Nothing is allowed

The quickest path to dissatisfaction lies in bondage. In an earlier post, I pointed out that the apostle Paul repeats several times that everything is permitted to him. That would be the opposite of lack of freedom and therefore dissatisfaction. Let’s pay attention to the context: He writes this as a clear instruction to a church that can be described as chaotic. He writes this to the church in Corinth, where there were real problems. At first glance, this does not seem logical. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to start by establishing some rules in this chaotic community so that peace and order can be restored?

Those who restrict try to achieve something through threats. “Is there chaos? Then it’s best to have rules with clear consequences!” Quite a few people think this way. In the church, however, Paul behaves quite differently. This is remarkable.

Dissatisfaction and lack of freedom are connected. If you take away people’s freedom, for example through strongly restrictive ideas about what is right and wrong, you are inevitably heading towards dissatisfaction. Giving freedom, on the other hand, leads to a development towards more responsibility. Paul demonstrates this with the church in Corinth. His letters speak of this.

How can a chaotic community be brought back into order with references to freedom? Well, Paul showed the church a freedom that works by grace. However, this does not apply to the shortcomings, which he recognized just as clearly. Paul finds clear words for people who lead a dissolute life. He is not afraid to address such situations directly (1 Corinthians 5:1ff). However, there is nothing to suggest that he is trying to control the community through rules and threats. Paul lives and teaches grace, not legalism. In relation to an incest situation in the church, the apostle acts resolutely (1 Corinthians 5: 3-5). Paul is not simply “dear”, any more than he speaks of the “dear God”. He expresses himself concretely, but addresses people according to their role and activities.

In his letter, he is not addressing the problem cases, but the rest of the community. How should they deal with these situations? Paul is committed to strengthening the church again. He tries to eliminate the chaos and clarify the direction not through rules, but through responsibility and his own example (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Paul does not counter lawlessness with rules, but with the grace of God. Grace seems a little “vague” because it is not rule-based. However, the effect of grace is different, stronger and more promising. Grace works from within, while rules and laws fight the symptoms from the outside.

Paul to the Corinthians

Paul begins his first letter to the church in Corinth with a reference to grace and peace for the Corinthians.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!”
1Cor 1:3

He also gives thanks for the grace that God has given to the congregation:

“I thank my God always for the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus.”
1Cor 1:4

He also describes the grace that he himself has received in order to do something good with it:

“According to the grace of God which is given to me, I as a wise master builder have laid the foundation; but another buildeth thereon; but let every man see how he buildeth thereon.”
1Cor 3:10

He then uses his own example to show that God’s grace to him was not in vain:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace toward me has not been in vain, but I have labored much more than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
1Cor 15;10

At the end of the letter, he commits the entire church to God’s grace:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you!”
1Cor 16:23

Grace is central. These references are intended to serve as background for the fact that Paul points out several times in the same letter that everything is permitted (1Cor 6:12; 1Cor 10:23). This reference is in the context of his letter and must not be quoted as an isolated statement.

The statement is in the midst of an attempt by Paul to resolve some of the chaos in the church through his letter and to lead people out into the freedom of Christ. The person whom he “hands over to Satan” because of his way of life is welcomed back in grace in the next letter after repentance (2Cor 2:5-11). The apostle leads by example and by emphasizing grace, according to which people themselves should pay attention to how they deal with it – both personally and in the church.

Regulated faith

Based on my experience, I think that many people prefer clear rules. The freedom that Paul holds up to the Corinthians is suspect. Freedom is not easy. If you are allowed to do everything, doesn’t that open the door to injustice and sin? Absolute freedom seems to be an invitation to anarchy. I have already explained in the above-mentioned article that this was not Paul’s intention. He added an important addition to the sentence “All things are lawful for me” (1Cor 6:12; 1Cor 10:23). Freedom is not the absence of responsibility, but the affirmation of responsibility with regard to a positive goal.

Apart from this addition, absolute freedom often triggers fear. Fear of too much freedom perhaps, or fear of responsibility. It seems much easier when you are told what to do and what not to do so that everything is in order. Just don’t have to think for yourself! There should be guard rails for society, guard rails for the community and guard rails for one’s own life.

It goes without saying that crash barriers are not about bad ideas or thoughts. They are merely “legal” in that they reduce faith to “right or wrong” and man should only do or not do something so that he is freed from the presence of God, which is classified as uncertain. Legalism in this sense is the attempt to get back to life without God as quickly as possible. Going to church on Sunday to have the rest of the week “off”. “Have to” believe in order not to “be allowed” to believe. The latter would be too much uncertainty and effort.

Legalism provides a false sense of peace from the demands of an unknown God, but causes the greatest dissatisfaction. Do you want a guide to dissatisfaction? Then live according to the legal requirements of your community or theology.

Legalism is often just fear of an unpredictable God. You learn to push a few religious buttons so that this unpredictable God is supposedly happy with you. Normative behavior in the community and conformity with one’s own religious community as liberation from personal responsibility. I think this is a high degree of bondage and non-freedom.

Guide to dissatisfaction

There is another way. What if you can go from lack of freedom and dissatisfaction to freedom and satisfaction? Whether you succeed depends on whether you can live in grace, whether you can accept the promise of God’s love and grace. Paul writes to Titus (Tit 2:11-12).

Through grace, one not only stands in a different place, not only lives from a different perspective, but also learns to choose a new direction. Those who live by grace learn to trust in God more than in their own actions. Having faith in God does not mean that it is only about right or wrong. This leaves room for trust, even if something doesn’t go right. Grace is God turning to us in love. Trust in God is our turning to him. This has nothing directly to do with rules.

The quickest way to become dissatisfied is to avoid God’s grace and trust in your own performance. This not only becomes boring, but also guarantees dissatisfaction, at best a false satisfaction, if you limit the standard to your own performance. Paul once described this differently when he noted that all people suffer from a lack, namely a lack of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Anyone who is aware of this will feel this difference painfully and will soon make their dissatisfaction known. The message of the Bible develops against the background of such experiences. The Bible is therefore not super-pious, but super-real.

Now you can turn this around: If you always try to do everything “right”, it is tempting to reach God on your own and do everything “right”. How about replacing this trust in our own strength with trust in God? How about getting involved in “dissatisfaction with your own performance”? Perfectly imperfect, you can learn to trust in God. We are moving away from legalistic thinking and our own efforts towards trusting in God’s work. Whether I do everything right in this process is left to His grace. This relieves stress.

In Bernese-German there is this wonderful saying by the pastor and writer Kurt Marti:

«wo chiemte mer hi
wenn alli seite
wo chiemte mer hi
und niemer giengti
für einisch z’luege
wohi dass me chiem
we me gieng”

Loosely translated:

“Where would we end up
if everyone said
where would we end up
and nobody would go
there to see
where you would end up
if you would go.”

With this in mind, I wish you a little more dissatisfaction and the curiosity to see where you would end up if you set off.