Many of the issues Christians argue about and divide over today are issues of application (conscience) and not actual sin. Like the Pharisees of old, Christians love to bind heavy burdens upon their fellow believers and demand that they act and believe in what they do. Further, many of these issues of conscience are emotionally charged, and each individual is convinced of their correct stand. To ensure purity, Christians often unintentionally sin against God and their fellow believers through a lack of love. Christ taught in John 13:35 that our love for fellow believers reveals our standing with God. As observed in the first principle of decision making, we do not allow clear black-and-white sin to go unchecked. However, we have moved many items into this category without a biblical basis. As a result, each Christian must examine the Word in its context to ensure that we are not saying “thus says the Lord” when the Lord has not spoken.
When these issues of conscience arise, we ought to love our fellow believers more than our position. Our arrogant attitudes, which demand our way, reveal that our walk with God is lacking. Yet, when we graciously prefer our fellow believers, we reveal that the Kingdom of God matters more than anything else. Accomplishing this kind of sacrificial love takes intentional humility. I want to conclude this principle with two illustrations of how I have sought to work this principle out.
Alcoholic beverages have had a horrendous impact on my extended family. Through the years, some family members have given themselves to drink and cost themselves their family, fortunes, and health. As a result, my parents raised me as a “teetotaler.” Further, the realm of Christianity in which I was raised would often twist Scripture to state that any consumption of alcohol is a sin. Yet, a careful examination of Scripture reveals that consuming alcohol is not a sin. Instead, drunkenness is a sin.
After working through the principles of biblical decision-making in my life, I remain a “teetotaler.” As I seek to be honest with Scripture, I cannot say that consuming alcoholic beverages is a sin. However, as I examine my propensities, I recognize that alcoholic beverages pose a significant risk of addiction for me. They will control me. As a result, I chose in wisdom not to participate.
How does this principle of love work out in this situation? First, as I sit at the table with fellow believers, I do not cast disparaging judgment on their spiritual lives if they order a glass of wine with their dinner. I assume their ability to exercise control and moderation. Should they fail to exercise control and moderation and become drunk, we move into the case of sin, and I must address it. However, when they exercise control and moderation, I recognize that they answer to one Judge, which is not me.
On the other hand, suppose I am the other person sitting at the table with me in this situation. How should I handle it? Suppose I am aware that the person I am eating with is a teetotaler out of love. In that case, I should refrain from ordering an alcoholic beverage out of love and respect for that individual. My love for them should overrule my liberty. Notice that the love for the other person dictates both responses. As a teetotaler, when I sit at a meal with someone who consumes alcohol in moderation, I do not judge them out of love for them. I assume the best of them. On the other hand, if I exercise liberty when I sit at a meal with a teetotaler, in that case, I refrain from exercising my freedom out of love for them. Love for your fellow believers is more important than anything you drink.
During the COVID scare of 2020, masks became a raging debate worldwide. Some viewed them as useless, and others viewed them as vital. At the outset, I recognize that many governments mandated masks and there could be a debate regarding their right to do so. However, for our purposes here, I am ignoring that question altogether. Instead, the issue here deals with the convictions and beliefs of your fellow believers. Like most pastors and Christians, I had to navigate these waters as best as possible.
As I applied this principle, I came up with a practice that could be observed each Sunday for that year. Some in the church viewed masks as a waste of time. Any who wore them compromised their individual freedom and became a threat to religious liberty. Others viewed masks as mandatory. They suffered from chronic illness or disease and were at risk of complications should they become sick. Others believed they had a scriptural mandate to submit to the government in this way. With these wildly diverging opinions, the principle of love became a life preserver for Christian unity.
Each Sunday, I carried around a mask in my pocket. As I greeted or spoke with a group of people wearing a mask (for whatever reason), I would take the mask out of my pocket and wear it out of love and respect for them. When I greeted or spoke with a group of people not wearing masks (for whatever reason), I would leave the mask in my pocket. My goal was not wishy-washy compromise but genuine love and a desire to serve all for the Gospel’s sake. In neither case was it my place to judge my fellow believer’s heart in this case of application and conscience. They answer to one Judge, and it is not me.
So you see, love can drive unity, but a lack of love for fellow believers reveals a lack of love for God. We live in a world that views self-sacrifice as sinful compromise. However, in areas of conscience, love is often revealed by compromise. We must love our fellow believers more than our demands. As we make decisions, ask, “Does this action serve and demonstrate love for my fellow believer?” and “How will this impact my fellow believer?” We should echo Paul’s words, “If food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:13).