Things Written Before

For whatosever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

Romans 15:4-5

I have heard some people say that we really don’t need to read and study the Old Testament.  Everyone loves the Psalms and Proverbs, but how much do we really pay attention to the books of the prophets or to the historical books of I and II Samuel or I and II Kings?  God has given us a complete Bible, and we need to read and pay attention to the complete Bible.  These verses tell us that all of those things “written aforetime were written for our learning” and they were written that we “might have hope.”

We need to read all of those things that we written long ago in the Old Testament because they will teach us some things.  They will teach us things about God, they will teach us things about ourselves, and they will teach us things about following Him and serving Him.  We can read about the Israelites coming out of Egypt and complaining right after seeing great miracles (we would never complain, would we?).  We can read about the kings of Israel, the pride in their hearts, and God’s judgment on them.  We have a lot to learn.

Those things are also given to us so that we “might have hope.”  We can see how God’s people failed Him over and over again and how God still continued to have mercy on them.  We can see how God loves His people and wants only the best for them.  We can see those things repeated over and over again and we can have hope.

We may not study some parts of the Bible as much as we study other parts, but every part is given to us for a reason.

Christ Pleased Not Himself

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

Romans 15:1-3

We have looked at the first two verses of this chapter and how they tell us to “bear the infirmities of the weak, not please ourselves, and please our neighbours.”  As Christians, we should be doing all of those things.  And, as always, Jesus Christ is our perfect example in these areas.

Verse 3 tells us that “Christ pleased not himself…”  We are told to please our neighbours and not ourselves.  Jesus did exactly this during His life here on Earth.  Everything He did was about others.  During His Earthly ministry, he helped people.  He healed the sick, caused the blind to see and caused the deaf to hear.  He even raised people from the dead.  I’m sure that, humanly speaking, He got tired.  I’m sure that He was weary and just wanted to sleep some days.  I’m sure that He could have devoted much more of His life to Himself if He had chosen to do so.  But He didn’t.  He made his life about pleasing and helping others.

I’m sure that Jesus did not enjoy dying on the cross.  I’m sure that He did not enjoy being beaten and spat upon.  None of the things He endured were pleasant things that He would have enjoyed.  But He did all of those things for us.  He suffered and died on the cross for others – us included.  That is the greatest example in all of history of someone loving others and living for them rather than themselves.

He has set the perfect example.  How are we doing at following it?

Pleasing Your Neighbour

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

Romans 15:1-2

How much effort do we put into fulfilling verse 2 of this passage?  “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”  How much effort do we really put into “pleasing our neighbour?”

We might occasionally do something that we view as a sacrifice to help our neighbour.  But how often do we cosistently put their needs and wants before our needs and wants?  We might occasionally please our neighbour, but often, when we do, we find ourselves filled with pride.

The Bible is very clear about how we should treat others.  It is clear that we should put the needs and wants of others above our own.  It is clear that we should be more concerned with pleasing our neighbour than pleasing ourselves.  And, when the Bible is very clear about something, we usually tend to mess it up.

We all want to please ourselves.  We all want to do things that help to improve our situation or help to improve our comfort or enjoyment of life.  Can you imagine how great it would be if we would put all of the effort into pleasing and helping others as we put into pleasing and helping ourselves?  I dare say that our lives (and the live of those that we help and influence) would be radically changed.  How good are we at being a servant?  How good are we at putting others above ourselves?  I would say that we probably all have some work to do in this area!

Strong Helping the Weak

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 

Romans 15:1-2

Too often in the world in which we live, we find people stepping on other people to “get to the top.”  We find the people who are “strong” ridiculing the people who are “weak.”  We find a gross lack of compassion.  It should not be this way in our churches.  It should not be this way in the lives of Christians.

The Bible tells us here that “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.”  As always, we tend to get things backward.  Usually, it is the strong who try to impose their wills and their opinions on the weak.  It is the weak who must submit to the strong.  But that is the opposite of what the Bible would tell us.

If we are “strong” Christians, we should be strong enough to ignore our own wants, desires and opinions and submit our wants, desires and opinions to others.  The stronger we are, the more we should be focusing on others.

A good test of our level of Christianity would be our approach toward others.  Do we want to force everyone to be just like us and to submit to our will?  That would be the sign of a weak Christian.  Or do we defer to others?  Do we put the wants and needs of others ahead of our own will?  That would be the sign of a strong Christian.  This is one of the paradoxes of the Christian life.  The stronger we are, the more submissive we are.  The stronger we are, the more forgving we are.  And the stronger we are, the less we think about ourselves and our own personal wants.  How strong are we today?  How are we treating others?

We Usually Get It Backward

Let us not therefore judge on another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.  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.  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably.  Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 

Romans 14:13-15

When you read this whole chapter dealing with judging others and questionable things and really look at the spirit of it, it quickly becomes evident that we often get the whole thing completely backward.

What we usually do when it comes to judging others on questionable things is this: We have our opinion.  Everyone who has a lower opinion or standard is a liberal/compromising Christian who is barely even a Christian at all.  Everyone who has a higher opinion or standard is a crazy/hypocritical Pharisee who wants to go back to the Old Testament law.  We have our opinion and we either refuse to tolerate or even ridicule everyone else’s opinion.  We make the whole question all about ourselves and our opinions.

