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Romans 15:1,
"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to
please ourselves."
This morning, the vast, but largely not followed, subject of Christian liberty
looms up before us. When studying the word of God, there are many injunctions of
Scripture that cannot be circumvented without doing damage to the immediate
thought or other subjects down the road. For example, one cannot preach "fear
duty" trying to scare the hearers into action for it flies in the face of
Scriptural teaching about charity and brotherly love. Further still, it does
damage to the comforting doctrine of eternal security to the saints of God.
Should one leave a service wondering whether they are a child of God or not, the
duty preached has failed the exact point that duty should make: thanksgiving and
grateful service to the One that holds us forever in His love. On a more
detailed, practical note, the subject of judgment needs to be rightly divided so
that the hearers do not get a false sense of what every facet of the subject
teaches. It is this point
in which we will attempt to ponder this morning within the overall framework of
Christian liberty.
Christian liberty is a truly wonderful blessing to us here, for it allows us to
make personal decisions that neither better or worsen us in our service to God.
To try to apply Christian liberty to moral issues is a flagrant dismissal of
Biblical teaching about right from wrong, but teaching that personal life
choices that are neither commanded nor condemned from Scripture are free to make
or not make by the hearers is the nature of Christian liberty. In the context
from our verse above, Paul has laid out two scenarios of Christian liberty: diet
and observance of days. In both cases, Paul points out that eating or not eating
a certain thing is neither right or wrong; neither is observing a day
(specifically the sabbath day) or not observing a day right or wrong. In both
cases, Paul leaves it to the discretion of the person in their own personal
choice.
However, Paul again warns against condemnation of one group or another. A
vegetarian should not condemn a meat eater; likewise, a meat eater should not
condemn a vegetarian. One may even (weakly) assume that what they are doing has
some religious attachment to it. Today, we can see those that believe that their
diet is intertwined with their spirituality. Paul addresses this notion as being
"weak in the faith," but still shows compassion and urges the saints against
judging such behaviour. In fact, Romans 14:4 states that we should not be the
judge of another man's servant, but God alone judges His servants in those
matters. It is noteworthy here to point out that judgment is indeed commanded
and enjoined unto the church, but Paul prohibits judgment in matters pertaining
to Christian liberty. Should a church judge her members for unfaithfulness - say
in moral matters? Absolutely. Should a church judge her members by what they eat
or do not
eat? Absolutely not.
Whether a person shows weakness in the faith or not by their decisions and
reasons for them, Paul encourages the saints not to play judge, jury, and
executioner to those matters. That person's conscience with their Lord answers
for such things. (Romans 14:22-23) Strangely, Paul also asserts that those who
are weak in the faith are those that believe themselves to be strong in the
faith (by not eating or by observing the day). Rather than show them how they
are really behaving weakly, Paul encourages the saints (particularly the strong
ones) to bear the infirmities of the weak. Do not labour to show them the
intricacies of their weak notions, but rather, bear with them and try not to
present a cause of stumbling for them.
As we reach the opening of chapter 15, Paul's summation to this context is
unmistakable. In matters of conscience and liberty, weak and strong need to
labour together not with one another. Should someone do things a little
differently in their home than you do in yours (provided of course that neither
directly oppose Scripture), let that situation live peacefully. Even if we
believe that the other way is a weaker way, bear with that situation. The reason
that this is the conclusion that Paul makes is that it strikes to the very heart
and soul of Godly living.
We all have our own ways of doing things, and some of us are better at certain
things than others. What I may be good at, someone else is not. On the other
hand, they may really excel at something that I am quite poor in performing.
However, should my strength in an area provide me with grounds for condemning
the other in that weak category, then he would have the same grounds for
retribution in the other circumstance. But, by bearing the infirmity of the
other in his weakness, and by him bearing my infirmity in my area of weakness,
we fulfill the example of Christ by helping those that are weak. Should He have
chosen, He could have easily condemned and judged everyone for everything they
did around Him as it was weak compared to what He did, would do, or could do.
His way would have always been superior, but He chose to bear the infirmities of
the weak.
When I hear someone get a "foggy-headed" notion that is not a violation of
Scripture, my first impulse is generally to show them the folly of the thought.
However, I am prone to my own foggy-headed notions, for which I am thankful that
good brethren have let lie for me to sort out in my own conscience before God.
If a matter comes under Scriptural condemnation, we should not say, "Well, let
God judge that servant" quoting Romans 14:4. If the church has an issue that
presses her, it needs to be dealt with. But, if a matter comes under the matter
of liberty and conscience, we should bear with that and look to the Lord in our
efforts with the hopes that our own weaknesses will meet the same result. By
doing so, we behave in a more Christ-like fashion and show forth charity for one
another in our interactions.
The last phrase of the verse shows the motivation for our action. We should not
do these things to please ourselves, but rather to please Him who has called us
to peace. (I Corinthians 7:15) It is pleasing to God when we uphold judgment in
essential matters that cannot be ignored, but it is pleasing to Him as well when
we forgo judgment in matters that He has reserved to Himself through the
conscience of His people. When one considers just how many acceptable scenarios
there are for public worship, there is much liberty to be found in our action.
The specifics are singing, preaching, and prayer. Each of these specifics has
guidelines from Holy Writ that must be upheld (such as singing in one accord and
the preaching being done by a man), but how they are to be conducted has only
one general guideline, "Let all things be done decently and in order." (I
Corinthians 14:40) The liberty that we have shows another important thought from
Scripture that I
fear is far too often overlooked and ignored.
The Lord, when calling His children out of nature's darkness into His marvellous
light, never called us to be "a roomful of clones." We each have traits and
"quirks" that of themselves are neither a plus or minus to spirituality
(although we can allow them to be either through labour or slothfulness).
Each of these things makes us slightly different from one another, and the Lord
has, instead of calling us all to be identical, called us to labour according to
our several ability. (Matthew 25:15) Maybe one interacts better with people than
others. Perhaps another man has a better singing voice than others. Neither case
is a place for boasting or judging, but rather both cases are a place for
bearing one another's burdens and infirmities, while putting the talent the Lord
gave to use in His service. Perhaps an individual's uniqueness lends strength in
some area or perhaps it lends weakness. Either way, we ought to bear with one
another in the bonds
of peace and love so that when crucial issues face us we are able to stand
together against the plague and not be bitter at one another for matters of
liberty and conscience. May the Lord give us the wisdom to know when to judge
and the discretion to bear with one another in love for His sake when the time
is not to judge.
In Hope,
Bro Philip |