FREEDOM FILES
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1, NIV).
ISSUE #2
June 27, 2014
A Call for Christian Unity
Last week an article on Townhall.com got my attention. If you’re not familiar with Townhall.com, it states on its website about itself: “Townhall.com is the leading source for conservative news and political commentary and analysis.” So you can see why my attention was grabbed when I saw an article on this “Political” website titled, Culture Challenge of the Week: A Call for Christian Unity. The article was written by Rebecca Hagelin and appeared on the website on Thursday, June 19, 2014.
In her article, Ms. Hagelin relates a conversation she had with her daughter in which her daughter shares with her a quote from an unnamed speaker at her church. The speaker said, “Churches everywhere are dying for their preferences.” Like Ms. Hagelin, the more I think about this, the more it means to me. She goes on in her article to apply this principle of understanding the place of preferences to saving families through preserving unity by embracing diversity. I, on the other hand, would like to apply it to the Body of Christ and learn from the New Testament Scriptures how we can prevent the epidemic level of church casualties and deaths due to the insistence of conforming to someone’s preferences.
The apostle Paul addressed the idea of unity in diversity when he used the metaphor of a body to talk about the church. As Paul puts it,
"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12).
In the following verses he goes on to emphasize the importance of diversity in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:15-20). Paul goes on to explain that we need each other, especially in our differences.
"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don’t need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don’t need you!'” (1 Corinthians 12:21).
It is clear from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that diversity is not just to be tolerated, but celebrated. But we don’t need to stop there. Jesus and Paul both teach that exclusivity and uniformity are not the way of Christ.
John, one of the three in Jesus’ inner circle, said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us” (Mark 9:38).
I can imagine John expecting to get a, “good job”, from Jesus, but that is not what happens. As we read on we see Jesus’ response to John’s action.
“'Do not stop him,' Jesus said. 'For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward'” (Mark 9:39-41).
Please note that Paul didn’t just teach the principle of unity in diversity, he lived it. In his first letter to the Corinthian church he tells about his own experience.
'Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings' (1 Corinthians 9:
Of course, Paul does not say that he changes the message of the gospel. After all, his goal is to “share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:23). Paul changes the method of delivery, not the message itself. To use a modern term, he changed the marketing, not the product. When we, as followers of Christ, are willing to let go of our preferences in the way we do things, and start connecting with the current culture that we live in, then and only then, will we see the Kingdom grow. We have a timeless, ever relevant message of love, grace, and salvation. It is time to tear down the walls between us and the culture “for the sake of the gospel.” Let’s use our “freedom in Christ” (Galatians 5:1) to reach our friends and communities. Let’s not be slaves to our own preferences that build walls between us and the world which Jesus himself commanded for us to reach with his precious Gospel message.
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Responses from Readers
From a Reader in Texas:
Hey Don, I really do like your new letters. Please keep me on the list.
From a Reader in Florida:
I enjoyed reading "Freedom in Christ". My comment: it's when I decided the need for a relationship with Christ. Looking back, when we were younger, it seemed like going to church, was just "doing church".
From a Reader in Texas:
Don,
Thank you for the 1st edition. I look forward to further discussion and examples of the freedom we enjoy in Christ. A new though for me after reading your paper – “freedom from tradition.” It is frustrating to know so many “Christians” as a practice, are more interested in maintaining the tradition that it would seem they are worshiping the tradition vs. the Lord.
They seem as tied to and limited by tradition as Teva was as he sang about it on the movie “Fiddler on the Roof.”
PS: Another thought = “The limitations of legalism”
From a Reader in Florida:
Hi Don. I like the idea! Keep it up.
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If you would like to be added to or removed from this mailing list, contact me and I will immediately comply with your request. If you are challenged by these newsletters, then feel free to send them on to others and encourage them to write for a free subscription. I would also welcome any questions or comments from the readers.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1, NIV).
ISSUE #2
June 27, 2014
A Call for Christian Unity
Last week an article on Townhall.com got my attention. If you’re not familiar with Townhall.com, it states on its website about itself: “Townhall.com is the leading source for conservative news and political commentary and analysis.” So you can see why my attention was grabbed when I saw an article on this “Political” website titled, Culture Challenge of the Week: A Call for Christian Unity. The article was written by Rebecca Hagelin and appeared on the website on Thursday, June 19, 2014.
In her article, Ms. Hagelin relates a conversation she had with her daughter in which her daughter shares with her a quote from an unnamed speaker at her church. The speaker said, “Churches everywhere are dying for their preferences.” Like Ms. Hagelin, the more I think about this, the more it means to me. She goes on in her article to apply this principle of understanding the place of preferences to saving families through preserving unity by embracing diversity. I, on the other hand, would like to apply it to the Body of Christ and learn from the New Testament Scriptures how we can prevent the epidemic level of church casualties and deaths due to the insistence of conforming to someone’s preferences.
The apostle Paul addressed the idea of unity in diversity when he used the metaphor of a body to talk about the church. As Paul puts it,
"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12).
In the following verses he goes on to emphasize the importance of diversity in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:15-20). Paul goes on to explain that we need each other, especially in our differences.
"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don’t need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don’t need you!'” (1 Corinthians 12:21).
It is clear from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that diversity is not just to be tolerated, but celebrated. But we don’t need to stop there. Jesus and Paul both teach that exclusivity and uniformity are not the way of Christ.
John, one of the three in Jesus’ inner circle, said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us” (Mark 9:38).
I can imagine John expecting to get a, “good job”, from Jesus, but that is not what happens. As we read on we see Jesus’ response to John’s action.
“'Do not stop him,' Jesus said. 'For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward'” (Mark 9:39-41).
Please note that Paul didn’t just teach the principle of unity in diversity, he lived it. In his first letter to the Corinthian church he tells about his own experience.
'Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings' (1 Corinthians 9:
Of course, Paul does not say that he changes the message of the gospel. After all, his goal is to “share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:23). Paul changes the method of delivery, not the message itself. To use a modern term, he changed the marketing, not the product. When we, as followers of Christ, are willing to let go of our preferences in the way we do things, and start connecting with the current culture that we live in, then and only then, will we see the Kingdom grow. We have a timeless, ever relevant message of love, grace, and salvation. It is time to tear down the walls between us and the culture “for the sake of the gospel.” Let’s use our “freedom in Christ” (Galatians 5:1) to reach our friends and communities. Let’s not be slaves to our own preferences that build walls between us and the world which Jesus himself commanded for us to reach with his precious Gospel message.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Responses from Readers
From a Reader in Texas:
Hey Don, I really do like your new letters. Please keep me on the list.
From a Reader in Florida:
I enjoyed reading "Freedom in Christ". My comment: it's when I decided the need for a relationship with Christ. Looking back, when we were younger, it seemed like going to church, was just "doing church".
From a Reader in Texas:
Don,
Thank you for the 1st edition. I look forward to further discussion and examples of the freedom we enjoy in Christ. A new though for me after reading your paper – “freedom from tradition.” It is frustrating to know so many “Christians” as a practice, are more interested in maintaining the tradition that it would seem they are worshiping the tradition vs. the Lord.
They seem as tied to and limited by tradition as Teva was as he sang about it on the movie “Fiddler on the Roof.”
PS: Another thought = “The limitations of legalism”
From a Reader in Florida:
Hi Don. I like the idea! Keep it up.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
If you would like to be added to or removed from this mailing list, contact me and I will immediately comply with your request. If you are challenged by these newsletters, then feel free to send them on to others and encourage them to write for a free subscription. I would also welcome any questions or comments from the readers.