From Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones

Then we have the weak in faith who were mostly made up of our Jewish brothers in the faith who struggled with matters of christian liberty because of the Jewish customs they were so used to.

There were Jews coming to Christ and trying to sort out what honors the Lord and what doesn’t.

They spent their whole life eating certain foods, abstaining from certain foods and drink, and observing specific days Not in order to defame God but honor Him based on the mosaic laws given to them by God.

So you can see why this would be such an issue.

We too bring baggage into our relationship with Christ. And really we spend much of our walk parcing out what we learned growing up and what is the truth of Scripture.

This takes a lifetime to sort out. So let’s get to it!

Now of course we still deal strongly with christian liberty today.

Paul refers to matters of christian liberty as disputable matters or opinions.

These are not essential issues.

These are not matters of the gospel, Christs humanity and divinity.

These are not matters of the trinity or the inspiration and authority of scripture.

The are matters that are not explicit in scripture. Secondary and tertiary matters. (our view on politics, bible translations, movies, music, clothing, etc.)

Paul makes one thing crystal clear in this section of scripture:

In matters of christian liberty we are NOT to reject our brothers and sisters as heretics, but rather we are to welcome them and as we will learn today, learn how to love those who differ from us, and learn how to seek peace and not destruction in the household of faith.

Some might say this morning “destruction” pastor? Really?

“I don’t want harm for my fellow brother or sister in Christ?”

“I just want to set the record straight.”

Well, Paul uses several terms or phrases synonymously in our passage to get to the heart of the issue, the issue of the heart. And he challenges those questions with the verbiage he uses In the text such as:

•“put a stumbling block [proskomma] or hindrance (temptation) [skandalon] in the way of a brother” (14:13)

•“destroy” [apollumi] (14:15)

•“destroy” [kataluō] (14:20)

•“make another stumble [proskomma]” (14:20)

•“do anything that causes your brother to stumble [proskoptō]” (14:21)

Elsewhere in scripture, these words refer to eternal destruction (see Rom. 2:12; 9:32–33; 11:9; 16:17; cf. Matt. 18:6–7; Luke 17:1; 1 Cor. 1:18–19, 23; 15:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 1 Pet. 2:8).

Why do I tell you that this morning?

Because Paul’s concern here is not merely that your freedom may irritate, annoy, or offend a weaker brother or sister.

We might say If a brother or sister simply does not prefer my freedoms, then that is their problem. They have to get over it!

No, no, no!

Christian hear me today:

What Paul is communicating in our passage today is that IF the way you practice your freedom leads your brother or sister to sin against his or her conscience, then it becomes your problem.

Christ gave up his life for that brother or sister (14:15b);

The question that is on the table for today’s sermon then is this:

Are you unwilling to give up your freedom if that would help your fellow believer avoid sinning against his or her conscience and possibly apostatize. Fall. (hence stumbling block) (Fall away from the faith)?

Ultimate spiritual harm is what this passage is talking about when it refers to putting “a stumbling block or hindrance” in another’s way (14:13).

So, yes, what we are dealing with today are serious, serious matters as it pertains to how we welcome and love one another in Christ.

Paul’s goal in the text is to take us from being stumbling blocks to being stepping stones to help our brothers and sister know Christ, love Christ, follow Christ, and conform into the image of Christ in matter of conscience. (Mutual up building is the goal here v19)

With that said, my sermon title this morning is:

Sermon Title: “From Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones”

Let’s get to it!

My first point is this:

Point One: Stop Judging and Start Building Up

Romans 14:13 ESV

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

I like the way the NLT translates this verse:

13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. -Romans 14:13 NLT

Verse 13 is what we call an inference: an inference is a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

So Paul concludes in verses 1-12, by using the inference “therefore” in verse 13, and says now that you know you are to receive and not resist your brother, now that you know that there is only one master over the weak and stronger brother, now that you Know that only God’s judges the soul of a believer,

STOP CONDEMNING EACH OTHER!

This is a strong exhortation and admonition.

STOP. Cease. Quit it!

More than that, He places the emphasis on each individual Christian and says that we must “decide” or “determine” every day, in every conversation we have with one another, in every matter of dispute, to not place an obstacle or a trap before one another.

