Freedom and What is Good ...

Friday, Oct 18, 2013. Rights are good and necessary. We need clear human rights - in our society. We need to practise them also in our families, in our communities, in our job environment. People should prosper in an appropriate way.

Freedom and Purpose …

The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians about freedom in faith - and that is a very wise and important passage. Let us have a look:

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“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.

“I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. 25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” 27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. (1 Cor 10: 23-33) First, freedom is one of the key goals of Jesus. In Christ, we are free! The key point of the biblical message is that we are freed from sin, freed from dependencies, freed from many things which want to hold us and keep us in bondage. We are freed from many things, and freed FOR many things. Stop Dependencies; Start being Constructive … **

The goal of our freedom is to stop dependencies. That links our topic “freedom” to the overall theme “shutdown” of this week. We should shut down what is not good. And we should start what is good. The freedom to do good is there for us, the doors of our prison are open!

Paul here also talks about conscience. He talks about decisions which everyone has to make. Where does freedom end, where does our conscience tell us not to do something. There are areas where the boundary between what we should do or should not do is not completely fixed! Listen. Often, people which want to be good and thorough try to find out exactly where this boundary is - and then they try to impose it onto others. But that is not good. There is a lot of freedom (not in everything, of course, theft remains theft, murder remains murder). But see the freedom of the children of God! Support this freedom. Go along with it, and live in it!

We are free to live for the glory of God. That is a challenge. It is a task. It is our life-job, for the rest of our life! We still have to learn to do it, we have to exercise, we have to progress! We have to mature in it. But it is a fantastic and great challenge. It is something which is fun, a deep deep joy! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts