Only the youngest of immature Christians view his or her faith as unbridled liberty. After studying Scripture and learning to live within the family of God called the church, they quickly realize being a Christian is more about responsibility than freedom.

Paul did not want his young Christians brothers who lived in Corinth to feel like they were wearing the yoke of their Jewish brothers. But neither did he want them to live like they had liberty to live like they were an island. Instead, they were to exercise their new liberty to practice deference to other believers.

Deference is the tendency to limit one's freedom in order to serve others in Jesus' name. What does living without deference do? It creates an atmosphere of tension, accusation and intimidation within the church body. It is the primary reason husbands and wives divorce and their children rebel. So in many ways, living without deference, might be considered the number one problem of our day.

Have deference? Let's take a test, shall we? There is no Scripture that directly says "Thou shalt not smoke," but Christians know it's wrong and continue to do it. How so? How many Christians will light up in church? Instead, they do it when they're outside because they know it's not holy and the sanctuary is a place we reserve to worship God in His holiness.

So, knowing it's wrong, how many people continue to do it even they know it's killing them and others are wrongly influenced? More than we care to admit, I'm sure.

Paul wants us to know that no "right" we exercise is more important than the spiritual well-being of those we serve in the body of Christ. I trust you are ready to ask God to reveal your "freedoms" that need to be surrendered for the greater good of the church.

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( Nh. 5:14-7:60 1 Co. 8:1-13 Ps. 33:1-11 Pr. 21:8-10 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

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