Church-going Christians become very 'respectable' after a while. But Jesus was a friend of tax-collectors and sinners. How many such people are numbered among our friends?

Conservative Christians equate 'worldliness' with indulgence in loose living, smoking, seeing 'restricted-viewing' movies, and so on. ('Thou shalt not gamble, smoke or chew nor go out with girls who do!').

And so a wall may be built around the church to keep the nice people in and the not very nice out. We denounce socially spectacular sins, such as drunkenness and adultery, but overlook socially accepted sins such as backbiting, living in luxury while others in our world starve, racial prejudice, pride and selfishness.

On the other hand, although 'sins of the spirit' are worse than 'sins of the flesh' that doesn't give you a green light to do whatever you like. A Christian is someone who does what Jesus would do, what Jesus wants them to do.

So Lord, may my 'liberty' in Christ never degenerate into licence. And help me to remember it's always easier to fight for my principles than to practise them. Amen.