Archive for the 'Grey Areas' Category
1Corinthians 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
You can abuse Christian liberty. You can take it too far! You can take your liberty so far that it becomes a stumbling block to your brother.
The watch word of the day is Christian liberty. I do not have to follow all those rules. That is so true. There has no doubt been way too much emphasis placed on what we are to do and not to do.
Christians have developed lists. Christians have become way too judgmental. We seem to have PHD’s in fault finding and criticism. That is an all too common extreme.
But the other extreme is the idea that “I can do this and no one has the right to judge me!” True all things are lawful! 1Corinthians 6:12 but that does not mean that it is expedient.
There are no rules to follow to be saved, to keep saved, or to make God love me more or less! This is very true but spiritual maturity does require me to realize that my behavior does affect others.
This verse says that when you sin so you wound the conscience of your brother and thereby sin against Christ. You might know things that others do not know but be careful not to offend your brother or cause him or her to fall.
It would be better to have less liberty and bless others! I would rather limit myself to reach and help others.
We do that as parents. We know what to say when (most of the time or at least some of the time) but when we have children we immediately start limiting ourselves. Our children get into trouble by just repeating what they hear their parents say.
So mom says, please don’t say that in front of the children. Dad says well it is true isn’t it. Then the child repeats it at school, the teacher disciplines the child and the child says well I don’t know what I did wrong my dad says it all the time!
You know the drill. You know how it works. So you use some restrain. You do that because you are raising children.
Well we are reaching the lost. We are training Christians. So show some restraint. Be careful what you say and do.
You can go too far in Christian liberty!
August 14 2009 | Daily Devos and Grey Areas | No Comments »
1Corinthians 8:1-13 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him. As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
I would like to offer several last thoughts on the grey areas now that I am back from China and have just a little more time. I actually got up at 3 am due to my body having no idea what time it is.
Will you take note of the things mentioned in this chapter of the Bible.
First, if you think you know so much your probably don’t. You certainly haven’t learned all that you need to learn or will learn. I fear that one of the biggest mistakes that I made as a young man was to think that I knew things. I would hear it preached and accept it often without thinking. I hurt people. I hurt my family. I took things that men said way too literally. You don’t know what you think you know.
Eating the meat offered to idols or not eating it does not make you better than the other. Some where along the way we all want to find a set of rules to live by and of course mine is better than yours. Paul makes it simple. No it is not!
The idols and the false gods were nothing. The real question here was the conscience of my brother in Christ and I would not want to offend him because I knew something he didn’t or felt a freedom that he didn’t feel.
Regardlessly I should not let my freedom become a stumbling block to my brother or sister in Christ. That is where I would like to say to all. Quit flaunting your freedom. Quit getting with others and bragging about how you are better because you do not obey the convictions, rules, standards or whatever that others hold to. Just live to Christ. Keep the right spirit and attitude and you will have come much farther. Do what is right. Do not cause your brother to stumble.
Paul would rather never eat meat than cause a brother to stumble. That pretty well settles it. Be careful how you treat your brother in Christ.
Last thing, we live in grace. We are saved by grace. We are under no rules or regulations. That doesn’t make us superior to others. It actually points out that we recognize our tremendous need of a Saviour. Grace certainly doesn’t give us the right to mock others. It doesn’t give us the right to act like we are smarter than, more spiritual than etc.
Be careful how you use the liberty that you have been given so that it never becomes a license to sin. Check out the following verses: Jude 1:4, Galatians 5:13, 1Peter 2:16
May 14 2009 | Grey Areas | 1 Comment »
Grey Areas One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven
Romans 14:20-23 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. 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.
Nothing is worth destroying the work of God, not your liberty to eat meat, or your personal preferences. All things are pure. He says the real problem and deciding factor is your conscience.
The other deciding factor is how it will affect your brother in Christ.
May 05 2009 | Grey Areas | No Comments »
Grey Areas One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven Eight Nine Ten
Romans 14:16-19 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 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. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
You are doing right or at least may be but you do not want it to be spoken evil of! The kingdom of God is not about whether I can eat or drink that but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The point is to be serving Christ which ever position you take. It is not about you. If you keep the right attitude then you will be doing what God wants and men will approve you.
Instead of being divisive this new attitude will bring peace. We ought to have as a goal to keep the peace among the brethren and in the church. We should be trying to build up our brother not prove our point.
Liberty is a blessing and should not be divisive. We should handle it right. We should be careful of our attitude. We should not be seeking to just have an excuse to do what we want!
May 03 2009 | Grey Areas | No Comments »
Grey Areas One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven Eight Nine
Romans 14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
We are to walk in love. We are not to do things that would hurt our brother. So if your eating meat grieves your brother you are failing in your walk of love. Don’t destroy or hurt your brother by the use of your liberty.
It could easily be all right to do what you are doing. Paul didn’t see that there was a problem but even though I have liberty and every right to eat that piece of meat I should use some discretion. Why would I want to hurt my brother.
Maybe it would be better to eat the meat, purchase the meat, talk about eating the meat when I wasn’t around this brother that I know is going to be hurt.
We need some discretion. We need to love enough to limit ourselves around others. Show some restraint.
Every parent had to learn to do that. All of a sudden we are the grown ups. We have to behave in ways that will have a positive influence on our children. We may know that we have liberty or that we know how and when to say or do something but the children aren’t ready for that. We use restraint. We use discretion.
You have liberty but you might ought to think about how you are using that liberty. And in your liberty, don’t hurt your brother.
May 02 2009 | Grey Areas | No Comments »
Grey Areas One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven Eight
Romans 14:14 Â 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.
