Act In Love

“I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.” (Romans 14:14-16)

The apostle Paul was convinced, on the authority of Jesus, that there was no unclean food. Paul felt that he could eat any food and it would not be a sin. This was a fairly revolutionary stance in a culture with very strict rules on what foods were clean and unclean. However, Paul did not cling to his freedom to eat anything—after all, this is the same man who wrote:

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3) 

Paul pointed out that if someone is bothered by what you are eating, then you are not acting in love if you eat it! It may be your right to do so and you may be convinced that what you are doing is okay, but if another believer is bothered by it, distressed by it, then you aren’t acting in love if you stand only on your right to do it! In our free country, America, we argue a lot about rights and freedoms. Oftentimes we want to stand on those rights above all else. Throughout this pandemic, many rights have been violated in the name of safety, and people are questioning why protests are okay but church meetings or political rallies aren’t. We are living in times of mandates and executive orders that may violate rights and divide citizens, but for the Christian it is better to stand on what the Bible says first before standing on the Constitution or Bill of Rights.

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.” (Romans 14:17-20)

Let us strive to live that life of goodness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. While many of us don’t have religious restrictions on our food, a more current, relatable example may be medical masks. You may feel that it is completely within your rights to not wear a mask. Perhaps the change in opinion/recommendation from the top health officials about the use and effectiveness of masks has hurt your trust and confidence in them. Lies always hurt credibility and trustworthiness, but we would be wise to stand on Scriptural teachings first and foremost and consider what our actions may be doing to others. Masks may not do a thing, but if it helps someone else to see you wearing it, it is better to act in love than to stand in stubbornness.

“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.” (Romans 14:20-23)

“All of you must obey those who rule over you. There are no authorities except the ones God has chosen. Those who now rule have been chosen by God. So whoever opposes the authorities opposes leaders whom God has appointed. Those who do that will be judged.” (Romans 13:1-2)

If wearing a mask puts the elderly person at the store at ease, then I will act in love and wear a mask. You don’t have to wear it for yourself—think of others and wear it for someone else. While you may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, sometimes we need to take Paul’s advice and keep that between ourselves and God. Act in love by thinking of others first, and while there may be nothing wrong with what you are doing, it is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed