How Can We Use Our Freedom As A Christian To Show People the Love of Christ!

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Paul’s Use of His Freedom

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 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. 21 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. 22 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. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

One of the biggest themes in all of Paul's writings is the freedom of the Christian. We know Paul was a strict, legalistic Pharisee who spent his early life hunting down and persecuting the early Christians. He was zealous for the Law and trained under the best rabbi of his day, Gamaliel. But when Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he discovered grace. As he experienced the grace of God in Christ Jesus it completely turned his world upside down.  Never again would he look to his own righteousness or obedience to the demands of the Law for his relationship with God.  

In this passage Paul talks about how God's grace gave him the freedom to interact with people based on what would be best for them not him. His identification with their needs put them in the best possible position to experience the gospel of Jesus. In the previous verses from yesterday, there were some Jewish Christians who were conscientious about eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols in the marketplace. Though Paul knew there was nothing spiritual about what someone eats, and there was no inherent power in idols, he exercised his freedom not to eat meat so he would not cause his "weaker" brothers and sisters not to sin in their own eyes. Even though Paul knew it was not sin, he knew it would be sin for them in their own eyes and conscience.  

Though Paul knew the Law could never save him or anyone else for that matter, he ministered to those who were under the slavery of the law, as if he were under the law. For those who were not under the Jewish Law, he became like them too. For instance he would never bring up the issue of kosher dietary restrictions with Gentiles, because it had no relevance for them. 

You might say Paul used his freedom to serve others. I don't think this is saying that we should commit sins with others just to identify with them. But it might mean meeting on them on their turf. For instance, a Christian might hang out with a person they were sharing the Good News with at a bar, as long as it wouldn't be too much of a temptation for them.  Or, there might be many other creative ways we can use our freedom to serve others for the sake of showing them the deep love of Christ. 

Most importantly in our attempt to win people for Christ, we should to listen to them, not judge them, and empathize with what they have gone through in their lives. Oftentimes we want to share the gospel by telling people what they need. For instance, we might try to convince them that they are sinners and need what Jesus did for them on the cross to be forgiven While this is true it might not be what they need at that moment. But maybe they need someone to listen to them and empathize with what they have been through in life.  Maybe what they need to know more than anything is the unconditional love of God, which he showed us by sending Jesus. They might need to know more than anything there is no condemnation for those in Christ. And if God is for us, who can be against us.  

As the old song goes, "They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes they will know we are Christians by our love!"