Category Archives: General

If you are familiar with the real estate industry, you know the real estate agents’ mantra: “Location, location, location!” The phrase means that location is by far and away the most important factor in determining the value of properties and homes. The value of two properties that are virtually identical in every other respect can differ immensely simply due to their location.

Well, I want to encourage you today with a word from our Lord regarding the greatest location in the cosmos for real estate. Jesus has assured us, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). And the apostle John described that place to us:

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. (Revelation 21:1)

However real we think our real estate is on this side of the grave, Jesus tells us that all of it is passing away, and we will one day inherit a brand new earth and heaven. At that time, location will no longer be a factor in valuing our real estate, because there will be infinite value in every location, simply because our Lord will be there. Regardless of how great our place here may be, we are still living east of Eden. We currently experience only a shadow of the eternal substance that has been promised to us. As the writer of Hebrews tells us, “You knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34).

Regardless of where you live—whether you are out in the street, squatting in a shack by the tracks, or reclining in a mansion within a gated community—your future location in the new heavens and the new earth has something you can’t get on this side of the grave: permanence. Even now, you experience this truth at some level because of the promise Jesus has given to you. The only real real estate is that property that has been bought for us by the blood of the Lamb and prepared by the Prince of Peace.

Think about it this way: should not the thought of our eternal estate in the new heavens and the new earth shake us from our slumber in the shadow real estate we currently occupy? What we have been promised in paradise can never be taken away from us. What we have today we can lose in countless ways, from financial reversal to a fire or natural disaster that razes our home to the ground. But what awaits us is the only real real estate in the cosmos . . . and it can never be taken away because of the One who holds it in His nail-scarred hands.

“Location, location, location” from an eternal perspective tells us that regardless of the location that we occupy in the new heavens and new earth, its value will be beyond measure. Why? Because our Lord will be present everywhere, all the time, in the real estate we have been redeemed to receive.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Do you know that the weapons that our enemy, Satan, the accuser of the brethren, employs against us are absolutely and utterly worthless? It’s true, and I want to encourage you with that truth today as it was proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah.

No weapon forged against you will prevail. (Isaiah 54:17)

Notice what Isaiah did not say. He did not say, “Most weapons forged against you will prevail” or “Some weapons forged against you will prevail” or even “One weapon forged against you will prevail.” Instead, He declared:

NO WEAPON FORGED AGAINST YOU WILL PREVAIL!

There is not a weapon forged in all the universe that can come up against you and prevail in the fight. To be sure, our enemy is busily forging one weapon after another, and he has countless flaming arrows at his disposal to hurl at us. The devil is relentless in pressing his fight against the saints. Yet regardless of how many weapons the enemy wields, not one of them can prevail against us . . . unless we allow it!

So . . . how are you doing in your battle against the enemy, who comes to steal your joy, to destroy your godly testimony, and to kill your desire to press on toward the goal? Don’t focus solely on the biggest weapons in Satan’s arsenal, like disease or death or financial downfall. Think for a moment about the weapon of the tongue and how it wages war against you with its slander, gossip, accusation, and ridicule. These “poisoned darts” can do more damage to us than all the others put together if we let them. And that is why we need to keep the truths of the Gospel in view, knowing that our Lord endured everything—so much more than we could ever endure—and overcame it all.

The psalmist reminds us that we have no reason to rise up and fight against our enemies who are wagging their tongues at us, because our God will silence them in His way and in His timing. We need only trust Him and take Him at His word.

The mouths of liars will be silenced. (Psalm 63:11)

Remember, the enemy spoke all kinds of falsehoods against the Captain of our salvation. They called Him a drunkard, a blasphemer, and an insurrectionist. They mocked and laughed at Him as He hung on the cross. How did He respond? “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!”

May that spirit of grace and forgiveness be the confession of our lives, knowing that no weapon forged in the fire of filthiness will ever prevail against us, because every weapon the enemy wields against us is utterly worthless. We have God’s Word on it!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I have recently been in one of those seasons of serving at memorial services. One of the songs that is frequently used is Mercy Me’s “I Can Only Imagine.” Each time I hear it, the refrain really hits my heart:

Surrounded by your glory what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus, or in awe of you be still?

Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine . . . I can only imagine!

In an environment where emotions are already running high, these lovely lyrics amp things up even higher. Often, when the song has ended, I will take everyone back to the Scriptures and these incredible words from the inspired pen of the apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth:

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

The apostle Paul is reminding the believer of the truths of the Gospel under the headings of “Already” and “Not Yet.” The Christian believer already has the truths of the Gospel in view, things which the unbelieving world knows nothing about because those who do not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them do not have eyes to see, or ears to hear, or minds to comprehend God’s truth (1 Corinthians 2:14). And yet the wisdom of the world is no match for the wisdom of the Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us.

Under the banner of “Not Yet,” Paul reminds the believer that the best is yet to come. No matter how well you see and understand the Gospel today, it is still somewhat shadowed and dim, even to the eye of faith. But one day, when we reach the other side, we will see, hear, and know at the deepest level. When we are surrounded by the glory of our God, we shall stand before Him and know fully, even as we are fully known by Him (1 Corinthians 13:12).

What a comfort Paul gives us in our present state: to look forward to the promised state to come! Indeed, it is unimaginable. God, according to His good pleasure, rains down blessing after blessing in the life of the believer—not because of anything we have done, but because of His kindness and mercy.

Please understand that I am not referring here to the supposed physical blessings, such as health and wealth, which are promised by the teachers of the so-called “prosperity gospel.” I am speaking of the true promise of Scripture, that every spiritual blessing is found in Christ and available for every believer to experience moment by moment, because they have, by grace through faith, been given eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to conceive the “Already” and “Not Yet” promises of God.

And as awesome as it is to live in the truth of the Gospel today, I can only imagine what it will be like when we get to the other side and stand in His presence!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Of all the privileges and benefits that are part of our salvation, perhaps the most amazing is the fact that we have been authorized to ask for anything in the name of Jesus. Marinate on that truth for a moment and you will be blessed beyond measure.

You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:14)

What a comfort that is . . . to know we can ask for anything in the name of Jesus and it will be done for us. Now, that “anything” is not a blank check. Jesus was saying that if we ask for anything that aligns with the will and nature of God, the answer will be “Yes!”

When we attach the name of Jesus to our asking, we know that we must not submit selfish petitions. When self is sitting on the throne of life, all of our asking will be in vain. But when we invite Jesus to take His rightful place on the throne of our lives, we can come to the throne of grace and ask anything in His name, knowing that our God is pleased to give it to us. Those who understand this truth by way of personal experience can hear the sound of the Lord saying . . .

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10)

It is the good pleasure of our great God to bless His children. Like any father, He loves to hear from His children, and He is delighted to bless us when our petitions have the name of Jesus attached to them.

So . . . what have you been asking for lately? I pray it has been more than that God would bless your food! Know that His promise to us is all-encompassing. It covers those things that are small and those things that are great. Anything we can rightly attach the name of Jesus to, we can submit to the throne of grace, knowing Jesus is pleased to do it.

Most of us have dropped a name to create some kind of advantage or to expand the reach of some opportunity. We were given permission to use someone’s name with the thought that it would help our cause. Well, here we have the King of kings and Lord of lords essentially saying, “Drop my name whenever you enter the throne room and know that my Father will be eager to meet you in your deepest place of need!”

WOW! It’s almost hard to believe! But it is true, and the child of God can freely, confidently and continually storm the gates of heaven in the name of Jesus . . . because we have been authorized to ask!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We all need encouragement. Regardless of our station in life, from time to time we need our hearts to be lifted. There is nothing like a good “pep talk” from someone who cares about us to recharge our spiritual and emotional batteries and help us refocus our energies.

But as good as a pep talk can be, I want to share something with you today that is so much more than a pep talk because it comes from the lips of our Lord.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

These are the final words Jesus spoke to His disciples before He offered His great High Priestly Prayer and was subsequently arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Fully aware of His impending torture and death, Jesus was more concerned about making sure His disciples were ministered to. So He gave them something far greater than a mere pep talk; when Jesus commanded the disciples to take heart, He was also giving them the power with which to do it.

For all those who are in Christ, here is something that we must remember:

Greater is the power in you than any power that comes up against you!

This power, of course, is the promised Holy Spirit that Jesus would send after His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He had promised never to leave the disciples alone and to give them a peace that passes all understanding. Even in the face of the trials that awaited them, they would know, by way of His resurrection, that He had indeed overcome the world.

To be sure, on that Good Friday morning, as Jesus hung on that cruel cross it looked like the world had won its dark victory. The world mocked and laughed and gambled for His garments. Finally, in unimaginable anguish and suffering, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!” To many of those who heard him, this was confirmation that God had abandoned Jesus to die like a common criminal on the cruelest instrument of death in the world at that time. But it was only Good Friday . . . and Sunday morning was coming!

The apparent defeat of Jesus hanging and dying on a cross was the doorway into the greatest victory the world has ever known. On that first Easter morning, a dead man got up and walked out of His grave; His name is Jesus Christ. And that is why what Jesus has to say to us is always more than a pep talk. Jesus speaks life and imparts life to us moment by moment, and He reminds us that no matter what difficulties we face in this life, we are to take heart . . . because He has overcome it all.

May that truth set us all free!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Today you turn 18.  We cannot tell you how much joy and happiness you have brought into our family as our second of four children, and first of two daughters.  Family and friends would often tell us about this day and how quickly it would arrive.  We really didn’t believe just how right they were.  So today, on your 18^th birthday, Mom and I want to pause and tell you just how proud we are of the godly daughter you have become, and how incredibly thankful we are to God for giving us the privilege of being your parents.

Unspeakable joy would define the past 18 years.  One of our earliest memories is the special time we shared watching your favorite movie when you were little – Dumbo!  Oh how I (Dad) loved to sing along when the song – Baby Mine – came on, gently rocking you in my arms.  We remember how we could not come home from Disney World without a stuffed Dumbo in your arms (and your bedroom closet testifies to this truth).

As you were growing up with your older brother Brock, we saw the incredible competitive nature that was developing within you.  For you and Brock, EVERYTHING was a competition.  Brock played baseball so you wanted to play baseball and were the only girl on your T-Ball team.  Brock played soccer so you wanted to play soccer.  Brock was in karate so you wanted to be in karate, both of you going all the way to black belt.  We will never forget after one of the US Open Martial Arts competitions in Orlando, when you took first prize in your division for forms and fighting at the age of 8.  On the way home, Brock spotted the Putt Putt place and ask if we could stop and play, so we did.  What happened next we will never forget, especially your brother Brock.  After Brock took the first putt you stepped up and took the second putt.  The only difference was Brock actually putted, and you took a full swing, hitting the ball out of sight, and whacking Brock on the top of the head.  So much for the Putt Putt competition.

Then volleyball became your sport of choice and we remember you telling us that was the only sport you wanted to participate in as a 6^th grader with the hopes of one day playing at the next level.  You are now entering your senior season as one of the captains of your team and in November, will be signing your commitment letter to Stetson University to play Division I volley ball, both indoors and on the sand (and you will be once again, joining your older brother Brock who will then be a 3^rd year student at Stetson on a music scholarship).  The only thing stronger than your competitive drive is your commitment to doing whatever it takes to be your absolute best.

We will never forget the conversation at the dinner table when we talked about being a church-planting family.  Brock was excited.  Katie wanted to be famous.  And the Tank just wanted to make sure we would have plenty of snacks to eat.  You, on the other hand said these words through a veil of tears, ”Daddy, I really don’t want to leave all of my friends from our church.”  Even though we would only be a few miles up the road, we knew the truth and reality of that statement.  But, as always, you accepted the challenge of church planting and today, four years later, many of your friends have joined you at The Cross.  In fact, last night at youth group, I am told the group of 43 high school students sang happy birthday to you!  And now, Mom and I cannot describe the overwhelming joy we experience in seeing you playing the drums on the praise and worship team on some Sunday mornings.  God is so good.

With these as just a few highlights, let us close with what is most important to us: your love and commitment to Jesus.  Growing up in the church, our greatest concern as your parents was to make sure that your relationship with Jesus was personal and that your faith was your own.  As John said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”  Mom and I are so thankful to God for giving us this kind of joy.  You are an incredible daughter of God, and as beautiful as you are on the outside, you are even more beautiful on the inside.  You truly understand and live out these twin truths:

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Proverbs 31:30

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gently and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.  1 Peter 3:3-4

This really is true for you.  You do fear (love and reverence) the Lord and you do have such a gentle and quiet spirit.  Over the years, we have watched your faith in Jesus grow and mature and your relationships with your friends deepen.  We are so very thankful to God for these 18 years and know one thing for certain . . . regardless of what the future holds, we know Jesus is holding on to you and will never let you go!  And for Mom and me, that is enough to know.

Happy 18^th Birthday Jenna.  We love you so very much!

Dad & Mom

Carpe diem is a Latin aphorism taken from the Roman poet Horace’s work Odes (23 BC), Book 1. It is usually translated as “Seize the day!” In other words, the past is irretrievably gone, the future is promised to no one, so all we have is the gift of today—of right now—which is why it is called “the present.”

You may recall that the phrase carpe diem was popularized by a character portrayed by the late Robin Williams in the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society. The film was espousing an utterly humanistic worldview, but that doesn’t mean we should discard the power contained in the Latin words. And did you know there is a cosmic carpe diem? It is found in the Psalter; my friend and spiritual father, Dr. D. James Kennedy, would use these words to open the services at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church every Sunday morning. You knew that church was about to begin when his rich, deep voice would come booming over the public address system, proclaiming the message of Psalm 118:24 —

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Dr. Kennedy would say that he liked to quote this verse aloud when he woke up in the morning; he said it helped him focus on the only moment that is guaranteed in this life: right now!

Scripture has provided us with a word of great encouragement; I believe God is telling us to reflect on the moment at hand and seize it for the glory of God by rejoicing and being for this time that God has given us. The time to rejoice and be glad in the Lord is now . . . not tomorrow, because none of us knows what tomorrow will bring.

So let me ask you: How well have you been doing at “seizing the day” lately? Far too many people spend far too much time living in some unforgiven past, which paralyzes them and keeps them from seizing today . . . and robs them of any ability to rejoice and be glad in this present day.

If this describes you, here is what you need to remember: Jesus paid for your past through His sinless life, His sacrificial death, and His supernatural resurrection. You sins—no matter how awful or hurtful they may have been—have been forgiven because they have all been nailed to a cross. As Paul wrote to the Christians at Colosse:

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

All our violations of God’s perfect, holy, and righteous law have been paid for—paid in full—by our loving Lord, who has fully redeemed us from our past transgressions. Psalm 118:24 is a glorious reminder of this truth.

The flip side of living in some unforgiven past is living in some anxiously anticipated future. This too will keep you from rejoicing and being glad in the present moment. If this describes you, here is what you need to remember: Jesus paid for your future through His life, death, and resurrection. Your future has already been forgiven and nailed to cross; once again, Psalm 118:24 is a glorious reminder of this truth.

In other words, there is nothing you can do to mess up your relationship with your Redeemer! You are completely secure in your salvation, but not because of anything you have done or will ever do. You are secure in your salvation because of everything Jesus has done on your behalf. “It is finished,” He declared from Calvary’s cross. And it is! His atoning work on our behalf has been accomplished. We have been set me from our guilt and shame over the past, just as we have been set free from anything that may take place in the future. Psalm 118:24 empowers us to seize the day, regardless of the circumstances we have faced, are currently facing, or may face tomorrow.

We trust Jesus with our past and we trust Jesus with our future, so we can certainly trust Him with our present. Perhaps the best way for you to begin living out this truth is to start your day the same way Dr. Kennedy started his day: by giving voice to this cosmic carpe diem . . .

“Today IS the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Because we are citizens of two kingdoms—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man—we may very well feel, at times, like we just don’t “fit in.” The reason for this is the fact that both kingdoms operate on totally different value systems; because of this, we can feel like misfits from time to time. This is undoubtedly what the disciples felt when our Lord was crucified. Jesus had warned them:

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. (John 16:20)

Speaking to His disciples in the upper room on the night He was to be betrayed, Jesus told His disciples that He was about to be put to death, and that death would cause two diametrically opposed responses:

The world would rejoice and the disciples would weep and mourn.

The religious leaders rejoiced because they thought they had finally silenced that troublesome voice that many of the people were listening too. They believed God had vindicated their decision to crucify Jesus, because the Old Testament states that everyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. Even Jesus Himself seemed to confirm this when He cried out from that cruel cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Rome was rejoicing because they had removed a potential rabble-rouser from their midst. But while the world rejoiced, the disciples and all those who loved Jesus wept and mourned. They were the Master’s misfits.

Not much has changed after 2000 years. The world still rejoices at the things that make the people of God weep and mourn. The world rejoices when the name of Jesus is blasphemed. The world rejoices when the Law of God is disregarded. The world rejoices when sin is reduced to simply a matter of personal preference and every man does what is right in his own eyes. But the child of God weeps and mourns.

Yet after telling His disciples that they would grieve, Jesus made them a promise:

You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:20)

When Jesus cried “It is finished!” and gave up His spirit, the world thought it had won a victory. But three days later, the grief of the disciples was turned into joy, because a dead man got up and walked out of His grave. Jesus overcame sin, Satan, and death through His crucifixion and resurrection, and it is this truth that will carry us through everything we are going through on this side of the grave. Jesus promised us that we would have trouble in this world, but He also said He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Our Master has overcome this world for His misfits . . . and that includes you and me!

Remember, weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September, which is meant to celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers. Today I would like to take a moment to celebrate the contributions of all workers who are busily engaged in building the kingdom of God.

It is important to ask and answer the question, “Who are the kingdom builders?” Is the term reserved only for those who are in full-time vocational service, such as pastors and missionaries? If you have been following our “Grace for the Race” blog for any length of time, you know that the answer to that question is a resounding “NO!”

Here are some profound words on this subject from Os Guinness, written in his book, The Call. This is an extended excerpt, but it is well worth reading and considering.

There is a great distortion which argues that Christ gave two ways of life to his church. One is the perfect life, the other is permitted. The perfect life is spiritual, dedicated to contemplation and reserved for priests, monks, and nuns; the permitted life is secular, dedicated to action and open to such tasks as soldiering, governing, farming, trading, and raising families. Higher vs. lower, sacred vs. secular, perfect vs. permitted, contemplation vs. action. Sadly, this two-tier or double-life view of calling flagrantly perverted biblical teaching by narrowing the sphere of calling and excluding most Christians from its scope. If all that a believer does grows out of faith and is done for the glory of God, then all dualistic distinctions are demolished. There is no higher/lower, sacred/secular, perfect/permitted, contemplative/active, or first class/second class.

Calling is the premise of Christian existence itself. Calling means that everyone, everywhere, and in everything fulfills his or her (secondary) callings in response to God’s (primary) calling. For the Reformers, the peasant and the merchant—for us, the business person, the teacher, the factory worker, and the television anchor—can do God’s work (or fail to do it) just as much as the minister and the missionary.

The recovery of the holistic understanding of calling was dramatic. William Tyndale wrote that if our desire is to please God, pouring water, washing dishes, cobbling shoes, and preaching the Word is all one. William Perkins claimed, “Polishing shoes was s sanctified and holy act and the action of a shepherd in keeping sheep, performed as I have said in his kind, is as good a work before God as is the action of a judge in giving sentence, or of a magistrate in ruling, or a minister in preaching.”

The cultural implications of recovering true calling were explosive. Calling gave to everyday work a dignity and spiritual significance under God that dethroned the primacy of leisure and contemplation. Calling gave to humble people and ordinary tasks an investment of equality that shattered hierarchies and was a vital impulse toward democracy. Calling gave to such practical things as work, thrift, and long-term planning a reinforcement that made them powerfully influential in the rise of modern capitalism. Calling gave to the endeavor to make Christ Lord of every part of life a fresh force that transformed churches and cultures. Calling gave to the idea of “talents” a new meaning, so that they were no longer seen purely as spiritual gifts and graces but as natural and a matter of giftedness in the modern sense of the term.

