In order to preserve unity within the Church, Paul lays down his liberty and submits to a purity vow at the Temple in Jerusalem. Paul's example shows us that we shouldn’t simply say, “I don’t have to do that" or "I’m not required to do that.” We should, however, ask, “How can I best build up my brothers and sisters in Christ?" or "How can we best work together to make Jesus known?” Jesus tells us in John 13:35 that all people will know that we belong to Him if we love one another. Love beckons us to lay down our personal liberties in order to serve.

Yet there's something else going on in this passage, just underneath the surface: the relationship between a Christian and the Law of God. If we are going to be faithful to Jesus and not waste our lives, we need to know what the Law can and can't do, and what God did. First, the Law can guide and reveal, but it cannot strengthen you to obey or make you clean from the sins you've committed. It can guide you like a map, but it cannot empower you like fuel; it can reveal your sin like a mirror, but it cannot make you clean like soap. This is why we have to understand the Gospel—the good news of what Jesus has done on our behalf. Jesus fulfilled the Law for us (Matthew 5:17-18), in order that we could be counted righteous through faith in Him and empowered to obey God out of joy. In addition to His perfectly righteous life, Jesus took our uncleanliness on Himself, being condemned in our place for our sins (Romans 8:3-4). Now, through faith in Jesus, we can be guided by God's Law and empowered by God's Gospel. We can see our sin through the Law of God and be cleaned up by the Gospel of God.