Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
There's a difference between being chided for not living the life of an uncompromising Christian and that of accepting the weak faith of a Christian.
For the past years, I'm firmly believed the need for us to live uncompromising lives. Since the time before I entered the military service, I've often heard the many lame excuses for individuals to grow cold spiritually or to compromise their behaviour because of the crude and rough environment which every military male was made to go through. It is really a crappy excuse which we often use in our life for compromising our stand at army, school or work because it is just pushing the blame for sinning like Adam did over the eating of the fruit of knowledge - "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it"
Let's be clear about one thing, at the end of our life on earth, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Today, how you wander off stubbornly or cautiously tread inside the perfect will of God is a decision of your choice and of your own free will, therefore it is something that you have to answer alone before God.
However, this passage in Romans tells us of how Paul instructs the church of Romans to accept the believers whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. The key condition here is disputable matters. When we ask around in church about matters such as worship, as an example, we always end up with so many different perspectives. What's worst is when we do a cross-critial analysis of what is being done in different churches and unnecessary commentary come fast and furious. Paul clearly describes that one man considers one day more sacred than another, thus who is to say that what disputable issue which I'm convinced of is 100% applicable to your conviction?
Over the past week or so, I've been rather disturbed by a couple of people and instead of addressing it directly as I would in my younger days, I found myself being filled with a more moderate and deliberate spirit that I assume comes with a mellowness of age, and I hope, wisdom of age. I'm rationalising more and trying to come to grip with a balance needed to confront the uncompromising attitudes needed with the releasing of my conviction over what may well be a disputable issue which doesn't need my passing judgement.
I don't profess to have come to terms with how I'm going to deal with the situation but I'm really glad that I wasn't given the chance to jump at the situation earlier and be given time and scripture to be reminded of the need to bring praise to God through the act of accepting those who are weak in faith, just as Christ accepted me with all my corruptness and sinful blemishes.
At the end of the day, we work not for the good or extenion of the kingdom of God, but according to the master's instructions. Jesus says "The sheep hear His voice; and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out". May the words of my mouth and the passing judgement be of my master and not of my own conviction, that it would result in God being praised and glorified.
blessings,
M.
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1)
23 September 2007
Accepting the Weak in Faith
Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
There's a difference between being chided for not living the life of an uncompromising Christian and that of accepting the weak faith of a Christian.
For the past years, I'm firmly believed the need for us to live uncompromising lives. Since the time before I entered the military service, I've often heard the many lame excuses for individuals to grow cold spiritually or to compromise their behaviour because of the crude and rough environment which every military male was made to go through. It is really a crappy excuse which we often use in our life for compromising our stand at army, school or work because it is just pushing the blame for sinning like Adam did over the eating of the fruit of knowledge - "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it"
Let's be clear about one thing, at the end of our life on earth, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Today, how you wander off stubbornly or cautiously tread inside the perfect will of God is a decision of your choice and of your own free will, therefore it is something that you have to answer alone before God.
However, this passage in Romans tells us of how Paul instructs the church of Romans to accept the believers whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. The key condition here is disputable matters. When we ask around in church about matters such as worship, as an example, we always end up with so many different perspectives. What's worst is when we do a cross-critial analysis of what is being done in different churches and unnecessary commentary come fast and furious. Paul clearly describes that one man considers one day more sacred than another, thus who is to say that what disputable issue which I'm convinced of is 100% applicable to your conviction?
Over the past week or so, I've been rather disturbed by a couple of people and instead of addressing it directly as I would in my younger days, I found myself being filled with a more moderate and deliberate spirit that I assume comes with a mellowness of age, and I hope, wisdom of age. I'm rationalising more and trying to come to grip with a balance needed to confront the uncompromising attitudes needed with the releasing of my conviction over what may well be a disputable issue which doesn't need my passing judgement.
I don't profess to have come to terms with how I'm going to deal with the situation but I'm really glad that I wasn't given the chance to jump at the situation earlier and be given time and scripture to be reminded of the need to bring praise to God through the act of accepting those who are weak in faith, just as Christ accepted me with all my corruptness and sinful blemishes.
At the end of the day, we work not for the good or extenion of the kingdom of God, but according to the master's instructions. Jesus says "The sheep hear His voice; and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out". May the words of my mouth and the passing judgement be of my master and not of my own conviction, that it would result in God being praised and glorified.
blessings,
M.
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1)
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
There's a difference between being chided for not living the life of an uncompromising Christian and that of accepting the weak faith of a Christian.
For the past years, I'm firmly believed the need for us to live uncompromising lives. Since the time before I entered the military service, I've often heard the many lame excuses for individuals to grow cold spiritually or to compromise their behaviour because of the crude and rough environment which every military male was made to go through. It is really a crappy excuse which we often use in our life for compromising our stand at army, school or work because it is just pushing the blame for sinning like Adam did over the eating of the fruit of knowledge - "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it"
Let's be clear about one thing, at the end of our life on earth, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Today, how you wander off stubbornly or cautiously tread inside the perfect will of God is a decision of your choice and of your own free will, therefore it is something that you have to answer alone before God.
However, this passage in Romans tells us of how Paul instructs the church of Romans to accept the believers whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. The key condition here is disputable matters. When we ask around in church about matters such as worship, as an example, we always end up with so many different perspectives. What's worst is when we do a cross-critial analysis of what is being done in different churches and unnecessary commentary come fast and furious. Paul clearly describes that one man considers one day more sacred than another, thus who is to say that what disputable issue which I'm convinced of is 100% applicable to your conviction?
Over the past week or so, I've been rather disturbed by a couple of people and instead of addressing it directly as I would in my younger days, I found myself being filled with a more moderate and deliberate spirit that I assume comes with a mellowness of age, and I hope, wisdom of age. I'm rationalising more and trying to come to grip with a balance needed to confront the uncompromising attitudes needed with the releasing of my conviction over what may well be a disputable issue which doesn't need my passing judgement.
I don't profess to have come to terms with how I'm going to deal with the situation but I'm really glad that I wasn't given the chance to jump at the situation earlier and be given time and scripture to be reminded of the need to bring praise to God through the act of accepting those who are weak in faith, just as Christ accepted me with all my corruptness and sinful blemishes.
At the end of the day, we work not for the good or extenion of the kingdom of God, but according to the master's instructions. Jesus says "The sheep hear His voice; and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out". May the words of my mouth and the passing judgement be of my master and not of my own conviction, that it would result in God being praised and glorified.
blessings,
M.
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1)
