0513 BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER

BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER 

Paul was not quite done with his conversation about accepting one another, in spite of different convictions about non-essentials. So far, he has told us not to judge one another in our cultural standards. Do not judge, do not quarrel, do not treat with contempt, and accept one another. Strong words to guide our relationships and affirm our differences.

But he has one more angle on this matter before he leaves the topic. You see, it’s not just about Christians learning to be polite over differing opinions. Paul writes,

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 

Paul referenced the concept of someone’s faith being stronger or weaker in the previous chapter, but he didn’t spend much time explaining what it means for each person to be strong or weak in faith. So let’s start there.

The context of this conversation is God providing a righteousness that is not of the law. Remember how in the book of Acts the matter of Gentiles had come up multiple times in the early days of the church? And the first sticking point had been circumcision. It just seemed like an unfair shortcut to let Gentiles into the Kingdom without first going through the door of becoming Jewish. I mean, the Jews had been “the” chosen people for all these generations, called out to separate themselves from the rest of the world and to be holy unto the Lord. Eventually, God made his plans clear, and Gentiles were allowed in with a free pass—except to “abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. (Because Moses was known in every city.)” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭15:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let’s say that some years later in a distant city, some new Gentile believer was going through the markets, looking to buy enough meat to feed himself and some traveling stranger who was staying with him. He sees some meat that is on sale. It turns out, this was meat from an animal that had been sacrificed to an idol. The believer buys the meat, thanks God, feeds his guest, and doesn’t think much about it. 

That’s when some Jewish believer in that same church hears about it. Offended that this Gentile would be so cavalier about God’s standards, the Jewish believer brings it before the church elders. At this moment in church history, who would have the stronger faith—the one who believed that Gentiles could enter the kingdom while still eating meat that was on sale because it had been sacrificed to an idol? 

That’s right. The weaker faith says I have to contribute my part to meet the Lord as He is coming to save me. It takes a stronger faith to trust that God accepts me into the kingdom without doing some works along the way

Keep in mind, however, that the strength of a person’s faith is not the same as the spiritual disciplines of that person’s life. As a person matures in Christ, they may come to higher standards of giving, of serving or prayer. They may dedicate another aspect of their daily lives to the lordship of Christ and lay aside some of the things that were getting in their way. Now we are using the “strong” and “weak” terms, but applying them to disciplines, not to the strength of a person’s faith itself.

Is that confusing enough?  The point is that we are called to live at peace with one another, and nothing short of that will do. As Paul goes on to say,

Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:1-2, 7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

At this point, in a sense it doesn’t matter how we define terms. What matters is that we respect and affirm one another for whatever choices they are making in response to the Holy Spirit in their heart.

It is harder than we think. Maybe it is impossible, without supernatural love to guide us. The other guys are damaging the reputation of Christ on the earth, and endangering their own souls for eternity. Or it feels that way sometimes.

Each person must stand—alone—before the judgment seat of God and answer for their deeds done while in the body. At that moment, the questions will dissolve before those penetrating eyes, and there will be only one answer that counts. AMEN.