What we should do is this: We have our opinion.  We notice that others have a different opinion.  We defer to them, so as not to place a stumbling block in front of them.  We ignore our opinion and think about the opinions of others.  We ignore our opinions and we defer to the opinions of others because we want only to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.  And when we are following after that goal, we realize that our opinions don’t really even matter.

When it comes to matter of opinion/preference, which approach are we taking?

The Savior Calls (Hymn)

The Savior Calls
Anne Steele (1760)

The Savior calls; let every ear
Attend the heav’nly sound.
Ye doubting souls, dismiss your fear;
Hope smiles reviving round.

For every thirsty, longing heart
Here streams of bounty flow,
And life and health and bliss impart
To banish mortal woe.

Here springs of sacred pleasures rise
To ease your every pain;
Immortal fountain, full supplies!
Nor shall you thirst in vain.

Ye sinners, come, ’tis Mercy’s voice;
The gracious call obey;
Mercy invites to heav’nly joys,
And can you yet delay?

Dear Savior, draw reluctant hearts;
To Thee let sinners fly
And take the bliss Thy love imparts
And drink and never die.

This was a poem written by Anne Steele in 1760.  It wasn’t set to music for about another seventy years.  Many of our hymns are like that – they start out as poems written to and/or about the Lord and then someone comes along and puts them to music.  But they are a blessing either way.  This poem/hymn speaks of the great truth that Jesus is calling.  He is calling the sinner to Himself and He is calling the saint to stay close by His side.  Are we listening?

Psalm Saturday (9g)

I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.  I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.  When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.  for thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.  Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.  O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.  But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.  And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.  The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 9:1-9

Verse 9 of this Psalm can be a great encouragement: “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”  If you have ever felt oppressed, the Lord is your refuge.  If you have ever had a time of trouble, the Lord is your refuge.  No matter what your problem, the Lord is your refuge.

When we are oppressed and when we are in trouble (whether it is trouble of our own doing or trouble that came upon us through no fault of our own), we need a refuge.  We need a safe place to run and a safe place to hide.  The Lord is that safe place.  The Lord is our refuge.  The Bible tells us that many times.  Do we believe it?  Do we make full use of that comforting thought?  We should – He is our refuge!

The Kingdom of God

But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably.  Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.  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.

Romans 14:15-18

This whole passage is dealing with us and with our dealings with others.  We are told not to put a stumbling block in front of other Christians.  We are to not use our liberty to cause another Christian to stumble or fall.  It is about putting our opinions and desires on the back burner and putting the opinions and desires of others first.

Verse 17 tells us that “…the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”  Paul used here the illustration of meat.  There was nothing wrong with eating meat, and Paul knew and understood that.  But it offended the conscience of some new Christians.  So Paul decided that he would not eat meat so as not to offend them or cause them to stumble.

Paul understood that “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”  So often, we get too focused on earthly things.  So often, we focus on things that really don’t even matter.  We squabble about insignificant things and ignore the bigger things like “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Are we ignoring righteousness, peace and joy because we want to argue with another brother or sister about some thing that the Bible doesn’t even address?  Do we value our own opinions above righteousness, peace and joy?  Are we more focused on earthly things or on the Kingdom of God?

 

What Should We Do? Pt. 4

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 things 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.

Romans 14:21-23

We have seen several criteria in this chapter of Romans to help us make wise decisions regarding questionable things in life – things that the Bible does not specifically address.  The last thing that we will look at is found in the last verse of the chapter: “…he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”  Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.  When it comes to Scriptural criteria for making decisions, this is a big one.

Whatever it is that we are doing or not doing, we need to have faith that we are doing right.

This might be the simplest of all of the criteria to follow.  If we are thinking about a questionable thing and trying to make a wise decision, we need to ask ourselves one simple question: “do I have any doubts about this whatsoever?”  If we have any doubts, chances are very good that we should just avoid whatever it is.  As always, we usually do things in the wrong order.  When we have doubts about something, we usually just go ahead and do it, ignoring the fact that, deep down, it bothers our conscience.

Usually, if we will listen to our conscience and the Holy Spirit, it will settle most of the questions in our lives.  It is when we try to ignore those things that we get in trouble and make unwise decisions.  How are we doing?

 

What Should We Do? Pt. 3

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.  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.

Romans 14:17-21

In looking at this passage in an effort to gain some wisdom in the area of settling questionable things in our lives, we come to verses 20 and 21.  They take us right back to where we have been before.  God knows that we are flesh and blood humans.  He knows that, often, we need to have things repeated (sometimes over and over again).  This passage is no different.

Verse 19 tells us to do things “which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”  Verse 21 gives us the negative of that thought: we should not do “any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”

We have seen several criteria for Scriptural decision making, and we can add these to it.  Does it cause a brother in Christ to stumble?  Is it going to offend a brother?  And is it going to weaken the faith of a brother?

If it is going to do any of those things, a strong Christian should just avoid whatever it may be.

When most people think about an issue, we usually think about opinions in this order: 1. Ourselves  2. Other people and 3. God.  We should think about opinions in this order: 1. God.  2. Other people and 3. Ourselves.  As usual, we get things backward.  Biblical decision making is really pretty simple, when we have the right heart toward it!