Christian Liberty

Introduction

Legalism (and a lot of the hypocrisy that goes with it) is one of the most destructive and divisive dangers in the body of Christ today. The church is already filled with so much false teaching as it is; the last thing it needs is misguided and unsubstantiated systems to hold its members captive. Unfortunately, legalism has discouraged and disgusted such a large number of believers that many have left the church and denied the faith altogether (inexcusable as that may be).

For example, it is not uncommon to hear many of the younger generation running away from the church because their whole lives were controlled and manipulated by false belief systems to some degree. No, there is no excuse for any Christian to deny the faith because all believers are accountable to God and not man. People who give up on biblical Christianity do so because they trusted in people instead of God (or selfish motives may have also been involved). Whatever happened to putting God’s views and opinions above others? As Christ’s children, we think, speak, and act according to what is written in His Word and by what the Spirit prods us to do (Galatians 5:25).

Legalism is not a good witness to the world because it turns biblical Christianity into a set of rules of dos and don’ts. Thus, it is entirely understandable why so many within the body of Christ get a bad rep. Unbelievers don’t see Christ’s love; they see religious and ritualistic people bent on making up their own set of rules whenever and wherever they please. They don’t see love and unity among brothers and sisters, but rather, individuals attacking and chasing each away. As Revelation 3:14-22 shows, this problem comes back to the issue of lukewarmness so rampant in the church today. Truth is not a priority, and for that reason, often twisted and misunderstood. However, we should not take this truth to mean that even mature believers don’t get some things wrong too. We all have a little bit of legalism in us even if it isn’t very pronounced. No one is perfect but we don’t want this type of thinking and behavior to be a characteristic that dominates our attitude.

It is true that just because something isn’t mentioned and condemned in Scripture means it’s good and right. But the opposite is also true. If the Bible doesn’t condemn something, then we must use discernment and discretion when making personal applications in these particular areas. We can find the truth if we rely on the Spirit to guide and convict, for if we are heeding His still small voice, then we will know to stop doing a particular activity. Proper spiritual growth is the solution to discovering what we can and cannot do in certain areas of life. But if believers bite and devour one another, they cannot thrive as a church, for no kingdom divided against itself can stand.

Regarding discernment and discretion, there are things that, though not wrong in and of themselves, are not necessarily the best things to do or practice either, as our passage below shows. Certain activities can lead to sinful behavior if taken too far, leading to other believers stumbling.

Additionally, mature believers must consider their weaker brethren when participating in certain activities, not wrong by themselves. So the issue, in this case, lies not in the activity itself but when and where we practice it. Love is not selfish and does not seek its own (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). The right thing to do in a situation like this is to do whatever we like to do by ourselves (unless there is nothing we can do about that—there are exceptions) or with other believers who will not stumble over our behavior. But we must avoid doing certain things around our brothers and sisters who may struggle over what we do because they may try to mimic us with a disturbed conscience leading them to sin.

So the question we may pose then is, “Doesn’t the above passage mean legalism will still be present in the church if it is wrong to do specific things around others? Doesn’t this passage support legalistic behavior?” Absolutely not! The stronger believers in the congregation know that many things aren’t wrong. The weaker believers just need time and patience to outgrow and unlearn some of their past beliefs. Our passage in no way forbids doing perfectly fine activities; it warns against doing them in front of people who will stumble because of them. Legalism causes disunity, but so does selfish behavior where we do whatever we want wherever and whenever we decide to the detriment of others. Causing others to stumble creates disunity. The more mature believer needs to exercise patience and longsuffering with their weaker brother because spiritual growth takes time. Just because someone believes something is wrong now doesn’t mean they will hold to that belief forever. People change, and if they are growing as they should, they may come to the truth sooner or later. Like the apostle Paul, we need to learn to become everything to all people (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) to win more when that is appropriate (without compromising our values and beliefs while letting others bully and push us around).

Regardless of whether a church is more traditional or contemporary, the issue of lukewarmness remains a common problem in the majority of them (Revelation 3:14-22). So, in all reality, there really isn’t much of a difference between them.

