There is one key that, in my opinion, is more important than anything else in keeping this walk fresh and alive; it will keep you walking with the Lord consistently without the whole thing evaporating into nothing for you.
The following chapter preaches to you, but there is one thought that I see repeated over and over again: stay away from legalism and understand the grace of God! Grace isn’t given to you as a license to live unto yourself—that’s just what this chapter says you can’t do. Grace is given so that you can love your brother and live a life of freedom.
But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not for decision of scruples. One man hath faith to eat all things: but he that is weak eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth set at nought him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own Lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the Lord: and he that eateth, eateth unto the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, unto the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and none dieth to himself.
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgement-seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion of falling. I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: save that to him who accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died. Let not then you good be evil spoken of: for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he that herein serveth Christ is well pleasing to God, and approved of men. So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another. Overthrow not for meat’s sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth. The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he approveth. But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:1–23.
If you return to the old ruts of religion, they will invariably lead you to legalism. Someone will begin to impose rules upon you: they will tell you you’re going to be lost; you have the “mark of the beast” if you don’t worship on Saturday instead of Sunday; it’s wrong to eat meat, etc. These are open issues. Don’t cause your brother to stumble with your liberty—that’s important to remember—but neither bow to the legalism that people would impose upon you in the name of religion. You have “grace” to serve God!
The Kingdom of God is not what you eat and drink, nor is it rules or regulations about your manner of life. For he that herein serveth Christ is well pleasing to God, and approved of men. Romans 14:18. You cannot merit God’s favor by rituals and conformity to certain standards of conduct. Does this mean you are free to do anything? Of course not! Does it mean that if you don’t pronounce “Shibboleth” just right you’ll be slaughtered? No! It is real righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit that pleases God. When these qualities are in your life, not only does it please God but you are also approved of men.
Self-condemnation is a phony thing that flourishes among Christians. Your life in God begins with a real conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit. But almost immediately, men step into the picture and begin to lay condemnation upon you; or your mind may already be so conditioned from the past that you continually live in a state of self-condemnation instead of feeling assured before God that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed you from all sin. Happy is the man who doesn’t condemn himself in that which he allows. Whatever isn’t of faith is sin. He that doubts is condemned if he partakes. For his eating is not of faith and whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:22–23).
When you come into this church and begin to walk in the Spirit you are open to the Spirit. No one will teach you that you have to reach a certain level in your behavior or conduct before you can receive the Holy Spirit. Some people in the Bible were filled with the Holy Spirit within a few seconds after believing in Christ. It is a gift of the grace of God. The gifts are “charisma”, which means an endowment of grace. Charisma is a word for grace—an undeserved favor that God bestows upon you. He saves you by His grace, not because you deserve it; you don’t bring anything in your hand to make you worthy to become a Christian. After you become a Christian you strive to please the Lord, but you don’t go back and revive the old idea of reform in order to present yourself acceptable to God. You have begun in the Spirit and you’ll not be made perfect in the flesh. According to Galatians 3:3, you’re going to be made perfect in the Spirit. It starts in the Spirit and it ends in the Spirit. He’s the finisher of your faith.
If you stumble, don’t make an unbeliever of yourself. Cry out to God. The same God who forgave you in the first place will take you step by step into the perfection He has for your life. Don’t excuse or condone anything that you do, but don’t make an unbeliever of yourself either. Don’t enter into self-condemnation which is destructive to your personal faith until you think of yourself as a third rate citizen in the Kingdom of God. You are God’s dear child; you are in the family of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Believe! If you stumble, remember that a righteous man stumbles seven time but the Lord upholdeth him with His hand (Proverbs 24:16). My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. I John 2:1. We know that If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9.
There must be a deep sense of repentance in every believer. You must live in a state of repentance in your heart, but not in a state of self-condemnation. These two are different. If you say, “I’m a child of God, but there is something in my life that should not be there,” repent before God and He will see that you get rid of it. Don’t walk under self-condemnation; it doesn’t lead to anything.
People come into this church from every background. You can look like a hippie or a dandy—nobody cares. You can be a square—nobody cares. Your background or the way you dress doesn’t matter: we don’t care what happened to you when you weren’t serving the Lord; what we are concerned about is that you come into a righteousness in God. There are “up-and-outers” and there are “down-and-outers,” but they’re all “outers” and they need Christ to be “inners.” If you’re going to be “in,” you’ve got to be in Christ. It makes no difference whether you were among the self-righteous set or those who did weird things so they wouldn’t be phony. What we’re really concerned about is that you’re in Christ and in the family of God, and that you have the assurance, before the Lord, of what you are. If you make a mistake—we’ll pray for you, but don’t be a phony. Don’t cover over anything. Don’t try to put a veneer of hypocrisy or religion over your mistake. Don’t excuse yourself but on the other hand, don’t have such self-condemnation that you defeat yourself. Just see that you’ve sinned and repent of it deeply within your heart. Get rid of it and you’ll go on safely in this walk. One thing God honors is deep sincerity and honesty before Him.