Stumbling block is an obstacle.

(Example of toys and hockey hear around my house in the middle of the night.)

Hinderance is an ever stronger more serious word. It means a trap.

Don’t set a trap.

(Makes me think of those who like hunting and set traps for dears and bor to be killed. It takes time. It’s calculated)

This is what Paul is exhorting us to stop doing!

Hinderance is an action or circumstance that leads one to act contrary to a proper course of action or set of beliefs, it’a temptation to sin, enticement to apostasy and a false belief, putting a temptation in someone’s way!

In other words, you and I can be the cause of someone’s spiritual ruin.

My strong Christian liberty can cause someone else to sin.

These are strong words, loved ones.

We must look to Christ on these matters.

Christ could have condemned us.

Christ could have given us what we deserve.

Christ could have used his liberty as he chose.

But He didn’t.

He was condemned so that we never have to be.

He set aside his freedoms for our freedom.

The only thing Christ set before us was life, security, forgiveness, mercy and grace.

We look to Christ who did not set a trap for us, but he became sin who knew know sin so that he might set these captives free. You and I.

You see every time we place a stumbling block before our brothers, we are adding to the gospel.

We you are communicating to them is that you must believe this, and that to be accepted.

May it never be!

We receive God’s righteousness by faith NOT by law.

We can never attain rightousness by works of the law.

We must be very careful to make our liberty, law.

Therefore The only stumbling block we ought to put before our brethren, is Christ.

Romans 9:30–33 ESV

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

The only stone God call us to put before our brother is not politics, or bible translation, fill in the blank, but Christ!

Christ the stone of stumbling, the rock of offense.

If our brethren are offended by Christ, if they reject the essentials of the gospel, this is a different matter all together.

This is a call to place Christ before on another, and nothing else.

All other stumbling stones will bring shame, but Christ alone brings honor, dignity, and confidence in hope.

This is a call from Paul to stop judging and start building each other up in Christ. In the gospel.

Let us put before each other Christ an no other obstacle or trap.

We do this not only with our words, but with our attitudes.

Reflection and Application:

What are some traps you need to pick up throw away today?

What are some obstacles you have put before your brothers and sisters that need repenting of and that you need to go ask for forgiveness for?

Stop judging start building up By putting Christ and the gospel before each other which brings spiritual life. Let us stop placing traps and obstacles that lead to spiritual ruin today before each other.

Paul exhorts us today to start walking in Christ’s love.

Which leads me to my next point:

Point Two: Love over Liberty

Romans 14:14–15 ESV

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

Paul was absolutely certain of Jesus words in Mark 7.

Mark 7:18–19 (ESV)

Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

Paul says to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:4 ESV

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

Unclean here in the text means “common”.

The Jews began using the word to denote those things that, by virtue of what they considered inappropriate contact with the ordinary, secular, world, were ritually defiled or unclean.

But what Paul is doing here by using the word “unclean” or “common” as it relates to food and drink, or anything anything else “created by God”, using Paul’s words in 1 Timothy; He is saying these matter hand in the text are not inherently sinful or evil.

This is only in reference to defilement as defined by OT/Jewish law.

The reason for having the food laws in the Old Testament was probably that they were one of the ways in which God taught the Israelites that they could not just come into his presence as they were; there needed to be purity.

But Now, in Christ, we are brought to God’s presence holy and without blemish (Colossians 1:22).

And therefore, to maintain a squeamishness about the use of any material thing is a failure to realize the full implications of the doctrines of creation and of redemption.

Outside of Jewish law, as it relates to the new covenant, as it relates to Christ- These things are common or clean and can be consumed with good conscience, with thanksgiving, in honor of the Lord.

Paul is convinced of this and we should be too In ChriSt.

As a matter fact he goes on to say in verse 16,

Romans 14:16 ESV

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.

Though the stronger brother is to go out of his or her way not to offend or to hurt the weaker brother, the stronger brother is not to allow the weaker brother to exercise moral tyranny over the church.

To regard what is deemed good by God and speak about as if it is evil.

Take the matter of circumcision in the early Church.

