What a person eats becomes a part of them, therefore in many religious teachings what is unclean or unholy, when ingested, has the ability to make the whole person unholy. What a person touches, who they associate with, day in and day out, has the potential to contaminate our religious expression. Naturally, this leads to a great deal of fear! Fear of so many variables we cannot control, and naturally, this leads to a litany of rituals to follow, and missteps to avoid.

However, Christ changed all that. He offered us a holiness that was untaintable. He washed away our impurity past, present and future. We are protected from evil, and sin. We do not need to fear our mistakes, nothing can make us unacceptable again. The gospel is at its core about freedom. No external force or set of rules dictates who you must love, or what form the expression of that love will take. My love for God is my voluntary choice, as is Jesus’ voluntary sacrifice for me. It cannot be compulsory, or it is by definition, not love.

However, it is founded on a Sacrifice. A most precious and holy Sacrifice. The Gospel is at its roots – Sacrifice. If you are in a relationship for what the other person brings to your life, or how they make you feel, then you may be the recipient of love, but you are not expressing love. On the flip side, if you are in a relationship and giving and giving, but inwardly keeping score, either resenting the fact that you “give more” or feeling superior because you “give more” then you also are not expressing love in that relationship. I concede that most relationships are a mix of some genuine acts of love, and some done with selfish undertones.

Therefore when some early Christians bought meat from pagan temples, it was cheap food and meant nothing. They didn’t believe in the idol, so there was nothing wrong with capitalizing on a good opportunity, except that some people who were still learning or seeking answers about God, saw it and misunderstood. To them it caused internal questions and doubt. It troubled their conscience, and led them away from a life lived by faith. It became a big argument among them, Eat or don’t eat, which is right?

That is why the Apostle Paul spoke to both sides and said, “No, you don’t understand!” To those who did eat the meat he encouraged them to think of the discomfort they caused to others, and to those who did not eat he said “They are not doing anything wrong. Everything belongs to God, and if you receive it as from Him and are thankful, you can eat anything.”

In my post “Rubberbands” I talked about how much of my religious service has been loveless.  It wasn’t until the compulsory instinct within me, the fear of rejection, was removed that I felt the freedom to choose to do for another or not. I confess that for many many days, I simply basked in the love I’ve received, and enjoyed the freedom, but growth begins when I look past simply counting my blessings and feeling good about myself, to the ones on either side of me, who need encouragement and companionship.

Love is the Gospel, and the Gospel is freedom and sacrifice. Walking in freedom and sacrifice is tricky. Like walking on water. There is no solid rule to stand on, only Spirit, only the moment by moment discernment of our own motives and intent.

Love does not compel sacrifice of anyone but itself, and it does so willingly, and with great joy!

“Perfect love casts out fear, because fear is focused on punishment.” We love because Jesus loves us. His perfect, complete, and condition-less love teaches us to tell ourselves the truth, and make honest choices in difficult situations. It frees us to think, grow, change our minds, and give others the same freedom on their journey as we have received on ours from Him. 

To walk on water, is to walk with your eyes on Jesus and His love for you, His patience with you, not with your eyes on the planks of the platform you stand on, the rules and behaviors you affirm or denounce. If you are looking for solid ground that all must stand on, you have left love, and allied yourself with fear.

“You do not understand!” the graciousness of the God who loves you!

.