Unfortunately, many believers tend to divide into two camps regarding what we will discuss below. More conservative and legalistic Christians claim that certain things (whatever they may be) are wrong when they aren’t and accuse others of sin with no biblical support to back up their claims. On the other hand, less conservative and more contemporary believers tend to “wing it” with their decisions with little regard on how it may reflect Christ to the world. “Lawful” but not “profitable” practices are believed to be perfectly fine regardless of time, location, and other circumstances. Unfortunately, a lack of spiritual maturity has led to improper discernment and, therefore, adverse witness to others. “I’m allowed to do this, so I mine as well do it whenever and wherever I want regardless of the effect it may have on the person sitting next to me!” This doesn’t mean we have to restrict our behavior everywhere we go just to cater to others. However, (and this requires discernment), there will be times when staying away from certain things will be necessary. Lawful behavior can suffer abuse if we don’t handle it wisely.

Considering our topic, let us now survey a list of things often misunderstood in Christian circles. This list is far from comprehensive but consists of some of most controversial subjects in regard to our topic. Hopefully, this small list will suffice to demonstrate the idea we have discussed thus far.

A. Smoking

I do not believe smoking is a good idea. However, by itself, there is nothing sinful about it. But the believer should consider the following below.

Smoking isn’t great for one’s health

Smoking is detrimental to our health and causes various issues, including premature deaths. Those who choose to partake in this activity have chosen to harm themselves. However, all addictions start somewhere, and a single activity can lead to a flurry of problems. Therefore, believers would do well to avoid this practice altogether because it is not worth the risk of falling into addiction and destroying themselves. Anyone can have health problems, but the issues brought on by ongoing smoking are preventative. In the end, this all comes down to choice.

Smoking can have a bad witness and influence on others

Smoking can harm our walk with the Lord (by destroying our health) and demonstrate a poor witness before others.

Caring too little for our health can indicate that we care little for the Lord

Believers need to act differently from the world. A very obese man once said, “I’ll just eat till I die!” For a believer to continue smoking in full knowledge that they have health problems because of it is a subtle form of suicide if their health continues to worsen. If a person doesn’t care about their health and does nothing to take care of it, let alone prevent it from worsening, do they care about living for God? Do they care about the testimony they are giving others?

We should not abuse our bodies because they belong to God

Our body is not our own. Taking care of our physical sustenance may help to increase the length of our lives and perhaps the length of our ministry as well. You see, a good walk with the Lord will often show itself even in these areas of a person’s life. We don’t want to become legalistic about these matters, but if a person has constant health problems due to taking poor care of themselves, that does say something about them. Again, legalism is to be avoided, for no person is perfect in their application in any of these things (we all eat unhealthily from time to time and some people have little access to good nutrition). But we don’t want to take things too far -we are talking about extremes here. God never wants us to abuse anything, and He desires us to have the right attitude and mentality in everything we do.

B. Tattoos and Piercings

The Bible does not say tattoos or piercings are wrong. There is nothing wrong with a believer getting a tattoo. However, we need to make some points here.

A tattoo should never be anything inappropriate

A tattoo should not contain an inappropriate image (sexual, demonic, etc.), slang, or word. But if it is harmless, say a butterfly as an example, or better yet, edifying, such as a Bible verse, then that is perfectly fine.

Anything not done in faith is sinful

If the believer feels inner convictions not to get a tattoo, it is suitable for them to follow their beliefs. To do something without faith is a sin (Romans 14:22-23)

Our outward appearance shouldn’t be our biggest priority

Although tattoos and piercings are not wrong in and of themselves, believers need to be aware that they may give some people a false impression. We don’t want to distract people and display the vibe we are attempting to detract from godliness (even if we aren’t). Depending on the situation, they may or may not help the believer’s witness (1 Peter 3:3-4). Our outward appearance should not be the emphasis or the priority. It certainly isn’t a bad idea to have a smaller tattoo and as few piercings as possible. The decision is between the individual and the Lord.

