The Unity of the Chruch and the Belivers in it Part 2
Notes
Transcript
In His New Covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ has granted marvelous freedom to those who belong to Him by faith.
Most importantly, we are freed from the penalty of sin, from spiritual death and eternal damnation.
But Christians also are freed from the encumbrances of the ceremonial law and dietary restrictions of the Old Covenant.
Apart from sin, we are completely free to enjoy all the good gifts that God has so graciously bestowed on those who trust in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
In these eleven verses, the apostle mentions a number of principles, each given in negative form, that serve as guidelines for all Christians.
The principles are closely related and sometimes overlap, but they seem to fall into six general categories
Don’t Cause Your Brother to Stumble (v14)
Don’t Cause Your Brother to Stumble (v14)
Once again we start a passage of by building on what we have already looked at.
This one is referring to the previous verses that tells us what we should be doing for and to help our brothers and sister.
This verse is a building block on that saying now that we know what to do let’s look at what not to do.
This verse has 2 very explicit commands the first Don’t Judge other.
This is the job of God Himself it is His choice and His right as the one who created us.
God see the whole picture of a person while we only see small snip-its of them.
The second thing it says do not be a stumbling block for the other christians around us. (nates story)
Don’t Grieve Your Brother (vv 14-15a)
Don’t Grieve Your Brother (vv 14-15a)
The second way to build up fellow believers without offending them is to be careful not to say or do anything that might cause them to be spiritually grieved or hurt.
As we have said Paul was a very devote Pharisee and was very strict in what He ate and did not eat.
But here He is saying that through divine revelation that nothing was unclean.
But what he is saying here is that if a brother wants to keep the standards they had before they converted let them keep them it is not hurting their witness and it is not something to fight over.
Don’t Devastate Your Brother (v 15b)
Don’t Devastate Your Brother (v 15b)
This one is much like the previous one but much more stern.
The word here destroy is the greek word Apollumi which refers to utter devastation.
The idea is not of extinction, but ruin, loss, not being.
It does not mean to cause his damnation but to seriously devastate their spiritual growth.
It is also important to note that here it says the ones Christ died for which is meaning other believers.
Don’t Forfeit Your Witness (vv 16-19)
Don’t Forfeit Your Witness (vv 16-19)
Our relationship with Christ should be more than fire insurance.
Do not let the liberty that we have in Christ become something that we take advantage of.
We have liberty in Christ not in ourself’s
Don’t Pull Down The Work of God (vv 20-21)
Don’t Pull Down The Work of God (vv 20-21)
This simply means we cannot tear down the work of others if we don’t like it.
Not everyone worships the same way we do.
If someone else likes having long hair and riding their bike to church don’t tear them down for not wearing a suit and tie to chruch.
Not everyone worships in the same way and that fine.
Don’t Denounce or Flaunt Your Liberty (vv 22-23)
Don’t Denounce or Flaunt Your Liberty (vv 22-23)
Be grateful for what you have and don’t flaunt it around thinking your better than anyone else.
Tell singer story.