And Not to Please Ourselves

Romans 15:1-7 ESV

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

If we want to understand what this is talking about it, we need to go back and read chapter 14 to get the context. And the context of chapter 14 is this: When the Jews were under the Old Covenant relationship with God, they had all sorts of liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification and dietary laws and restrictions which they had to follow, including the practice of physical circumcision (males only, I believe). But when Jesus died on that cross and was resurrected from the dead, he did away with all those requirements.

Therefore, under the New Covenant we do not have to obey all those old laws. But God’s moral laws were never taken away. And obedience to God and to his word has never been taken away, like some people would have you believe. But, anyway, now they had the freedom to eat what before they could not eat, and they did not have to obey all those old ceremonial laws and restrictions. But some of the Jews had a difficult time of letting go of those, and still held on to some, so they were the “weak in faith.”

So, when, in chapter 14, it says that one person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables, and when it says that one person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike, it is speaking of those who were still holding on to the dietary laws and restrictions of the Old Covenant, and of those who were still holding on to one day a week as the day unto the Lord. And the message is that we are not to judge one another in these matters.

So, when we then get to chapter 15, and it says that we who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves, this is not speaking about bearing with the sinful practices of those who are still deliberately and habitually sinning against the Lord. This is talking about those who have the freedom to eat anything, and those who have the freedom to now worship God in spirit and in truth anywhere at any time, on any day of the weak, bearing with those who aren’t there yet.

For these types of things are not sinful one way or the other, and so they fall under the category of “disputable differences,” which are any differences in beliefs and doctrines which do not impact our salvation from sin and our eternal life with God. Included in these could be the timing of Jesus’ return, modes of baptism, modes of celebrating the Lord’s supper, and physical positions when you pray, etc. We are not to judge one another in these matters which are not a matter of life and death.

But when it comes to the doctrine of salvation, that is absolutely critical that we all agree and that we have an accurate biblical understanding and acceptance of what Jesus and his NT apostles taught on that subject, for what we believe in those matters will make the difference in where we spend eternity. For those who think they don’t have to obey God, and that they don’t have to repent of their sins, they are believing a huge lie which, if believed, will send them straight to hell, and not to heaven!

Yet when it comes to these other things mentioned, those are not critical to our salvation and to our eternal life. Just some people have more of a freedom to eat what used to be restricted, and to make every day a holy day unto the Lord, and to not have to single out one day above the other. For the early church met daily, and from house to house, and in the temple courts, and daily we are to be meeting together and encouraging and urging and exhorting one another to live holy lives pleasing to God, and not in sin.

So, the point of all this is that we need to not let these “disputable differences” in practices divide us. But if some of us continue living in sin and not in holiness and in righteousness, that will divide us, not only from one another, but from God. For Jesus is going to say, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23). And the Scriptures teach that if sin is our practice that we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess.

Therefore we should be living in harmony with those who are also living in harmony with God, provided that we also are living in harmony with God. For this says, “in accord with Christ Jesus.” How we all live should be in accord with Christ Jesus. For the righteous requirement of the law will be fulfilled in us who walk (in conduct, in practice) no longer according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (see Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-21). And this is so that we, as one voice, can glorify God together. Amen!

Thus, when this says that we are to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, this is first of all speaking of us who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, who have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. This is speaking of us who are not letting sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions, but who are walking in obedience to our Lord in holy living, by the grace of God (Romans 6:1-23).

This is not teaching that we are to welcome those who are still living in sin into our fellowships. For, we would not be in harmony with one another, and we would not be able to glorify God together as one voice, because some are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin while others are walking in fellowship with Christ in obedience to his commands (New Covenant), in the power of God, to the glory of God. And we are not to be in fellowship with those who are still walking in darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

When I Go Home

By G. M. Eldridge

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…” Revelation 21:4

In the moment He appears

And the light from heaven shines,

I’ll forget ev’ry fear,

Ev’ry pain I’ll leave behind.

Then I’ll see Him as He is

And I’ll know Him as I’m known.

Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

Ever present is the tho’t 

That a moment waits for me

When unworthy as I am,

His glory I will see.

I will empty all my praise

Before my Father’s throne.

Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

If the trial I endure,

And your presence I can’t find,

Be near me, Lord, I pray,

Bring back unto my mind

That your promises are firm

And I’m never on my own.

Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z98Zvr1CyXg 

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