18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
What about our freedom in Christ to enjoy His blessings? Do we let the Pharisee-Christians (PCs) try to kill all the joy and limit ourselves to the accepted standards of Christian conduct prescribed in our particular cultural setting? In may places Christians drink wine, but in other areas alcohol is strictly forbidden. Some Christians celebrate weddings with dancing, but others seriously frown on it. Some Christian women wear short dresses; others see that as worldliness. Christian young adults today debate whether yoga pants are acceptable or not. Here is a question to ask: If I choose freedom in this debated area, will this be acceptable to Christ? Will I sense the applause of heaven and a voice saying, “I’m proud of you for enjoying your freedom?”
How can we know what pleases our heavenly Father? Our passage today answers this question. He is pleased when we first of all see our decisions on these things in the context of serving Christ, not serving ourselves, or even serving the PCs. He finds us acceptable when we pursue whatever will encourage peace and edification of others. In other words, God is looking for believers to put unity and edification ahead of personal freedoms.
Won’t that degenerate into a legalistic Christian community? Yes, that will happen if people lamely submit out of spiritual weakness. The same can be said of turning the other cheek. Jesus didn’t teach that we should be doormats, but that we should take an active response to the oppressions of others, to own our response, not to weakly acquiesce. Likewise, the response to legalistic PCs should be an active response for which we take ownership. We should actively seek peace and edification with others, even with those who judge us.
In today’s individualistic society we have become overly sensitive to and accustomed to the charges “You shouldn’t judge me” and “You should be tolerant of me.” Yet how can we answer with such an attitude to the One who…
… although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:6–8).
Lord, I confess that sometimes I grasp after certain freedoms at the expense of unity with other Christians. Help me reach for higher ground.
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