Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. (Rom 14:1)
With this statement Paul begins a long discourse on the importance of not letting disagreements interfere with our Christian unity. What are these disputable matters? Paul gives two examples. Some Christians in his day were evidently vegetarians because they thought it was morally wrong to eat meat. Others believed that Christians must keep the Jewish holy days. Contemporary examples might be drinking and going to R-rated movies. It is easy to see how such things can lead to disunity. If I see you doing something I think is wrong wouldn’t I be offended? Wouldn’t I try to convince you to stop? Before you know it we are consumed by the things that divide us and we have completely forgotten about the things that unite us. Paul warns us against that. If I have an opportunity to reason with you on these disputable matters I will. But it is far more important that I exhort you to lean in to God, to seek him with all your heart, to immerse yourself in his Word and in prayer. As we draw closer to God we automatically draw closer to each other. And, just maybe, God will one day nudge me toward the truth on a disputable matter where I have been mistaken. Lord, help us always to build each other up – to point each other to you. Remind me to keep the main thing the main thing and not let minor things sow discord among us. Amen.
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wide Open Spaces
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. (Ps 18:19)
David was in danger from his enemies – hemmed in, entangled, surrounded (v4-5). But God brought him out of that place and into a spacious place, where he could roam widely and freely, without fear. God rescued David because he delighted in him. David was the "man after God’s own heart.” But God delights in us, too. He rescues us all from sin and death. We, too, were entangled by cords of death, overwhelmed by torrents of destruction. We were powerless to resist and bereft of hope – until God stepped in. The light of truth pierced the darkness and we turned toward it. But before we could move to it, the light came to us. Our Heavenly Father plucked us from the snares of death and brought us into his Kingdom of Light. Now I sometimes feel ensnared, but I am bound only by my own fears. My freedom has already been won. I need only open my eyes to see that I am free.
David was in danger from his enemies – hemmed in, entangled, surrounded (v4-5). But God brought him out of that place and into a spacious place, where he could roam widely and freely, without fear. God rescued David because he delighted in him. David was the "man after God’s own heart.” But God delights in us, too. He rescues us all from sin and death. We, too, were entangled by cords of death, overwhelmed by torrents of destruction. We were powerless to resist and bereft of hope – until God stepped in. The light of truth pierced the darkness and we turned toward it. But before we could move to it, the light came to us. Our Heavenly Father plucked us from the snares of death and brought us into his Kingdom of Light. Now I sometimes feel ensnared, but I am bound only by my own fears. My freedom has already been won. I need only open my eyes to see that I am free.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Breaking Free
The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. (Pr 5:22-23)
Sin is a snare. The more we indulge in it, the more tightly it holds us. It takes discipline to stay out of the snare, and it is even harder to break free once we are in it. I don’t want anything to distract me from God and his calling on my life. Lord, by the power of your Spirit help me to break free of all my besetting sins and walk with you in discipline and righteousness.
Sin is a snare. The more we indulge in it, the more tightly it holds us. It takes discipline to stay out of the snare, and it is even harder to break free once we are in it. I don’t want anything to distract me from God and his calling on my life. Lord, by the power of your Spirit help me to break free of all my besetting sins and walk with you in discipline and righteousness.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Truth That Sets Us Free
If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. (Jn 8:31-32)
This reminds me of what I wrote the other day on Jn 7:17. We often quote v32 out of context. We’re not really his disciples unless we hold to his teaching. “Hold to” is also translated “abide” (NKJV) and “obey” (GNT). If we remain in, dwell in, continue in his Word, then we will truly be his disciples and only then will we truly know the truth. And we will not just know it; we will have been set free by it. (Free from sin!)
This reminds me of what I wrote the other day on Jn 7:17. We often quote v32 out of context. We’re not really his disciples unless we hold to his teaching. “Hold to” is also translated “abide” (NKJV) and “obey” (GNT). If we remain in, dwell in, continue in his Word, then we will truly be his disciples and only then will we truly know the truth. And we will not just know it; we will have been set free by it. (Free from sin!)
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