The Bible nowhere forbids or condemns tattoos or piercings

Though the command of Leviticus 19:28 was to a specific people (the Israelites) during a particular time thousands of years ago, this passage should not escape our attention. We can’t take this command to have been given to all believers of every age because the context doesn’t support that notion. Additionally, there are no passages in Scripture that forbid or condemn tattoos and piercings. However, Israel was to rid themselves of these things to show they differed from the surrounding pagan nations. Though certain things aren’t sinful, they may not profit us or others very much.

C. Movies and Sports - Entertainment

There is nothing wrong with watching movies, sports, or going to movie theatres. However, it depends on the film and the effects it may have on us. Hollywood is polluted with all kinds of anti-God films that promote idolatry, lust, and the list goes on. These things should disturb us. Also, how much attention do we give to entertainment? It is unwise for members of the body of Christ to expose themselves to films with inappropriate content. Films with excessive nudity aren’t much different from pornography and will be impossible to watch without causing the believer to stumble. There is no justifiable reason to expose ourselves to such things. If we continue to do something that causes us to stumble in whatever way because we watch and read things our eyes shouldn’t see, we sin.

The difficult part in all of this (known as a grey area) is determining which films to watch and which ones to stay away from. This decision is an area of application that will require discernment on the believer’s part. It is also true that we should know ourselves well enough to know what we can handle. Some believers can take more than others without it causing them to stumble. But even if one does not stumble, is watching this or that still a good idea? Again, that is a judgment call the believer must make.

Giving our minds over to some entertainment (assuming we balance it) may actually be a good thing for us as we all need breaks and time to relax and enjoy ourselves. But what if we are watching tv and movies constantly, leaving little time for more important things? In that case, we have to ask ourselves, “Is this a good use of our time?” Time is short, and Scripture commands us to redeem it and think on things above (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 3:2). Secular matters should never prioritize our life and dominate our thinking (Philippians 4:8; Romans 8:5).

Anything that takes our attention off God and becomes a chief priority will only damage our relationship with Him. Also, firm believers should be aware that just because they think they stand well doesn’t mean they won’t fall. It is a common trap for many to deceive themselves into thinking they can handle something when they really can’t. That is how sin creeps in. Some believers do have good self-control and can do just about everything with moderation. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be wary. Satan isn’t stupid, and he will use everything and anything at his disposal to trip us up.

The Devil has used the entertainment industry to his advantage in distracting and leading many people astray. Even things not sinful can become a cause for stumbling if we don’t handle them carefully. So the issue is not whether or not this or that is wrong, but whether it is something the Lord would want us to do.

However, I am confident that the more a believer grows, the more discerning they will become. If they are living their life for the Lord as they should, they will not stumble into sin because of the world’s distractions. Mature believers know how to handle all things in moderation and, with the Spirit’s help, make the best use of their time and personal decisions.

D. Food

The New Testament does not mention any restrictions on what Christians can or can’t eat. Ever since Jesus ushered in the New Covenant, things have changed. Scripture is clear that believers may eat what they wish. We must never judge others based on their diet.

Other passages that pertain to our discussion include 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 7:14-23, 1 Timothy 4:1-5, and Colossians 2:16-17.

Refraining around the weak does not mean stopping altogether

In 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, Paul did not mean a believer could never eat meat again because of a weaker brother. Despite what Paul may have chosen to do, he didn’t lay down a rule that a person had to stop eating meat for the rest of their lives. On the contrary, he encouraged his listeners not to eat meat sacrificed to idols in the presence of less mature brothers and sisters who could stumble because of it. In our modern world, especially in the west, it is unlikely we will ever have to deal with these kinds of situations.

We should not judge others based on what they eat

At worst, some members of the church may criticize others for eating less healthy than themselves. But to find fault with others over what they eat isn’t right. Plus, this case has nothing to do with food sacrificed to idols. Therefore, believers should not judge others based on their diet, whether some are vegetarians or eat various foods.

