The Weak in Faith

Posted on by korgrocker

“Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.”
Romans 14:1 NLT

We are all at different stages in our Christian lives. In a functioning fellowship there will be some who are the elder statesmen and women, who have lived the Christian life for many years. But there will be others who are spiritual toddlers, taking their first steps bravely into a new world. Of course, those who have been journeying in the faith for many years will have advice for the baby Christians. In fact, the Bible encourages it. 

But you will perhaps notice my use of the word “functioning”. Sadly, so many of our church fellowships are populated by older people, and the family life they should represent lacks the younger people, teenagers, and children. In fact, some of our churches seem to be more like departure lounges at an airport. The Church of Jesus Christ is not supposed to be like that but, thankfully, it isn’t. There are many vibrant and active, Bible-believing, fellowships in the UK, and elsewhere in the Western countries. Jesus said He would build His church, and He is doing just that.

A church family, made up of people of all ages, physical and spiritual, is a lively and exciting place to be. Multi-cultural, and multi-ethnic, families combine to demonstrate the rich nature of life in Christ. But inevitably there is a clash sometimes, and Paul addressed that problem in his writings that we consider today. At the point of making a decision to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit will start to gently expose the new Christian to what is right and wrong. For example, people who smoke usually, sooner or later, come to realise that it might not be fully compliant with how Christians behave, even though there is no specific guidance in the Bible. This realisation might take just a few weeks or months, or might never happen, but there will always be those who are quick to point out the problem of addiction to tobacco. In Paul’s day there was the issue of foods offered to idols. Some thought it perfectly acceptable to eat such food. Others didn’t. We need to remember that in our Christian journeys, the Holy Spirit fine-tunes a growth package just for us individually, and the interference from other Christians can get in the way.

In the fellowship family life, there are roles for everyone, and Paul gave some good advice in his epistle to Titus about how, for example, older women should help those younger. “These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God” (Titus 2:4-5). In that culture, internet and Google-free as it was, principles of parenting and family life were shared and encouraged in a church setting. The next verse in Titus involves younger men, “In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely” (Titus 2:6). 

But in all of this Paul gave a warning. He said, “don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong”. There is a fine line, a balance, between encouraging and arguing. We need the Holy Spirit to help us discern issues and help each other to overcome them. I was very fortunate to be born again into a church where the pastor very patiently helped me through my first early steps in the faith, and I was never conscious of other more mature Christians arguing with me. But that may not be the case with everyone. Personally, I was helped most by conversation that piggy-backed on a normal task, like car maintenance, or mixing concrete. Decorating a room, or some such activity as that. A conversation is much more effective than a confrontation. And the best way to help those who Paul called “weak in faith” is by example.

The final arbiter for right or wrong comes from the Bible, with interpretive assistance from the Holy Spirit. The act of loving and nurturing each other is something that sets Christians apart from all other religions. And the bond that builds between us is a bridge over which God can often deliver the help that we all need from time to time.

Dear Father God. We thank You that because of all the love that You have poured out upon us we can love one another. Please help us to build each other up and not tear others down. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Love One Another

Posted on by korgrocker

“Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbour, you will fulfil the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfils the requirements of God’s law.”
Romans 13:8-10 NLT

In these days of mortgages, car loans, credit cards and other forms of debt, this verse, at least at first sight, would seem to be a problem. Was Paul saying that we should save our money so that we can pay in advance for what we need without taking out any form of a loan? If he was in fact saying this then we Christians would be unable to live in our societies in the same way as our neighbours. 

In my Christian life I have been taught that we should always be able to pay our financial debts should that be necessary. In other words, we should be able to realise the equity in our possessions to clear the debts. But that principle needs to be overlaid and reconciled with the basic needs of life, such as a roof over our heads. Paul had already dealt with the need to pay taxes in the previous verses in Romans 13, and this should also be applied to our “taxes” of interest payments when we need to borrow money.

But perhaps “owe nothing to anyone” is more concerned with spiritual debts, particularly the debt of loving God and each other. When asked about which commandment was the greatest, we can read Jesus’ reply in Mark 12:29-31, “Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these””. Paul wrote that it is our love for our neighbour that is the only significant debt. 

The old Apostle John, the disciple who was probably the closest to Jesus, had a heart so soft that he couldn’t stop writing about the love of God. I can just picture him, with tears in his eyes, writing, “Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:7-8). The word “love” appears over nine times in the next chapter where we read, “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23).

The message we pilgrims must glean from the years since Jesus died is the importance of loving one another. Paul wrote that it is a debt so strong that it is not an option, and it will never be repaid in this life. We go on loving, and loving, knowing that we are doing is what Jesus exampled and commanded. 

Dear Father. We confess our love for You this morning. Please help us find opportunities to love those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Empathy

Posted on by korgrocker

“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!”
Romans 12:15-16 NLT

What was Paul getting at when he wrote this? Were the Christians in Rome really so insensitive to each other that they failed to share their emotional needs? This simple verse is really an encouragement to empathise with their fellow believers, when they experience good or bad times. But before that can happen they must have a relationship with them, close enough to know them and what they are experiencing. Perhaps the Roman Christians were lacking in the relationship department. But whatever the local situation was, Paul felt the need to remind them of their obligations, and at the root of their relationships must be love, both for God and each other.

Jesus taught His disciples about the importance of loving one another. In John 13:34 Jesus said, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other”. Jesus didn’t give His disciples an option. They had to obey this “new commandment”. 

If we consider this verse, Romans 12:15, today, we immediately see that our churches mostly lack the love that was the distinctive feature of the early Christians. Instead we observe that some worldly features and attitudes have replaced it. Other priorities have become more important than loving relationships. Those early Christians would have given their lives for each other, and what they had they shared. They established a movement that was distinguished by love and it attracted new converts in droves. 

What love do we pilgrims experience? How do we love others? And are our love experiences focused on what we can get out of the relationship or the other person’s highest good? Our televisions portray a selfish love, perhaps between a man and wife, resulting in scenes of strife that may make “good” television but they also continue, and extrapolate, the damage that poor relationships can do.

Out of a true loving relationship, based on love the Jesus way, comes caring and empathising, an environment where people will share their hurts and fears, their good experiences, their challenges; in fact they will share life together. That will mean contact with people who we wouldn’t normally meet or socialise with. It will cost us something. Our time and attitudes. Our money and possessions. But we share with people who God created. Because He loves them, so must we. And we extend God’s compassion to those hurting people around us, as they will for us in our times of trouble. There is something precious about living harmoniously with each other. It’s an opportunity worth striving for, and one which will expose us to a relational richness that those in the world just don’t get.

Father God. We thank You for the love that You have shown us, a love so profound that You sent Your only Son to share it with us. We thank You for Jesus, and all He has done for us. Amen.