, because someone pointed it out to me.  However, I think it's a message that every woman of God and every pastor needs to take before the Lord, seriously asking for the heart of God regarding dressing modestly with purity and holiness.

Wesley on Godly Dress
We need to go back to the old way, and preach holiness once again like John Wesley, the famous eighteenth-century holiness preacher did. He removed the ring ceremony from the Anglican wedding manual.  And in his article, 'Advice to the People Called Methodists with Regard to Dress,' Wesley wrote: “Wear no gold, no pearls, or precious stones; use no curling of hair, or costly apparel, how grave soever. I advise those who are able to receive this saying, buy no velvets, no silks, no fine linen, no superfluities, no mere ornaments, though ever so much in fashion. Wear nothing, though you have it already, which is of glaring colour, or which is in any kind gay, glistering, or showy; nothing made in the very height of the fashion, nothing apt to attract the eyes of the by-standers. I do not advise women to wear rings, ear-rings, necklaces, lace, or ruffles, which, by little and little, may easily shoot out from one to twelve inches deep. Neither do I advise men to wear coloured waistcoats, shining stockings, glittering or costly buckles or buttons, either on their coats, or in their sleeves, any more than gay, fashionable, or expensive perukes.” [1] [2]

Wesley's original advice on attire and adornment became part of the Methodist church manual, known as Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Church, and remained unedited until 1852. The early Methodists took their founder's admonitions seriously, and lived a plain lifestyle. They avoided gambling, dancing, makeup, and jewelry, including rings. It's high time for the Methodist people and the rest of the Church to return to the Word of holiness. Those who don't want to preach holiness will never see Jesus. Without holiness no man shall see God (Heb 12:14b). Let's Ask for the Ancient Paths once again.

Putting it All Together
So as we see, both Peter and Paul addressed this topic.  Today perhaps they would be labeled as "clothes line preachers."  Yet they were not afraid of speaking about how we dress, and exhorting us to live godly and modest lives.  There are also plenty of other Scriptures to support their positions.

If you are honest, you'll have to admit that it’s fashionable today for the women of the world in general to dress like whores. That's not to say that all women dress that way, but they are encouraged to do so. The women of God must not be worldly. We disciples of Christ are supposed to keep ourselves unstained by the world. Friendship with the world is hostility toward God. The people of God must not be conformed to this world.

This doesn't just apply to women, but men as well.  I remember watching Christian music videos in the 1980's of Christian rock bands performing on stage wearing, form-fitting, spandex body suits.  And then there's the obsession many guys have with their muscle-bound bodies and showing them off.  Somehow I don't see how that fits the standard of God's Word. Another example is men wearing expensive designer clothing, earrings and other jewelery, or expensive suits. The Lord is after every spirit of vanity, conceit, immodesty, pride, arrogance, sensuality, and seductiveness. So it's up to each of us to ask the Lord to examine our hearts and show us anything that is dishonoring Him or keeping Him away.

Footnotes: [1] What Should We Wear, Wesley Experience. [2] Cited in The Encyclopedia of World Methodism, 1977 edition, s. v. "Dress" (vol. 2, p. 717).

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: Also see Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering?, Claire Andoun Solomon's Encounter with Jesus, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, and The Wardrobe of the Saints. This post is a follow up on the following articles I've written recently:

Is Obedience Optional?
The Cost of Discipleship
Salvation with Fear and Trembling
Faith Works!
Pleasing the Lord
Called to be Blameless
Pleasing the Lord

Here is an excellent site where you can find attractive head coverings.   You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Image: Photo courtesy of Garlands of Grace.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Righteousness, Peace, and Joy

In my previous post on the Self-Help gospel, I made the point that we should not let anyone judge us regarding what we eat or drink. It’s true that we shouldn’t do that. The point is that all things are clean and the reality is found in Christ, not man-made regulations. But today I would like to look at this from another angle, namely how our freedom affects others.

What if someone with a weak conscience is offended by my freedom? What am I to do? Do I flaunt my freedom? Do I allow myself to come under the legalistic regulations of man? Or can I avoid both of those options and seek to live another way? Let’s see what the Scriptures teach us.