Calling demanded and inspired the transforming vision of the lordship of Christ expressed in the famous saying of the great Dutch prime minister, Abraham Kuyper: “There is not one square inch of the entire creation about which Jesus Christ does not cry out, ‘This is mine! This belongs to me!’”

WOW! Now that should help us all see the vision and value of calling from God’s perspective. From our first parents in the Garden of Eden, all of life is to be lived coram Deo (before the face of God). It doesn’t matter if one is a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker—or a priest, monk, or nun—every service is sacred when it is lived out in the light of eternity for the glory of God.

So . . . who are the kingdom builders for the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Here is the answer: Everyone who is putting their gifts, talents, and abilities into faithful service in order to glorify God and expand the cause of His kingdom.

This Labor Day, take a moment to do a personal evaluation in the area of your “calling” and ask yourself if there is any sacred/spiritual split. How is your work impacting the kingdom of God? How are you allowing God to use you, right were you currently are, to expand the cause of His kingdom?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31)

I like to say that there is only one “menial” job in this world: that job is the one where Jesus cannot be found. If you labor as a labor of love for the glory of God, the good of others, and the expansion of God’s kingdom, you can rest assured that what you are doing—regardless of what others might think or say about it—echoes in eternity. Let that truth bless you this Labor Day!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The Good News of the Gospel proclaims unimaginable liberty to us all. We have been liberated from hell. We have been liberated from the stranglehold that sin, Satan, and death once had on us. Tragically, however, many Christians foolishly believe that we are now free to live any way we choose, without any thought for consequences, very much like a teenager hurtling down the highway at twice the speed limit, recklessly confident that no harm will ever come to him or anyone else.

This notion is simply and utterly false! The liberty we enjoy as Christians comes with limits. The Scriptures lay out three classes of inspired instructions for the child of God:

#1. What God has commanded

#2. What God has forbidden

#3. What God neither commands nor forbids

Theologians sometimes refer to the third category— what God neither commands nor forbids—as “things indifferent,” and it is within this category that we must use discernment and prayerfully consider how we are to act. Our liberty must be lived out very carefully in these matters, always taking those within our circle of influence into consideration. Paul cautioned the Christians at Corinth:

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. (1 Corinthians 8:9-13)

The apostle Paul was addressing a significant issue the Corinthians had hotly debated—whether or not to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols. You’re probably thinking, “So what does that have to do with me? We don’t have that kind of ‘indifferent thing’ to be concerned about today.” That’s true, but we could very well substitute the question of whether or not a Christian should drink alcohol. Alcohol is not forbidden by Scripture; only drunkenness is prohibited. So, in our Christian liberty, we are free to drink a glass of wine with dinner . . . or a snifter of brandy after the meal. But what if we knowingly tempt or offend a weaker brother or sister in Christ by doing so?

Paul knew the Corinthians had the freedom to eat meat offered to idols, but he was careful to remind the “stronger” saints to be conscious of those weaker around them. The bottom line is this: our liberty must never lead another astray. The term for this principle comes under the heading of “The Royal Law of Love,” where our love for others trumps our liberty. The good of our more vulnerable brothers and sisters in the faith should be much more important to us than our liberty, because we are more concerned about contributing to their spiritual health than about exercising our freedom.

Here is a great way of looking at this issue: for the parents of newborn children, it is often the child who determines whether Mom and Dad will enjoy a “date night.” If the baby is sick or visibly terrified about being left with a sitter, the child rules the night and the parents stay home. When this happens, we don’t resent our baby; we simply respond to the child’s needs and go on with life. In the same way, you and I must not resent those around us who would be blessed by a bit of restraint in our lives.

The key is to always look outward, rather than inward, which is the foundation upon which our Gospel liberty has been given to us. Just two chapters later in the same epistle to the Corinthians, Paul said simply: “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24).

The supreme example, of course, is found in the life of Christ. All liberty was within His possession, yet He laid down His liberty and His very life for us! Our salvation is not about us; it is about Jesus, and we must always be mindful of how we are putting the Gospel on display to a watching world.

As the nineteenth-century English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician, Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, once said, “Love sacrifices all things to bless the thing it loves.” This was the love that our Savior showed us; may this be the consistent confession of our liberated lives!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!