With One Voice Glorify God

“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.” (Romans 15:1-7 ESV)

Now, it is important if we can read this passage of Scripture in the context of chapter 14, for this is just a continuation from the previous chapter. Remember here that when Romans was written, it was one whole letter, and it did not have chapters and verses. And like with any letter someone might send to us, we should read the whole letter so that we get the appropriate context of what is being stated in the letter. Otherwise, if we read only parts of the letter, we might misinterpret what the writer was saying.

So, with regard to the subject of the weak and of the strong in faith, the weak in faith, in this context, were those who were not able to accept that by Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on that cross that he did away with all the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, and dietary laws and restrictions. So some of them were holding on to the Old Covenant dietary restrictions and to the keeping of the Sabbath, and perhaps to some of the ceremonial laws. And they were these who were regarded as those who were weak in the faith.

But, then this became an area of contention between some who felt as though they still had to obey some of the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial and dietary laws, while others, who were stronger in their faith, had the freedom to eat whatever they wanted to eat, and they had the freedom to regard all days alike. For now the temple of God dwelt within the followers of Christ, and the body of believers in Christ were meeting daily for prayer, fellowship, communion, the teaching of the word, and ministry.

And so the Christians were being encouraged here to not pass judgment on one another, for both groups were doing what they were doing in honor of the Lord and in thanksgiving to the Lord. And they were being encouraged to pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. They were not, for the sake of food, to destroy the work of the Lord, and they were not to put a stumbling block in one another’s pathway. So, if one who had the freedom to eat anything was with one who didn’t, he was to not eat in offense to them.

Therefore, when we then read in chapter 15 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 of those who are living righteously bearing with the sinful failings of the spiritually weak who are still regularly giving in to sin. This is not about sin! This is about what chapter 14 talks about and what I just summarized above. The “failings” being spoken of here are of those who did not yet accept the liberty that they were given related to food and days.

And this also means that this is not suggesting that we live in harmony with those who are spiritually living in open rebellion against the Lord and against his New Covenant commands. We live in harmony with other Christians in areas that are matters of differences in opinion over things that don’t matter for our salvation and our eternal life with God. But we never make compromise with the truth of the gospel and matters of righteousness, holiness, godliness, moral purity, honesty, faithfulness and obeying our Lord.

For we can truly only be one voice together if we are following after the biblical Jesus and his gospel message, which is also the message that his NT apostles taught, if taught and if understood in their appropriate context. For if you remove the Scriptures from their context, and you try to teach them out of context, you may be in danger of misinterpreting them and of teaching what is false and not the truth. And many people are doing this deliberately, for their aim is to deceive and to lead people astray.

And the gospel which was taught by Jesus and by his NT apostles had as its central focus that Jesus Christ died on that cross in putting our sins to death with him so that, by faith in him, we would die with him to sin and now live to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to the Lord and to his commands in holy living, and no longer in sinful practices. And that gospel also taught that if we continue living in sin, and not in walks of obedience to our Lord, that we who say we believe will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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