Accept the Weaker One
The apostle Paul taught that we should accept the one whose conscience is weak. He wrote to the Romans: “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.” (Rom 14:1-3)

So there are two basic kinds of people in this passage. One is the person whose faith allows him to eat all things. This person has great freedom in Christ, and should not let anyone take that from him. The other is the one whose faith is weak and feels he cannot eat certain things without sinning. In Paul’s day, when the Gentiles would buy meat in the market place, sometimes the meat had been offered up in sacrifice to idols in a pagan temple before it was sold. A person with strong faith would just not ask any questions about that before buying it, then give thanks for the meat and eat it. But one with weak faith would feel like he was sinning to eat such meat, due to the likelihood that it was offered to idols.

Another example is regarding observance of days. Paul wrote, “One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.” (Rom 14:5-6). Paul shows here that those with weak faith, who observe certain days, do so for the Lord. And those who regard every day alike do so for the Lord.

So if you are the one with a strong faith that allows you greater freedom, you need to accept the brother or sister in Christ whose faith is weak. As Paul said, “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.” (Rom 15:7). Try to avoid passing judgment on his or her opinions. Don’t regard your brother with contempt over these things. Ultimately, the most important thing is that we all live for the Lord. Jesus Christ makes us stand. And we will all stand before the judgment seat of God (Rom 14:10). I will not need to give an account for my weaker brother’s actions, and he will not need to give an account for my actions. “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:12). We will all need to give an account of our own self to God.

Stop judging and making others stumble
Knowing this, what are we to do? Paul tells us, “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.” (Rom 14:13). First, we’ve got to stop judging one another. Doing so is focused on whether my brother is right or wrong.

Instead, we need to start with our own life and walk in love. We need to determine in our own heart not to put an obstacle in our brother’s way. This is a loving attitude. It acknowledges my brother’s weakness and avoids making him stumble.

Do we avoid making one another stumble because we believe certain foods are unclean? Certainly not! As Paul wrote, “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; (Rom 14:14-16). All things may be clean, but to the one who thinks anything is unclean, to him it is unclean. Once we understand that, then we come to realize the connection between our faith and our practice. The one whose faith is weak would be sinning if he did the things he considers unclean. So I must be careful not to make him stumble. If I have freedom in an area where he is not free, I should be careful how I exercise my freedom. Flaunting it in front of him would cause him to stumble. It would hurt him.

There are some practical ways we can put this into practice. If you have freedom to drink wine and your brother does not, then when you are together, don’t drink wine. It’s that simple. This is a loving attitude. It seeks to help the weaker brother.

But how could my drinking wine cause another to stumble? He may be tempted to join you, but due to his weak conscience, he would be sinning. In his own heart, he would be doing something he regards as unclean. Remember that as long as he thinks it’s unclean, to him it is so. Paul wrote, “He who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Rom 14:23). This is key. If your brother doubts when he drinks, then his drinking is not from faith. If he doubts when he eats, then his eating is not from faith. It’s a good thing if you have faith that gives you freedom, but don’t let that good thing become something others speak of as evil. Your weaker brother would be condemned to do what you do, because anything we do that is not of faith is sin.

Love avoids tearing down the work of God, and your weaker brother is the work of God. Paul continued, “Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.” (Rom 14:20-21). Paul determined that he would not eat meat or drink wine in front of anyone who was offended in his walk with Christ as a result of it. Even though he was free to eat or drink, he did not want to make a brother stumble. That would tear down the work of God.

Pursue peace and edification
This is a refreshing way to live, isn’t it! Rather than demanding my rights, I willingly give up my rights for the sake of others. That’s how Paul lived, and I want to do the same.

He wrote, “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” (Rom 14:17-19). Of course, you are free to eat and drink. But when you understand that the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, then you are truly free! The kingdom of God is all about righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you determine to live in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, then God will accept you and you’ll find that men approve of you also. Therefore, let’s pursue the things that make for peace and building up one another.

“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”
(Rom 15:1-2)

It’s wonderful that you have faith. But have it before God and exercise your freedom before Him. “The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” (Rom 14:22). Let your convictions about food, drink, and other things be subject to your love for others. Seek to please your neighbor for his good and to his edification. If you can avoid condemning yourself by the things you approve, you’ll be happy and blessed! That's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit -- joy unspeakable and full of glory!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.