[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=eating&iid=7386012″ src=”9/b/0/a/Indonesian_Tree_Man_50bd.jpg?adImageId=8819663&imageId=7386012″ width=”234″ height=”156″ /]Grace that reflects the power and presence of the Holy Spirit is simultaneously strong and sensitive.  Long before “political correctness” became a catch phrase, there stood a Biblical command to exercise freedom in love.

The particular issue was what was religiously ok to eat.  Jesus had been clear in his teaching, “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth…”  Some in the early church, however, thought it best to keep the extreme letter of the Jewish dietary laws. Some thought it best to keep the spirit of the Jewish dietary law.  Some thought it best to eat whatever so long as it had not be slaughtered as an offering at the pagan temples.  Some thought that if a Christian were hungry and food was available, “Eat.”

Naturally conflict ensued as to who was “right.”  The solution offered, “The fellowship of grace.”  According to Paul, grace is sufficient for the brother who would eat whatever to abstain, even go hungry, so as to not cause a family member to stumble.  Grace is sufficient for an abstainer to refrain from judging the food libertarian even if the abstainer would rather go hungry than be satisfied by unclean foods. 

Grace allowed both extremes and the “moderates” in between to keep their focus on what is important: righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit toward the end of serving Jesus through fellowship with those he was crucified to save.

This kind of grace effort is lacking in the church today.  It would be wise for us to seek to do our best to obediently implement grace back into our everyday practice.

Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. (Romans 14.16-18, NASB95)