Essential Liberty
We have been looking at the quote from a German Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century named Rupertus Meldenius, who wrote:
In Essentials Unity,
In Non-Essentials Liberty,
In All Things Charity.
Last week we looked at the first line. What are we required to have fellowship. In essence what makes someone a Christian?
This week we are pondering on the thought:
In Non-Essentials Liberty
So what are the non-Essentials? In Romans 14, Paul tackles several of His time. Take a minute and read it here.
There are those who said worship must be on Saturday. Others Sunday.
There are those who said you should not eat meat, or meat dedicated to idols.
Today we have similar arguments. And many times those arguments come out of a desire for proper respect for the Lord. It is concerns about decorum for the Lords house, or zeal for the Lord…other times it’s about tradition and control. But what I find fascinating is the way in which Paul frames the argument. Look at verse 2.
One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
Paul seems to suggest it is not strength to eat meat, instead it is weakness to be bound only vegetables. Now I know you bacon wrapped pork lovers are cheering right now, and vegetarians are making ready your comeback, but step back and look at what is really being said.
Paul says in weakness one places a limit where there should be freedom.
Yet strength does not come from pointing out that weakness, or in setting them free from the limit
Strength comes from giving all things to the Lord. Or as Paul writes in verse 6 and 7 –
Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.
Often we want to step in and correct what does not need to be corrected.
One worships with organ. Is it to the Lord?
One worships with guitar. Is it to the Lord?
In one church there is robes, in another a suit and tie, in another a polo, across the sea it’s in different cultural garb all together. Is it being done to the Lord?
Can you have preferences, certainly.
Does this mean all things are permissible? Certainly not. After all, if it is being done to the Lord it must be an action the Lord would find acceptable.
So let us remember to respect each other’s liberty. Again Paul writes:
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
Or more simply
In Non-Essentials Liberty
Let all that we do be to the glory of God.
A staunch Christian of the Lutheran Tradition,
-Pastor Dan