The weak and the strong

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Romans 12-16 are Paul’s ‘so what’ chapters. He’s given us a majestic sweep of God’s plans and his ultimate purpose for mankind – and our part in it. But that could leave us with full hearts, but inactive bodies. IN these chapters Paul applies what he’s been saying so far.

Remember these Christians in Rome had never met Paul. So he was writing to them on the basis of what he had heard about them and wanting to build them up both in their faith, their awareness of what God is up to and their lifestyle.

This is part of the lifestyle teaching and it is amazingly relevant for today.

The principles we find here speak to us about whether as Christians we should be vegetarians, whether we should drink alcohol, or which bars in town is it appropriate to be seen in and which not.

and particularly the things we do that speak to us most personally and powerfully about being distinctive as a Christian.

When I was growing up there were several things that card-carrying Christians just didn’t do – ever. Period. (e.g. going to cinema) [did you have any – talk to person next to you]

Today we enter the third chapter of application after the great doctrinal chapters of Romans 1-11. We begin Romans 14 and clearly the theme remains the same as in chapters 12 and 13: love your neighbour as you love yourself – because God loves both of you! (and if you’re new to all this you need to know that!>>>)

God’s diverse people (v1)

But the specific issue in this chapter is a challenge every church leader faces (most of the time) how can we hold together a church when some members are so different from each other. The way Paul sums up that difference is by saying that some are weak in faith and others are strong in faith.

We tend not to like phrases like that because it appears to put a delineation on different people’s faith – but this is exactly what Paul does here – and we need to ask what’s behind it .

Romans 14:1 Accept him who is weak without passing judgement on disputable matters.

It’s really important (before we run away with false ideas) that we spot what the Bible is saying here – and what it’s not saying.

• Paul is not talking about being weak-willed – a weakness of willpower,
• nor is he talking about weakness of character
• He’s talking about weakness of faith
• and this is most likely to indicate people whose faith hasn’t been strengthened yet by realising fully how much liberty Christ has given them!

It’s a weakness in confidence that your faith allows you to do certain things you might previously have avoided, or it gives you liberty not to do things you previously would have regarded as essential

An example for his day and one from ours.

Example from Paul’s day – circumcision.

• you didn’t have to be circumcised, but some people still did – just to be on the safe side.

Example from our day.

Suppose I have a friend who has just become a Christian – from an Islamic background. He and his wife have just come to faith

• They’re in the process of making all the wonderful discoveries about the fact that God really does love them, has a plan for their lives
• He and his wife come for a meal in our house – what do we feed them?
• I happen to know that he’s not sure about the whole hallal thing yet.
• Lashings of roast pork from Sainsburys? And do I say to his wife – you really don’t have to wear that hajib any more – you’ve been set free from all that stuff
• That would be rude and insensitive.
• So we go down to the Hallal shop in town to buy some meat for the meal and we make sure there’s no alcohol in the house so when he takes me on one side and says “is this a Hallal house” I can say “yes, my friend, it is” and he’s a peace, heaves a sigh of relief and we enjoy the evening together.

The principle that Paul is elucidating here is this

• a weakly developed faith is something that those who are stronger should regard graciously and compassionately.

In that scenario, my friend is the weaker brother and I am the stronger brother – so what should I do? Try to manipulate him out of his former habits? No! I should meet him on his terms.

• and by doing that I’m showing Christian love to him and his wife.

This tells us several things

<ppt> Christians with weaker or undeveloped faith should be accepted as full believers by everyone else in the church.

There are some things that are disputable and other things that aren’t. There are some things we can happily think differently about and others that are fundamental.

• We need to beware about passing judgement on other people – especially when we differ over something that isn’t central to being a Christian.

What about

The way we use our time. <ppt>

6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

E.g. ‘Sunday games’ as a child

E.g. I innocently remarked, while preaching, that I’d watched the news before coming to church. I was taken to ask by someone in the church who thought that was not right – Christians should avoid media like TV on the Lord’s day. (He’s sitting here today)

This is not a matter of faith, but for him it was a matter of example.

7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

So What?

• Respect the practices of other believers wherever their motive is to glorify God!

Paul gives some compelling reasons for accepting the weaker brother as a fully paid-up Christ-follower.

Why should we accept him?

[headings from JRWS]

Accept him because God has accepted him!

v3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them

The persona with the stronger faith shouldn’t look down his nose at the person with less developed faith – and conversely the person with less developed faith

BOTH require considerable strength of character

• both require us to be accepting of eachother.
• and both require us to chappenge our own presuppositions about what is acceptable and what isn’t!
• It’s always possible for the weaker-faithed brother to become a challenge to the liberties of the stronger brother and get his saying ‘hey, maybe my liberty has gone a bit far here!

Neither should condemn the other because God has accepted them both

because Christ died and rose to be the Lord of both (v4-9)

4 …Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Superficially we might wonder what this has go to do with weak and strong Christians – Until we realise a piece of background.

In the first century there were many people who owned slaves and servants.

• It was not acceptable for a person to make adverse comments about someone else’s servant
• “Your servant’s a bit of a jerk” – that would be outrageous!

So Paul is saying this – the weaker brother is a servant of his heavenly master (and yours) so you have no right to look down your nose at him! – That would be like criticising somebody else’s servant

The best way for us to work out what our attitude to other people should be is to determine what God’s attitude is to them!

Why should we accept him?

because he is my brother

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister?

In the church of Jesus Christ we have the strongest possible link – we’re siblings.

• The prayer pattern that Jesus taught us begins with ‘OUR Father’
• You can’t choose your relatives! >>>

What sort of judgement is he talking about here? Is he telling us that every sort of analysis or assessment is wrong? Am I to turn off my ability to analyse? Not at all!

The kind of judgement he’s talking about is censorious judgement. The kind that puts my fellow Christian in the dock and places me on the bench.

The kind of judgement that si there to put down and not to build up

That’s what we should avoid

Why should we accept the weaker brother?

because we will both be assessed by God

10 … Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgement seat. 11 It is written:

‘“As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.”’ (a quotation from Isaiah)

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Spiritual trip Hazards

Trip Hazards in church >>>

13 … Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling-block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

Trip hazards of cynicism and negativity. Trip hazards of broken promises and rudeness, Trip hazards of looking down on someone because of their background or their scruples

They damage lives! They’re trip hazards.

And Paul applies it in a fascinating way

14 … I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.

We’ve already seen how the weaker brother could be offended by the liberty of the stronger, but here Paul takes it even further –

There were certain ceremonial things that Christians felt they should avoid

15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.

This begs the question – How can I become a stronger Christian?

Two main principles

for a god-honouring church – Faith and Love

And they operate in different arenas

Everything should be done “from faith” (14:23).

Faith is the origin and the force behind what we do and who we are.

So I want my conscience (and yours) to be moulded by God’s word.

• so the principles in here (Bible) are naturally and joyfully worked out in here (heart)
• in what I say and do
• in the way I think
• in the way I relate to parents, siblings, children, fellow Chrostians – especially those who are the ‘weak brothers’!

Everything should be done ‘according to love’ (13:15)

Our fellow Christians are hugely different! (You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family!)

• Love covers over a multitude of faults
• Love helps me to forgive when I’ve been offended or recover when I’ve been hurt.

So in the fundamental things of being a Christian – faith is primary and we may not appeal to love as an excuse to deny essential faith

In non-essentials however, love is primary and we may not appeal to zeal for our faith to excuse failures in love.

Faith instructs our own conscience; love respects the consciences of others.

Faith gives liberty, love limits how far that liberty goes.

In essentials unity

In non-essentials liberty

In all things charity