In the early stages of Pauls ministry, He saw no great significance in circumcision, and if people wanted to be circumcised out of mere tradition or family custom, he’d circumcise them.

Then the Judaizers came into the church and insisted that circumcision was an absolute requirement for every Christian.

At that point Paul stood up to the weaker brothers and said that he would refuse to circumcise, because they were trying to take their conscience and make it a binding law upon the whole Church.

As a matter of fact, Peter and Barnabas was sucked into this, too became weak in the area of circumcision to which Paul stands up to Him and anyone else who is making circumcise law and he says,

Galatians 2:14–16 ESV

But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

We must guard the gospel jealously against the law in our Church.

Why?

Because this can cause the gospel to become distorted.

Paul says to the Galatians later in that passage,

Galatians 2:18 ESV

For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

Galatians 2:21 ESV

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Fundamentalism has caused many to go astray from the gospel.

It has caused many to fall way from the faith.

I have seen many Christian’s wounded, hurt, tired and weary because of the law these churches have imposed upon them and our precious gospel.

We must guard the gospel of grace.

BUT what Paul also is saying, that if a brother is weak in this area, if his or her conscience is wrongly informing him or her that it is wrong to eat or drink or partake in any matter of Christian liberty, then it is sinful for you to partake of that activity EVEN if it’s not inherently sinful or evil.

But the point Paul’s wants to double down on lies in verse 15.

Romans 14:15 (ESV)

For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love.

Paul is calling for love over liberty here.

The reality is most often times we place our liberties over our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

The simple of it, is this: We are no longer loving our brothers and sisters in Christ, if we are grieving them (causing them pain in the original language) by exercising our liberties.

A preacher wrote this to his congregation on this verse:

“Chester is more important than cheeseburgers. Bill is more important than bacon. Vickie is more important than vodka. Cynthia is more important than cigars. Sherry is more important than shrimp. Hershel is more important than Hersey’s chocolate. Reese is more important than Reese’s cups. Wanda is more important than wine. Wilbur is more important than wings. Stacey is more important than steak. Edgar is more important than eggs. Patty is more important than pancakes. Carl is more important than carrot cake. Ormond is more important than Oreos. Melvin is more important than musical preferences. Frank is more important than Facebook. Paul is more important than politics.”

Silly, but it really brings home the point.

It is ridiculous and simply un-Christlike to lack the self-control and to lack the desire to sacrifice for your Freedoms for the good of your brethren.

Exercising your liberty over loving your neighbor is selfish.

Philippians 2:3–4 ESV

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Have we forgotten the words of Paul to Ephesus on these matters:

Ephesians 5:2 (ESV)

Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

To exercise your liberty over loving is simply unchristian.

We look to Jesus this morning friends, we look to his life, and we see in Philippians 2.

Philippians 2:5–8 (ESV)

… Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus chose love over liberty. And we are called to do the same.

Paul just talked about this in chapter 13, when he said,

Romans 13:8 ESV

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:9–10 (ESV)

Any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

We live in an individualistic culture that is all about me, myself, and I.

But dear loved ones, we are not to model culture, but Christ.

Sacrifice is the key characteristic of love.

Application and Reflection:

How are you hurting your family in Christ with your liberties?

What areas are you choosing selfishness over sacrifices in the Church?

How can you better love your neighbor today?

Friends, by choosing Christ’s love over liberty not only models Christ love to Others, but it focuses our mind on the reality of this life; which is the reality that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

When we choose love over liberty we are placing kingdom priorities over earthy priorities.

Which leads to my third point.

Point Three: The Key to Kingdom Priorities are the Stepping Stones of Righteousness, Peace, and Joy (Romans 14:16-19)

Romans 14:16–19 (ESV)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Douglas moo nails it in his commentary and says,

In verses 17–18, Paul provides the theological underpinnings for his imperatives in vv. 13–16 and 19–23. The “strong” need perspective; and this is just what Paul tries to give them here. For the “strong” are placing too high a value on Christian freedom from ceremonial observances. By insisting that they exercise their liberty in these matters, they are causing spiritual harm to fellow believers and are thereby failing to maintain a proper focus on what is truly important in the kingdom of God.