All things in moderation

There is nothing wrong with eating unhealthy food. However, just as in the case of smoking, we must avoid extremes. If a person’s eating habits get so out of control, leading to extreme obesity and other health issues, they fail to honor God with their bodies. God didn’t create us to abuse ourselves! This behavior will then endanger our ministry and effectiveness for Christ. Anything that hinders our growth, progress, and production for God must go! We demonstrate a lack of fear and reverence for the Lord by failing to rid ourselves of destructive hindrances by throwing up our hands and saying, “Oh well, I don’t care.”

Good Food and health choices are not always within our control

Additionally, we must remember that many people in third world countries do not have access to good nutrition. So their health issues are not always to be attributed to their own poor choices. This example is not the same thing as someone in a wealthy country who chooses to disregard what and how much they eat despite the fact their life is in danger because of their poor decisions. It is not a sin to eat unhealthy food, nor is it wrong to be overweight to some degree. But, again, we are discussing extremes where someone possesses a careless attitude amid terrible health problems threatening to destroy their life.

E. Music and Dancing

Regarding how believers should relate to secular music, please see the section above “Movies and Sports-Entertainment. “I believe that section answers this one as well. So with that said, we will instead discuss Christian music/ worship below.

Christian music has been among the most controversial topics in the church today. Should we listen to contemporary, traditional, or no music at all? When and how often should believers assemble for music? What kind of music is appropriate for the church? With this, we will reply with the points below.

Praising and worshipping God must always involve the truth

All Christian music should contain nothing but truth. The believer must exercise discernment when singing/listening to various Christian songs. It is ok to listen to traditional and contemporary Christian music for enjoyment as long as the lyrics are biblical. Those who worship Christ must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:21-24).

How we worship matters

Christian music must be taken seriously and not handled like any other type of music because it involves our dear Lord and Savior! We are to proclaim HIS truth, not falsehood and whatever we want to say. Our worship as believers is based entirely on what God has to speak to us! We then take that truth and offer it as worship to God. This principle applies even to those who listen to Christian music for enjoyment/encouragement and not just for worship purposes.

All worship is about God and not ourselves

All worship music, whether traditional or contemporary, is about God and not ourselves. The whole point of singing praise to the Lord is to bring glory to Him. Therefore, any music that stresses self over Christ should be avoided at all costs.

Musical worship is not about our feelings and emotions

Christian music is not about feelings and emotions. Just because we feel a certain way does not mean we are bringing glory to God. Praising Christ Jesus is just that! It’s about glorifying Him! It is all about the Lord and His truth because you cannot separate Christ from His Word. They are both one (John 1:1). If we rely on our feelings and emotions during worship, we are controlled by our flesh and not by the Holy Spirit. Whoever worships must do so in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24). We do this by giving our attention to the Lord, who will then direct our thoughts, words, and actions in the right direction. But when we follow our feelings and emotions, we are not worshiping in the Spirit, and the truth will mean little to us. Nothing we do (apart from the Spirit) in the power of our flesh means a thing to God.

There is no doubt that many Christians in many churches do worship as they should, in spirit and truth. Many people are sincere in what they say, but not everyone. In the end, only the Lord knows who is worshiping as they should, so it is never a believer’s right to judge the sincerity, motivations, and intentions of another brother or sister. However, we don’t sing praises to God or go to church for entertainment.

Musical worship is allowable and can have its place in the believer’s life if approached the right way

Just because many people allow their feelings and emotions to carry them away during worship time does not mean music has to be thrown out or avoided entirely (even though it can be easy for feelings and emotions to take over). Many of the great believers in the Bible learned how to manage it well (Acts 16:25) as just one of many examples), proving without a shadow of a doubt that anyone can if they so desire (since we all have free will). These people simply need others to stress the priority of the Word and the importance of the Spirit’s control while they worship. We, as individual believers, have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us to control our thoughts and emotions. It is our responsibility to surrender to the Spirit’s control so that we do not fall into this trap. Instead of discouraging an individual from singing a song or listening to music (assuming it is biblically sound), it is advisable that we prepare our hearts and minds to partake in this spiritual and godly activity just as we would before any other (such as reading our Bibles). It is unknowable to anyone else whether it is a good or bad idea for any one believer to express worship to God through song. That is between them and the Lord. Only He knows what is best for every individual. Assuming we do it right, praising God through our words is always a good thing!