This verse is a real clincher! Paul knows and is persuaded by the Lord Jesus himself that there is nothing unclean of itself. It is in how the man esteems the grey area himself. Now if you see this verse in the light of this entire discussion you are going to realize that Paul was willing to limit his freedom.
He didn’t see anything wrong with it. The days in themselves are not unclean nor is the meat unclean. The issue is in the heart of the brother. You know that he is going to say that he will do nothing to offend his brother. He is concerned about the other brother’s conscience more than he is his own freedom.
That is a good lesson for us. So many people like this chapter because it seems to give them the right to do things that offend others. That is not the Biblical attitude. It is not what Paul thought obviously.
He was even convinced that there was no problem with the meat but! But! But! That didn’t give him the right to trample over his brother’s conscience or to mock him. How many young Christians love to flaunt their freedoms and mock others.
How many older Christians love to be judgmental of others based on these grey areas. Well decide now to honor and serve God and keep this Romans 14 attitude.
May 01 2009 | Grey Areas | No Comments »
Grey Areas One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven
Romans 14:13Â Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
Hopefully you have read the first seven entries in this series. It all goes together. But this verse puts the emphasis on another attitude that I should have in all that I do. I am not to judge anyone else. I am not to criticize them, judge them, look down on them, feel myself superior to them, etc.
I am to judge this rather that I do not want to be a stumbling block in my brother’s life. I do not want to give him an opportunity to fall.
Simply put that means that there are things that I can do and have full liberty to do them but maybe I shouldn’t. Or if I do them I should be careful when and where I do them. They are not wrong in and of themselves but younger Christians might be offended and some might even fall into sin.
This is maybe the verse that most angers many who want their freedom to live and do as they please. They say along with Cain that they are not responsible for their brother and they are not his keeper. But the Holy Spirit is pretty clear. There are things that are perfectly legitmate that I might not should do.
It is not a question of whether or not it is right or wrong but how it will be perceived. How it will affect others.
There were people who were very strongly opposed to eating meat that had been offered to idols. Paul would rather not hurt his brother than enjoy his liberty.
Are you mature enough to realize that what you do affects others? Are you willing to restrain yourself from what you can legitamately do for the good of others?
April 30 2009 | Grey Areas | No Comments »
Grey Areas One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six
Romans 14:10-12 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? 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.
Regardless of your position on the grey areas you are not to judge your brother. He is your brother even if you do not agree on these areas that are not as clearly defined in the Bible.
Notice the word the Holy Spirit uses. Why do you show contempt or set at nought your brother? That is done from both sides. The one who feels that he can eat meat and not respect the same days believes that somehow he is more spiritual, free, and has a right to think less of his brother in Christ.
On the other side the one who has taken a strict view will do the same. He will say that his brother doesn’t love God, isn’t separated or clean, etc. He will show contempt. The Holy Spirit wants to know why we do that.
Could it be that we do not understand that we will all stand before the real judge and we aren’t needed in that capacity? Could it be that we do not understand that God is the only one that can call one of us into account for our lives.
What a great truth! Do not judge your brother. Do not show contempt for him. Realize that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Realize that we will all give an accounting to Him!
The major lesson here is; don’t have a bad attitude towards your brother, not if takes a weaker or stronger stand than you do.
We can live together as family and love each other. We can shock the world with our love one for another. We have been known for too long as being judgmental.
Let’s be known for what we are for more than for what we are against!
April 28 2009 | Grey Areas | No Comments »
Grey Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Romans 14:7-9 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
When you consider what you are going to do on either side please remember that it is not about you! Did you notice what the Scriptures say? We do not live to ourselves. It is about more than what makes me happy.
We live to and for the Lord. He is our Lord and Master.
We need to be careful because so many of us want to run to liberty and excesses in liberty. We forget that what we do affects others. It is not really about me getting to do what I want to do. It is about pleasing the Lord.
Some will say well what I do doesn’t hurt anyone but me. It doesn’t affect anyone but me but it does.
You are not an island. What you say and do will affect others. You must always bear that in mind.
So yes we are called to liberty. Yes we have liberty but we should never forget that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.
If you are judgmental you are hurting your brother. If you play fast and loose with right and wrong you are hurting your brother.
Just remember-you are not alone. What you do affects many people and though you are free to do whatever you might not want to. Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should!
April 27 2009 | Grey Areas | 1 Comment »
1, 2, 3
Romans 14:5-6 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
We are now talking about food that they ate and days that they respected or esteemed. The central truth to these two verses is “let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind!”
There was no direct order or commandment here. Paul would have gladly given one had God given one. He had no problem being super straight forward and we all know that. Simply put there are somethings that God has not told us what to do. He has given principles.
He even leaves us to arrive at our own conclusion if He has not strictly spoken. He doesn’t give any hint that one is right and the other wrong. He doesn’t say that one is more spiritual than the other.
He simply says let every man be fully convinced in his own mind and let him do whatever he decides because he wants to do so for the Lord.
There were people in the church that wouldn’t eat meat at all. Others would eat meat if they knew that it had not been offered to idols. Others just ate the meat and enjoyed it. Which one was right. They hated idols, all of them did. But what would please God. Paul says well you pray and seek the Lord. Whatever He does in your heart you obey. Just be fully convinced in your own mind.
There were people in the church that were being pretty serious about keeping holy days like the Sabbath. Some would have wanted to keep honoring Saturday, others Sunday, others thought that every day was alike.
What is the right answer? Paul says, you seek the Lord. You pray and think it over. Then when you are fully convinced in your own mind you just do for the Lord what you think is right.
There are many grey areas in our lives. We do not have a direct word from the Lord. What are we to do. The answer is found in this passage. Seek the Lord. Be fully convinced in your own mind. Do whatever you do for Him.
April 26 2009 | Grey Areas | No Comments »
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