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Spiritual liberty, love, sacrifice, profit, restoration, and burden bearing: principles that guide believers’ actions and attitudes when around other peopleTod
Kennedy March 13, 1990, March 28, 2001 1.
The
law of liberty states that
every church age believer
has complete freedom from servitude to
religious taboos. For example,
he may eat meat or ignore religious festivals. God has freed
every believer to live under grace, and by the Holy Spirit, Bible
doctrine, and faith. New and weak believers do not understand this or
the right application of liberty (1 Corinthians 8:1-13; 10.23; Romans
14:5-8). 2.
The law of love states that a stronger or mature believer, when
accompanied by a weaker or immature believer, ought to refrain from
activity that the weaker believer does not understand he has the freedom
to do. Paul noted that believers had the right to eat meat that had been
sacrificed to idols. But believers who were new to the faith might see
this and think it was sinful. In this case, Paul said, the stronger
believer should refrain so as not to create a false issue for the
immature believer (1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Romans 14:15, 21). 3.
The law of sacrifice states
that a believer, under certain circumstances,
may set aside his normal rights and expectations so that false
issues do not prevent the reception of the gospel and Bible teaching.
Paul did not take pay for witnessing to and teaching the
Corinthians, though he had that right
and expectation (1 Corinthians 9:7-14). 4.
The
law of profit states
that the believer should set aside a correct action if it confuses the
gospel in the mind of the
unbeliever. This principle is similar to the principle of love; Paul
uses the same illustration. Here the emphasis is on the profit to the
unbeliever; profit being that he understand the gospel and have nothing
that might hinder his faith in Christ. Under the principle of profit we
specifically do all to God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:23-33). 5.
The
law of restoration states that a spiritual believer ought to be willing to guide
a carnal believer (living by the sinful nature) back to the status of
spirituality (living by the Holy Spirit). The purpose is to bring about
spiritual recovery—that is, spirituality and fellowship—and help the
recovered believer gain spiritual strength (Galatians 6:1). 6.
The
law of burden bearing states
that a spiritually strong believer ought to help a spiritually weak
believer bear up under or stand strong under a pressure (health,
discouragement, money, children, work, guilt, the future, and so on)
that seems to be overwhelming the weaker believer. The strong believer
gives encouragement, doctrine, prayer, and physical help so that the
weaker believer may recover spiritual strength and stability (Romans
15:10; Galatians 6:2). |
|
Law |
Purpose |
Person
to Help |
Problem |
|
1.
Liberty |
Frees
believers to live under grace, and by the Holy Spirit, Bible doctrine, and
faith |
All
believers |
Not
all believers understand Christian liberty |
|
2. Love |
Prevent
Spiritual Confusion |
Weak
and untaught believer |
Spiritually
immature— weaker believers—do not understand spiritual freedom, so may
become confused |
|
3. Sacrifice |
Remove
hindrances to hearing and receiving the gospel and doctrine |
Unbeliever
and carnal or immature believer |
A
believer demands his rights |
|
4. Profit |
Keep
the gospel accurate and clear |
Unbeliever
|
False
issues hinder understanding and acceptance of gospel |
|
5. Restoration |
Help
spiritual recovery |
Carnal
believer |
Area
of weakness and sin |
|
6. Burden Bearing |
Help
regain spiritual strength and stability |
Struggling
believer |
Has
not learned to apply God’s resources or has become overwhelmed |