Musical worship has some benefits

Whether traditional or contemporary, biblical music is fine and has some benefits. Music helps to focus the believer’s mind on God and meditate on the truths of Scripture. Philippians 4:8 commands us to think on Christian virtues as often as we can, and music with biblical lyrics can help us achieve this goal by praising God and taking our minds off worldly human cares and concerns. To put it this way, we can take inner scriptural truths in our hearts and express them to God through song. I do not believe that music has no benefit whatsoever to spiritual growth, for I think it can contribute (albeit indirectly) to some degree. Reflection and virtue thinking, can occur while we praise God. Music is a great way to get our focus on God’s truth—our eternal hope, our Savior Himself, and all other promises contained in Scripture. By focusing on and thinking about these things, we strengthen our hearts and minds for any spiritual attacks that may come our way. Biblical worship music is an acceptable way to get our hearts and minds on heavenly things. However, it is not the only or the even the best way, as we shall see in our next point.

There are multiple ways to worship and musical praise is but one of those options

Despite everything we have said above, music is not necessary for the Christian life but just another option we can employ to worship our Lord and Savior. Those who add music to their routine should not look down on those who don’t and vice versa. There are multiple (not to mention more meaningful) ways to worship God that do not involve music. We can meditate (virtue think) on truth without expressing or singing it out loud. A simple prayer of praise and thanksgiving to Christ is a great way to worship the Lord. But above all, spiritual growth, progress, and production is the best and most important way to honor and bring glory to our Savior. Those aren’t options; they are mandatory! Music, on the other hand, is not. Living a righteous life as a pleasing sacrifice to Christ is what brings our Lord the most glory of all (Romans 12:1).

Music should not take up too much time or be the priority in a gathering

Although biblical music (whether sung or listened to) is a good activity, it should not be the priority in the church. The truth is the primary issue and comes before everything else. That is not to say that believers can’t sing a song or two during their gatherings but that most of a church’s meeting time needs to involve the learning, growing in, and dispensing of the truth. That is the whole point and meaning of assembling ourselves for mutual edification through the truths of Scripture. All believers need truth to grow, and this will require the person to study it themselves and under the ministry of a qualified teacher. Music is way overemphasized and takes up a lot of time, WAY TOO MUCH, in so many churches today. Since the truth of God’s Word is more important, more time needs to be set aside for the pastor/teacher to feed his sheep and other believers to minister to one another. Additionally, believers don’t always have to sing worship songs with other believers (though assembled worship is better). If a brother or sister wants to worship in song more often, they can do so independently.

The what, how and where are areas of application

What about worship with specific instruments and with a particular beat? As long as the words are in accord with the truth of God’s Word and not misleading, there should be no wrong. However, believers need to consider what kind of witness these approaches (specific instruments and melody in music) may have on others. Again, this is a gray area where dogmatism is impossible. But as we have mentioned earlier in our discussions on different application areas, just because something isn’t wrong doesn’t make it profitable and edifying. The church will have to make these decisions themselves. Everyone should strive to agree on what music they will use (whether during an official gathering or off the side with a smaller handful of brothers and sisters), assuming there will be any at all (there is nothing wrong with no music). Even if it isn’t unbiblical, certain music should be kept for some individuals and reserved for other times and locations. And seeing how much of a distraction it has been for many years, it may be best for some churches to throw it out if they feel the need. Again, that is a judgment call.

Enthusiastic praise and worship don’t necessarily say much about a person’s spiritual maturity

Outward manifestations of praise to God don’t determine a believer’s spiritual maturity. Many unbelievers attending church today are all enthusiastic about the music and sing their hearts out. Unfortunately, for those less genuine, music has become a dominant ritual in most congregations, just as how the sacrificial system in ancient Israel became more religious and less spiritual. The truth of God’s Word should be the priority of every believer in assembly.

The whole purpose of assembly is to be fed the Word and for mutual encouragement and ministry

The whole point of “church” is not music but rather to hear the Word taught and to minister it to others in the spiritual gifts the Lord has given everyone of us.

