Liberty and Its Limitations

Liberty and Its Limitations

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable.” There is liberty in Christ, but with us it is under the control of the spirit that serves in love. Therefore there are limitations that we impose on ourselves in the spirit beyond which we cannot go without being punished.

I have liberty to eat, but if someone is offended by the food I eat which he, for conscience’ sake, cannot eat, I then regulate the entire matter in a serving spirit for the weak brother’s sake by not eating what he is offended by, despite the fact that I have liberty to eat it. There are limitations in liberty that apply to my own person as well as to my ministry for the others.

For ourselves: it is lawful to care for our body, but not to indulge the flesh. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. Rom. 13:14. For example, you may eat fruit and many other things because it is natural and good for your body, but you must not cross the line in your enjoyment and please your flesh instead with the things that you used in caring for your body. There is a use that is profitable, strengthening the body, and there is an abuse that makes provision for the flesh and is unprofitable for the body. Everyone will find the boundary himself as soon as he is willing to be led by the Spirit of truth. This applies to food, clothing, and many other things. One of the fruits of the Spirit is moderation, or self-control.

There was a sister who was so addicted to eating chocolate that it had a harmful effect on her spiritual life. Eating chocolate in and by itself is not wrong; on the contrary, it is strengthening, but to make provision for the flesh with it is a defeat for the spiritual life. But if this sister now takes up the battle against this lust and denies herself in the name of the Lord, she has no right to judge those who eat chocolate and thank God. They use their liberty and their right. They care for their bodies; she made provision for her flesh.

In the process of denying themselves to indulge the flesh, many people will often go so far as to also neglect to care for their body with that particular thing; because they have misused it for evil, they don’t want to use it anymore, not even for the good. People do this either because they feel they are weak in the faith and don’t dare to use it, or they think that they have absolute victory and so they begin to make rules for food and clothing—do not touch, do not taste, do not handle—namely, of things that will perish, by being used according to the commandments and doctrines of men. These things indeed have a reputation for wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Col. 2:21, ff. With self-imposed religion, you can deny the body something it needs. This is abusing the body; it is also simply indulging the flesh.

Therefore: on the one hand, you can indulge the flesh by enjoying something beyond the limits of physical care for the body’s needs, and on the other hand, you can indulge the flesh by not enjoying it.

If I have liberty to eat in order to strengthen the body and I have the strength to deny myself the same food so as not to indulge the flesh, I must not judge the person who is weak but rather judge thus: I shall not be an offense to this brother. That is when, for the sake of love, I exercise self-control in the thing with which I care for my body, so that the other person, through my liberty, is not tempted above his ability to bear. Do not lead someone for whom Christ has died to perdition, because of your food.

In liberty a soul who is awake will find the boundary where the flesh begins with its demands, and he also finds the boundary where he must deny himself something for his brother’s sake.

“If any of those who do not believe invite you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, ‘This was offered to idols,’ do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake . . . . Conscience, I say, not your own, but that of the other.” 1 Cor. 10:27, ff. As you can see, we have liberty even to go as a guest of unbelievers and to eat whatever they put before us. We are not crucified to men and the body, but to the flesh with its passions and desires. And then comes the self-control of godly fear: “Therefore . . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God.” Vs. 31-32.

Use your liberty. It is God’s gift. But use it to the glory of God, giving no offense to the world or to the believers.

Paul says not to use your liberty for the indulgence of the flesh.

A believer who smoked, said, “I can smoke. What is sin for the one is not sin for another. You drink coffee; I smoke tobacco. There is poison in coffee, and there is poison in tobacco, so there is no difference.” Yes, there is a difference! You can drink coffee as a food, caring for your body, and it is a simple thing to use; no one has the right to judge you whenever you care for your body with God’s gifts, since you eat and drink as unto the Lord. However, you cannot take care of your body with tobacco; you can only indulge your flesh. And God’s Word says, “Make no provision for the flesh.” Even though I cannot judge it as sin according to his conscience, yet according to God’s Word I can judge that he is making provision for the flesh, thus awakening the lusts that give birth to sin.

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable. All things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” 1 Cor. 10:23-24. There is liberty, and there are limits to our liberty. We deny ourselves because we love our neighbor.