On the skirt tails of the trip to the Ukraine where I faced the reality of "rules in the church" - different than mine/ours, it was such a great confirmation to study this lesson.
In the beginning of Chapter 14, Paul addresses our RECEIVING one another! If we stopped there, it might give the impression that Christians were to leave one another alone and let the weak remain weak. But the second admonition of Paul explains things further. The emphasis is on our “brother” relationship with others in the Body of Christ. IF we love one another, we will seek to build one another up in the faith. Paul tells us ways that we may help each other:
CHRISTIANS AFFECT EACH OTHER. V.13-15…
We can cause others to stumble, grieve others, or even destroy others. The strong Christian affects the weak Christian. . Paul deal with similar problems in I Cor. 8-9 where the question was “Should Christians eat meat that has been offered to idols in heathen temples?” Paul points out that knowledge and love must work together…knowledge puffs up, but love builds up…8:1. The strong Christian has spiritual knowledge but he may not practice love…his knowledge will hurt the weak Christian. Knowledge must be balanced by love.
Remember this saying? What I do in moderation gives to those under my influence, or spectators, a license to do the same thing in excess.
A frightened of the dark child may be comforted by a mother who knows that the child is safe. Her knowledge alone cannot assure or comfort the child. You cannot argue the child into losing fear. It is through the mother ‘coming alongside’, talking lovingly and assuring the child that everything is secure…then the child can go to sleep without fear. Knowledge plus love helps the weak person grow strong.
Paul says “there is nothing unclean of itself.” V.14 No foods are unclean, no days are unclean, no people are unclean (Acts 10 explains how Peter learned). What something DOES to a person determines its quality. One man may be able to read certain books and not be bothers by them, while a weaker Christian reading the same books might be tempted to sin. But the issue is NOT: “How does it affect me?” so much as “If I do this, how will it affect my brother?” Will it make him stumble? Will it grieve him or even destroy him by encouraging him to sin? Is it really worth it to harm a brother/sister? Just so I can enjoy certain foods? NO
CHRISTIANS MUST HAVE PRIORITIES v. 16-18 Be careful that you do not major on a minor! V. 17 and I Cor. 8:8
CHRISTIANS MUST HELP EACH OTHER GROW v. 19-21 The strong Christian must grow in love; the weak Christian must grow in knowledge! Deal with the immature Christian with love. If we love him, we will help him to grow. It is wrong for a Christian to remain immature and have a weak conscience. Contrast: a little child and a mature adult!
Young Christians need protection in their fellowship, but we cannot treat them like babies all their lives. Mature Christians: love, be patient and do not cause the weaker one to stumble. Younger Christians: “grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” II Peter 3:18 Don’t gear our small groups toward the babies…it hinders their growth. The weak must learn from the strong, and the strong must love the weak! The result will be peace and maturity to the glory of God.
CHRISTIANS MUST NOT FORCE THEIR OPINIONS ON OTHERS V.22-23 There are certain truths that all Christians must accept because they are foundational to the basis of the Body. But areas of honest disagreement must not be made a test of fellowship. If you have a sincere conviction from God about a matter, keep it to yourself and do not try to force everybody else to accept it. No Christian can “borrow” another Christian’s convictions and be honest in his own life. Unless one can hold and practice his convictions by faith, he is sinning. Even if a person’s convictions are immature, he must never violate his conscience. This would do great damage to his spiritual life. Regarding idol worship: the mature Christian views it as nothing, but the immature views it fearfully. If the strong believer forced the new Christian to eat meat sacrificed to an idol, the younger Christian would experience problems in his conscience that would only further weaken him.
Conscience is strengthened by knowledge. BUT knowledge must be balanced by love; otherwise it tears down instead of building up. The truth that “all foods are clean 14:14, will not of itself make a Christian grow. When this truth is taught in an atmosphere of love, then the younger Christian can grow and develop a strong conscience. Believers may hold different convictions about many matters, but they must hold them in love.
PLEASE ONE ANOTHER 15:1-7 Paul classified himself as a strong saint. He deals here with SELFISHNESS! We are to love – which is not selfish. It rather seeks to share with others and others happy. Love is even willing to carry the younger Christians, to help them along in their spiritual development. We encourage them!
Do you mature Christians think that you are making a great sacrifice when you give up some food or drink? Then measure your sacrifice by the sacrifice of Christ. NO sacrifice we make could ever begin to match the sacrifice of Calvary.
A person’s spiritual maturity is revealed by his discernment. He is willing to give up his rights that others might be helped. He does this, not as a burden, but as a blessing. The mature believer sacrifices to help younger Christians grow in the faith. Two sources of spiritual power: The Word of God v. 4 and prayer v. 5-6. The Word can give us the “patience and encouragement” that we need to have with younger Christians. Paul closed this section praying for the readers…that they might experience from God that spiritual unity that He alone can give. Disunity and disagreement do not glorify God; they rob Him of glory. Jesus prayer for the unity of the church to the glory of God John 17:20-26…”receive one another, build up one another and please one another—all to the glory of God.
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