Theirs, paradoxically, is the same fault as that of the Pharisees, only in reverse: where the Pharisees insisted on strict adherence to the ritual law at the expense of “justice, mercy, and faith” (Matt. 23:23), the “strong” are insisting on exercising their freedom from the ritual law at the expense of “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Paul here in verse 17 simply sets our priorities in the proper place and says,

The kingdom of God is not about eating or drinking or observance of days, or any other Christian liberty.

The kingdom of God is about pursing rightousness, pursing peace, pursing joy, by the Holy Spirit , in Jesus’ Church.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Seek FIRST. NOT last after you’re done winning debates about which politician and which political party is superior.

The truth is that many of us are so caught up in trivial matters, that we are declining spiritually.

We are not bearing the fruits of the spirit:

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

You become what you worship.

You become what you pursue.

So many of us have strayed and have caused others in the body to stray because we have idolized earthy liberties over the pursuit of the Kingdom of God.

There is a famous quote out there that many people like to use that says,

“Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good”.

But I would like to flip this on it’s head.

I think many of us are so earthly minded, that we’re no heavenly good.

Paul reinforces our kingdom priorities in verse 18 by reminding us that we are Christ’s slave.

And when we serve Christ, when we seek His kingdom First, the results are simple:

We please God.

We earn favor with men.

The truth is that when our liberties rule over us and enslave us, we do not please God, and we certainly don’t earn favor with men.

As a matter of fact, often times it brings disdain on the name of Christ and his precious Church.

I think Paul’s warning to us in verse 18 is this: Be careful to let anything other than Christ enslave you and rule over you.

Or maybe more pointed to the text: Be careful to allow your liberties to enslave you and rule over you.

Christ alone is your master, beloved. You are His slave.

And Here is what your master says to his salves today:

Matthew 5:9 ESV

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

We are called to be peace makers, dear loved ones.

We are called to be stepping stones and not stumbling blocks.

We are called to tear down walls not build walls that Christ died to tear down.

Paul strongly exhorts those whose’ minds are set on the kingdom to God,

Romans 14:19 ESV

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

The disposition of every Christian should be peace, not war.

The command to the christian is to strive, and fight, to make peace with our family in Christ.

Ephesians 4:3 (ESV)

[Be] EAGER to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Hear me: One of the ugliest and most ungodly things we can do in the Church is create war, strife, dissension, and division in the Church.

If this is you, friend, repent.

Look to Christ in Scripture, heed is words today:

Ephesians 4:25–26 ESV

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Ephesians 4:29–32 ESV

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

And finally,

Ephesians 2:13–16 (ESV)

Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Ephesians 2:18–19 ESV

For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

If we are going to purse peace in our Church, if we are going to have gospel peace in our lives, we must turn to Christ, our peace.

Without Christ there will be no peace.

Want to know why there are so many churches without peace and unity, it’s because there is no true Christ there.

Where Christ is, there is peace.

Where Christ is, there is a building up of the body of Christ.

Paul ends Ephesians 2 by making this point say,

Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV)

Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. IN HIM you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Friends we are to be stepping stones in each others lives.

We are to be pathways of peace.

We are to look to Christ in our conflicts.

We are to seek Him. Seek His wisdom. Seek His glory, when there is division and strife among us.

For Christ is our peace.

In Him we are build together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

As we seek to honor him in being peace makers, Peter says in 1 Peter 2:5 (paraphrase)

1 Peter 2:5 (ESV)

you yourselves (will be) living stones being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

A Church Christ builds we not only be a house of prayer, but a house of peace.

For this is acceptable to God.

Application and Reflection:

Who do you need to make peace (reconcile) with today?

Who do you need to seek after to build up because you have torn them down? Your spouse, friend, co-worker?

Seek to be peace makers, for we will be called sons of God.

So verse 19 is the positive exhortation but the final warning Paul gives us in verse 20 is the negative warning and the most serious of them all.

Which leads me to my final point:

Point Four: Be Careful to destroy God’s Work.

Romans 14:20–23 ESV

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

I want to end with verse 20, because I believe it very important warning to the Church as a whole.

This warning I don’t believe it to individual's both strong and weak, but to the corporate whole.

There is significance to that.

So here is what I will do.

