Interacting With the Weaker Brother
Notes
Transcript
The Question of Accusing a Weak Brother
The Question of Accusing a Weak Brother
We saw last week that the weak brother is to be accepted
That we must understand the truth that unity, not uniformity, is what truly displays the oneness of the body of Christ
There is always the temptation, however, to criticize the scrupulous brother because of areas of difference in his life.
The Desire to Criticize Is Challenged (14:10-12)
In the first place, Paul shows:
(1) That it is purposeless.
He says, "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?" (v. 10a).
Why?! What good does it do? How constructive is it?
Gossip and criticism never accomplish anything worthwhile.
The weak brother is not to judge the strong brother, nor is the strong brother to despise the weak.
Criticism violates the law of love.
Then Paul shows (2) that it is presumptuous
"For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (vv. 10b-12).
There are seven judgments mentioned in Scripture and they must not be confused.
The judgment mentioned here is of the believer’s works, not of his sins.
His sins have been judged at Calvary and are remembered no more forever (Heb. 10:17).
However, every work has to be brought into judgment (Matt. 12:36; 2 Cor. 5:10; Col. 3:24-25).
The result of this judgment, which takes place at the return of Christ (Matt. 16:27; Luke 14:14; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:12), will be either reward or loss for the believer.
Paul solemnly reminds us that criticizing another brother will be called into account at the judgment seat of Christ.
It is presumptuous for us to criticize others.
If we turn the searchlight within our own hearts, we will find plenty to keep us humble before the Lord without being occupied with other people.
We shall have enough to do at the judgment seat of Christ answering for our own behavior without worrying about the actions of our brethren who, for all we can judge motives, were conscientiously following the Lord.
The Desire to Criticize Is Rightly Channeled (14:13)
Paul is not content with a negative statement in this matter of passing judgment.
He has something positive to say.
"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or occasion to fall in his brother’s way" (v. 13).
In view of the judgment seat of Christ, our decision should be to avoid at all costs doing anything which would hinder a brother in the exercise of his faith.
Here indeed is a field for judging—ourselves!
The Lord Jesus has wise words on this theme.
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Criticizing other people is a sin all too prevalent among God’s people.
Far too often we are so occupied with other people’s sins that we conveniently overlook our own.
We judge their behavior but fail to see that our own behavior is just as bad, if not worse, and that by our influence and example we are often leading others astray and causing them to stumble.
This is a serious offense in the eyes of the Lord.
Think of what He said in Matthew 18, a chapter which when seen in its context casts a flood of light on the kind of conduct the Lord expects of His people.
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Sobering words! How solemn a thing it is to be responsible for causing someone else to stumble. We are either stepping stones or stumbling blocks.
The Question of Accommodating a Weak Brother
The Question of Accommodating a Weak Brother
How far are we to go in seeking to accommodate ourselves to the special quibbles of the weak brother?
That is a most difficult question.
Paul, however, puts the responsibility on the stronger brother and tells him he is to compromise as far as possible in the spirit of charity and in the spirit of Christ.
The Spirit of Charity (14:14-23)
The spirit in which we accommodate the weak brother is not that of legalism but that of love.
The attitude is not "I have to" or "I ought to" but "I want to."
Love for the weaker brother awakens a genuine spirit of helpfulness which overflows in charitable acts toward him.
Paul sets before us three items of consideration in regard to this matter of treating our brethren in the spirit of charity.
First he emphasizes (1) the principles of our liberty in Christ, and begins by reassuring us of the rights of a free conscience.
I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Jesus taught that it is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean but what comes out (Matt 15:10–11, 16–20).
Nevertheless, Paul was concerned with the affect of this new freedom on the lives of those Christians who still felt that in some way the regulations of Judaism were not totally obsolete.
Although no food is unclean in itself, if someone regards it as unclean, then for that person it is.
Conscience of itself is not an infallible guide; but nevertheless it is wrong to go against one’s conscience.
The stronger brother must not teach the weak one to violate his conscience.
Rather, he should teach him to educate his conscience by the Word of God.
