3 March 2026
“I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.” Mark Penrith let that sentence settle over us. Liberty is not imaginary. It is grounded in Christ. Paul writes, “Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean” Romans 14:14. Mark said, “Liberty is real. But reality is relational.” Truth stands firm. Yet it must walk hand in hand with love.
Mark sharpens the point. “For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love” Romans 14:15. Mark warned us, “To knowingly exercise a liberty that grieves another is to stop walking in love.” That is searching. You may win the argument at work. You may prove your theological precision in a social setting. But if you wound a brother, you lose something far greater. As he said plainly, “Don’t use your freedom in Christ as a weapon against the cross of Christ.”
Then Mark lifts our eyes higher. “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” Romans 14:17. Mark reminded us, “Christianity isn’t about what goes into the stomach. It is about what fills the soul.” The kingdom does not rise or fall on your preferences. It does not hinge on secondary issues. It shines in righteousness. It rests in peace. It overflows with joy. These are not produced by being right. They are produced by walking in the Spirit.
So consider your tone this week. In a meeting. Around a braai. In a tense family moment. Ask yourself, Am I walking according to love. Choose peace over proving your point. At home, when disagreement surfaces, let your children see you pause. Let them hear you say sorry. Mark said, “Truth does not trample tenderness.” Let that be true in your house.
Lord, guard my tongue and my tone. Fill me with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Teach me to walk in truth, and in love. Amen.