1C. ". . . do all to the glory of God." This verse may come as a surprise to some Christians, but it shouldn’t surprise any believer who has read much of the Bible. For throughout the Scriptures we see the message repeated one way or another over and over and over again.

2C. Turn to Revelation 4.11: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

3C. Now turn to Ephesians 3.21: "Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

4C. And just how might this glorifying of God be accomplished, in the Church and elsewhere in our lives? First Peter 4.10-11 begins to tell us: "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

5C. What great opportunity liberty affords us. We could never do this under the Law of Moses. All the Israelites could do under the Law, for the most part, was watch Levites and priests perform their ministries. The average Israelite had no ministry. But each and every believer in Jesus Christ has the privilege, has the liberty if you will, to glorify God through his life, through his service, through his Church. You want positive? That’s positive.

"Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God."

1C. Liberty’s goal is to glorify God without offending your fellow man, for you cannot glorify God while offending your fellow man.

2C. You might be thinking in your mind, "But don’t you anger people and offend people as a Christian?" To answer that question we need to properly understand what it is to "offend" in the Biblical sense of the word.

3C. "Give none offence" comes from a word that is used only three times in the New Testament, and has absolutely nothing to do with whether you make someone mad or not. The word has reference, instead, to tripping up or trapping someone, hanging them up so they will not respond to the Gospel, according to the context.

4C. Understood in that way, it is quite possible to make someone angry at you for doing right, and making a proper stand for the cause of Christ, without actually offending them and interfering in their reception of the Gospel.

5C. Understand, also, that you can be nice and sweet and always compromising and never make anyone angry at you, but present a great stumblingblock to their salvation.

6C. So, the right use of liberty seeks to glorify God, positively, without negatively offending anyone, according to the Biblical concept of offending someone.

"Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many."

1C. What does the child of God have the liberty to give? We have the liberty of giving of ourselves to others. We do this that we might please others and seek their benefit whenever possible.

2C. Folks, teaching children this attitude used to be an integral part of child rearing. Used to be that Christians had no problem incorporating these attitudes and actions into their lives, because they were raised differently than kids are oftentimes raised now.

3C. Used to be, children were taught to rise when adults entered the room, so the adult could choose to sit in any chair he desired. It was a demonstration of respect to honor those older than you.

4C. Used to be that children were never permitted to address adults by their first name. To this day I notice when a child, of any age, refers to an adult, any adult, by his or her first name. I think parents who allow this, and this is my own opinion, place their children at a disadvantage in later years.

5C. All of this comes together in what is often referred to as a servant spirit. Our Lord Jesus had this spirit. It is our privilege to have it also. It is our liberty.

6C. And it’s a good thing for parents to prepare your children to have this spirit for the exercise of liberty, as well. I know of one seminary professor who required each of his children to work as a waiter in a restaurant to learn how to wait upon, how to serve, others.

7C. Yes, we do have the privilege to give of ourselves. Do you? How do you? Where do you? When do you? Is it a lifestyle, or a once and a while thing?

". . . that they may be saved."

1C. We all know that the ultimate benefit to any soul is salvation. So it is not a deceitful giving of one’s self that the Christian practices, but an open and honest giving of one’s self.

2C. We give to show love. We give to remove barriers. We give to make friends. Why? That we might present Christ.

3C. Second Corinthians 5.14-21 says it so well: "¹⁴ For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: ¹⁵ And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. ¹⁶ Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. ¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ¹⁸ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

1C. In the Old Testament men’s lives were patterned to fit neatly into a catalog of Mosaic Law regulations. And since liberty was not required for that lifestyle liberty was not given. But the same is not so with us.

2C. Law is not compatible with liberty. But we have been given liberty. So, what is God’s plan for learning how to live the life of liberty? What is God’s plan for us? Discipleship.

3C. Simply described, discipleship is imitating another person, modeling another’s personality, becoming like him in certain respects.

4C. It is following one who follows one. That was God’s plan for Paul. That was God’s plan for the Corinthians. That is God’s plan for me. And that is God’s plan for you.

5C. The person you are following, and you are following someone . . . who is he following? If he isn’t following Christ, you are following the wrong person.

1C. Paul only asked men to follow him as he followed Christ.

2C. You see, to ask someone to follow you, or to imply that someone should follow you, or even to allow someone to follow you by being around them, is unethical, unless you are following Christ.

3C. But unethical leaders are unconcerned about the ethics of leadership, so they will continue to lead folks who have no business following them. James 3.1: "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation."

4C. That creates a problem, a real big problem. The solution to the problem? You must know who your leader is following. And you must know when he is and isn’t following Christ. That is your responsibility. That is your duty.

5C. The situation Paul describes is one of following the leader. But not blindly. Your duty is to keep your eyes open and make sure that the "as I also am of Christ" is true of the person leading you. And your best bet is when such a fellow is a God called man with a long track record and a good history.