¹ Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. ² Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.

Spiritual strength in the matter of the gray areas refers to a Christian’s mature understanding that he is totally and absolutely free from the requirements of the Law for daily living. Holiness—that is, living the justified life—is not about keeping the proverbial list of rights and wrongs, do’s and don’ts. But for the strong, what is their responsibility?

If you are reading this now as a spiritually weak Christian, this teaching of Paul’s may seem insulting, because your restrictions are so much a part of your life. But he is not using “strong” to refer to you. In many Christians circles, “strong Christian” has come to be defined by “the list,” which may include things like church attendance, adhering to the accepted prohibitions, holding to the “correct” applications of certain proprietary doctrines and using the right spiritual words. Paul in our passage today is challenging the “strong” Christians to bear with your weakness. He is assuming that you actually believe these things are important and required for holiness.

Paul is not saying to you that you are the strong ones, and he is not telling you to bear with the weakness of those who do things you don’t approve of. Of course not. The only way to make sense of this passage is that you are the weak ones and others need to bear with you. I would suggest re-reading Romans up to this point again, praying that you would discover God’s grace more deeply.

Paul likewise does not write at this juncture to those who flippantly embrace the freedom from the Law in order to flagrantly live any way they want. One would have to question the hearts and desires of such individuals–they are probably not making the effort to read through an essay like this.

In reality, Paul is addressing those who are spiritually strong, those readers who understand that both justification and sanctification come by faith. Freedom from the Law extends from justification through the Christian life “from faith to faith” (Rom 1:17). The purpose of this freedom is not to please ourselves or to aggravate those who are weak in faith with their legalistic lists. We, of all people, are free from the restraints and worry that the Law engenders, to use our energies and passions toward the edification of others. When we aren’t busy worrying about ourselves, we have more time to build up others in their faith. This is justified freedom, sanctified freedom. This is holy freedom.

Lord, I commit today to reach out to those who criticize me for my freedom.