Paul, of course, is not speaking here of that which is morally impure, only of that which is ceremonially impure.
To enjoy one’s full liberty as a Christian, there must be both knowledge and persuasion.
To walk in liberty with a quiet conscience, one must have a mind which perceives the truth of God and a heart which is persuaded of the truth of God.
And what a blessedness that is, to be delivered from all the fuss of mere religion!
The rights of a free conscience are assured, but Paul also reminds us of the responsibilities of a free conscience.
But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
The cry, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" came from the lips of a murderer.
The word Paul uses here for "destroy" means "ruin" or "reduce to uselessness."
Every believer is his brother’s keeper and must refrain from anything that would lead him astray.
To have a free conscience in the things we allow is one thing; to exercise that freedom to the peril of another man’s soul is something else.
No believer should exercise privilege without regard to responsibility.
This is why Pastors and Church leaders must have higher standards than everyone because of this very principle
the higher you go in leadership, authority, and influence the fewer liberties you actually have
"Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died" gets to the very heart of the matter.
The next thing Paul emphasizes is (2) the priorities of our liberty in Christ.
He begins by telling us to guard against giving a wrong impression about the Christian life.
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
If a person exercises his stronger faith to the detriment of a weak brother and in a way which prejudices the cause of Christ, then he gives a wrong impression about the Christian life.
He gives unbelievers grounds for speaking against the gospel.
It is all too easy for liberty to degenerate into carnality and worldliness.
We do not want to lose our liberty as Christians, but on the other hand we do not want to abuse it either.
There is a story frequently told of C. H. Spurgeon that for years he saw nothing wrong with smoking.
To him smoking was no sin.
He could do it in all good conscience—until he found out that a tobacco firm was advertising "the brand that Spurgeon smokes!"
He had given a wrong impression about the Christian life, and from that day gave up the habit.
We must not only guard against giving a wrong impression about the Christian life, we must guard against getting a wrong impression about the Christian life.
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
The hot issues of Paul’s day (eating and drinking or not eating and drinking) did not touch the real issues.
Was it right to eat or wrong to eat?
The answer could be "yes" or "no."
One said, "You can eat and still be of the kingdom of God."
Another said, "If you eat you are not of the kingdom of God."
Paul said, "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink."
The real issues are far deeper than that and are determined by a man’s personal relationship to the Holy Spirit—righteousness, peace and joy.
When we are taken up with trivial externals, we are in danger of getting a wrong impression about the Christian life.
The things that really matter are not forms and ceremonies.
What counts most is a union with the Spirit of God so vital that it is expressed in a Christlike walk.
These are the true priorities of our liberty in Christ.
Whether a person eats fish on Fridays or abstains from tea and coffee will not make him either a better or a worse Christian.
Because the kingdom of God is not concerned with such matters at all.
Finally, Paul emphasizes (3) the practice of our liberty in Christ.
The spirit of charity will see to it that freedom will be properly regulated.
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
During the war, when vessels had to be convoyed across the Atlantic because of the U-boat menace, all vessels had to adjust their speed to that of the slowest.
This is the idea Paul is driving home here.
Sure, the strong brother could stride ahead, but love will not permit it.
The shepherd must pace the flock to accommodate the weakest lamb.
The Christian must regulate his freedom to take into consideration the feeble conscience of the weakest.
To do otherwise is to "loosen down" the work of God and to endanger the spiritual well-being of the weak who, indeed, should be the special concern of the strong.
In the practice of our liberty not only will freedom be properly regulated but faith also will be properly regarded.
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Faith is not to be displayed in such a way as to show off one’s superiority to those who have scruples about things.
The man whom Paul calls happy is the one who can eat and drink what he likes without having any qualms of conscience about so doing.
But how can he be truly happy if the exercise of his liberty is causing a weaker brother to stumble?
Hence the man is doubly happy who not only has an easy conscience as to what he permits in his life but who also has an easy conscience knowing that he has truly been his brother’s keeper.
The spirit of charity would sum up Paul’s argument thus far in this way:
In essentials, unity
In nonessentials, liberty
In all things, charity.