I want to give you a summary of verses 21-23, then end with this warning.

Paul’s point in v21 is one that he has already been making up until this point; which is simple that just because all foods are clean, just because we have certain christian liberties, it doesn’t mean.We can do whatever we want whenever we want with them.

Our priority should be our brother and sister, and not our liberties.

Vv22-23 are simply about maintaining and not broadcasting your convictions on disputable matters.

If you have freedom, don’t flaunt it!

If you are strict, do not expect others to be strict like you.

So many people have taken v23 out of context:

Romans 14:22 (ESV)

Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

Often times you here people use this verse to condemn those who approve of evil and things that might be contrary to God’s word.

That’s the context here.

It is true that we will stand in judgement for every word and deed.

What we approve and what we condemn.

But Paul’s point is that the “strong in faith” should be content with the blessing God has given them in enabling them to understand the liberty that their faith provides them, without feeling it necessary to flaunt that liberty before their “weaker” fellow believers.

That’s the meaning of this text!

Not what does v23 mean?

Romans 14:23 ESV

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Faith here means conviction/beliefs stemming from our faith and beleifs in Christ and Scripture. This is talking about saving faith.

Paul is not, then, claiming that any act that does not arise out of a basic trust and dependency on Christ is sinful, true as that may be.

What he here labels “sin,” rather, is any act that does not match our convictions about what our Christian faith allows us to do and prohibits us from doing.

Herman Ridderbos, Dutch theologian says,

“For a Christian not a single decision and action can be good which he does not think he can justify on the ground of his Christian conviction and his liberty before God in Christ.” -Herman Ridderbos

The NLT really implies this and translates it this way v23,

If you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. -Romans 14:23 NLT

As Mark Dever puts it,

“Conscience cannot make a wrong thing right, but it can make a right thing wrong.”-Mark Dever

Ok, now let’s close out with his most serious warning.

Paul goes from the second person to the singular imperative here.

It can be translated “Don’t tear down the work”!

This chapter is really about christian liberty.

It’s about God’s work in us.

It’s about God’s work in the Church.

It’s about the Kingdom of God.

This is the other side of the coin of pursing peace in v19.

“Tear Down” is the natural antonym of “Build up”.

Main Point:

He is saying that a sure way to sap the strength of the Church; a sure way to destroy the Churches unity; a sure way to tarnish a churches witness; a sure way to destroy God’s kingdom work in a community and city is to make it all about YOU rather than Work of God.

Pall says “don not for the sake of ____ FIll in the blank! Destroy, tear down God’s work.

Sometimes we get so focused ourselves that we not only turn on our own family, our brethren in Christ, but we actually find ourselves turning on God and His work.

The reality is we all have the sinful tendency to make Church and God’s work about us.

And when we do that, you will always find a wake of strife, division, and dissension.

Selfishness is sure way to destroy a Church. To destroy God’s work.

But Jesus gives us a weapon to kill our pride and liberty as it pertains to his kingdom and his work; it’s called prayer.

Jesus teaches to pray, DAILY, this incredible prayer to fight our selfishness:

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Conclusion, Application, Reflection:

The Lord in this model prayer sets our eyes upon God, upon His glory, Upon His Kingdom, Upon His work, Upon Peace in the Church, Upon our own sin.

If we commit to praying this prayer we will soon begin to see what is in our hearts.

As we fix our gaze on Christ; we see our sinfulness and how far we fall short of his glory.

We see the evil in us that we need to be delivered from.

We need to pray this prayer today in light of this passage: “deliver us from evil”!

What evil do we need to be delivered from in this text?

Deliver us from the evil of our selfishness, the division we created in the church, our idolatry of our christians liberties, and the pursuit of my own glory.

Questions for reflection:

Beloved, is your liberty causing strife or peace?

Is your Christian liberty building up or tearing down the body of Christ?

Are you creating stepping stones for your brothers and sisters to grow in Christ, or are you placing stumbling blocks and traps that lead to their downfall?

Call to action:

Repent.

Turn to Christ.

Be set free.

Walking in love.

Seek his kingdom.

Pursue peace.

Build the body up.

THEN as result: Experience the joy of the Lord!

PRAY

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