Dancing is a perfectly fine activity as long as it is not an inappropriate ritual

Dancing (along with the music that goes with it) is another area of Christian liberty that believers need to handle with care. This activity is harmless unless it becomes an inappropriate ritual (the music one dances to also needs to be considered). This is another perfectly fine activity.

F. Drinking

The Bible nowhere states that it is wrong to drink. In other words, a believer who drinks a beer hasn’t committed some sin. The Scripture condemns getting drunk, i.e., drinking too much to the point of intoxication. The verse below in no way forbids taking a drink.

With this said, what does 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 mean?

Drunkenness is a sin because it clouds proper judgment. Getting drunk takes away much of the believer’s free will (depending on how much one drank) and can (and often does) lead to all kinds of sinful behavior, from physical violence, swearing, aggressive driving, and the list goes on. Getting drunk is a sure way to risk harm to oneself and others and give oneself over to a lifestyle of sin leading to apostasy if continued. If no repentance comes, the apostasy leading to eternal death will result because alcohol addiction is the same as idolatry. When a believer becomes and unbeliever by putting sin over their relationship with God and refuses to repent, then they have taken a most dangerous path indeed.

Should a believer drink? There is nothing wrong with a little here or there, but getting drunk is a sin. As with smoking, all addictions start somewhere. If a believer is strong enough not to stumble over the occasional drink once in a while, then there is no harm in that. However, some can’t handle even the slightest exposure because they may become hooked quickly. In that case, they should stay away altogether. Additionally, the stronger believer should avoid drinking while a weaker brother is in his/her midst (Romans 14:13-23).

G. Clothing

Clothing is a more difficult gray area to discern than many of the topics we have discussed above. However, we will make some points below.

Our outward appearance should not be the priority

A believer’s appearance (clothing and jewelry) should not be their priority (1 Timothy 2:9-10). Instead, it is the inner spiritual condition of a person that defines and characterizes them. What matters is our spiritual health and how we “look” inwardly. Change begins on the inside and works its way outside, not the other way around. However, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good and to “dress for success” and “for the occasion” when it is appropriate to do so.

Additionally, what we wear may cause others to stumble, especially regarding scanty clothes. Finally, women need to be considerate of men because they are more sight orientated. Men must carefully consider what they wear as well. It is a sin to wear scanty clothing to provoke people; that much is for sure (the attitude is what matters). Everything a believer does should be for God’s glory and not ourselves (1 Corinthians 10:23-33).

What we wear can affect people

Clothing should not have any inappropriate, sexual, or demonic images. What we wear can and does affect people. Believers don’t want to send the wrong message.

Considering all the apparel on the market today and the difficulties of interpreting what is appropriate and inappropriate (much no doubt because we are dealing an area of application), there is not much we can say about what other people wear other than what we have mentioned above. However, the following points below should be considered. A few considerations for the believer contemplating perhaps more questionable clothing—should I wear this or that? When, if, and where to wear certain clothes should depend on the following factors—

1. Reasons and motivations
2. Time and circumstances
3. The testimony it will have on others (believers and on unbelievers).

Like many of the things mentioned in this examination, when it comes to wearing things we aren’t as sure about, the question, again, may not be, “Is this right or wrong” but “Is this something the Lord wants me to do?” The believer needs to seek God’s guidance and counsel before making their own decisions.

Conclusion

Many gray areas in the Christian life will require the believer to exercise discernment. Time and space do not permit us to examine all or even most of them because that would be impossible. However, this sizeable list of things we have mentioned in our study should have given the believer an idea of how to go about handling other areas of Christian application (that was the goal of this entire examination). We must not judge and condemn each other over things that are not wrong in and of themselves. Family members in Christ should not manipulate one another like that. Brothers and sisters in Christ need to build each other up, not tear and devour one another. The same goes for believers who exercise more liberty in their lives, for taking things too far can be equally dangerous. Even in moderation, some things may be lawful but not profitable. In everything we do, let us do it with discernment in the power of the Holy Spirit, all for the glory of our Lord and Savior. Let us go to Him first and act based on what He would have us do.