Tag Archives: stumbling block

A HIGHER LAW

Bible Study, ,

A HIGHER LAW

“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, to that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer eating in love. Do not by your eating, destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know to be good be spoken of as evil.” Romans 14:12-16.

In the end, it’s not about me. It’s about you.

If I cling stubbornly to my rights and not consider yours, I may, in the end, destroy your faith instead of building you up.

This is the responsibility of the one who is strong in faith and free of rituals and taboos because he sees that nothing in the physical world has the power to affect his spirit. However, the strong one does not have the right to beat a weaker person with his freedom if the one weaker in faith does not think the same way. What we believe depends on how our conscience has been shaped from childhood.

Imagine, for example, how difficult it must have been for the first Jewish believers to set aside their scruples about not eating with Gentiles, or even entering their homes, for that matter. They were taught from babyhood to believe that it was wrong to mix with “unclean” people. To them, Gentiles were unclean because they did not carry out all the purification rituals of the Jewish faith.

What about the Gentiles? Most of them would have been idol worshippers. They had their own beliefs and rituals, not the least being the power that the gods, represented by their idols, had over their lives. Meat offered to the gods was sold at the meat market to be eaten at home. How much power did that meat have over them when they ate it? It all depended on what they believed.

It was difficult for these different groups of people to shed their beliefs and embrace the truth instead that Jesus Christ had set them free from these things to worship God alone because He is the only one with power over their lives. It did not happen instantaneously when they believed.  It was a gradual process that happened as they renewed their minds with the truth. There were many “young” believers who still had scruples about doing or not doing the things that belonged to their old lives.

In the end, it is fear that holds a person in bondage to his old practices; fear that, if he lets them go, something bad will happen to him. That’s how Satan keeps a person in bondage. Satan deceives him into believing that he has power over him and he has, as long as the person goes on believing his lies. However, Jesus exposed the lie that Satan is lord and defeated the devil through the cross. Until that truth replaces Satan’s deception, that person will be held captive to the false belief and go on living as though it were true.

However, the person who has been set free from his false beliefs must remember that he lives by a higher law – the law of love. He must not use his freedom as a weapon against someone who still struggles with his weak conscience. Since he is free from false scruples, he is also free not to parade his freedom in front of others who have a weak conscience. Instead, he can quietly abstain in the presence of a weaker brother or sister so as not to offend them.

Paul concluded:

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification.” Romans 14:17-19.

There you have it! Once again, in simple and practical terms, it’s about doing the right thing to benefit others more than ourselves. This attitude requires confidence in God. It is not our job to fix others who are not as far along on the journey of faith as we are. Jesus is their Master too. He is perfecting them just as surely as He is perfecting us. We can trust Him to do His work of grace in their lives without our help.

Our task is to administer grace where and when we can, and not the least by having a gracious attitude towards those who are behind us on the way.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A Higher Law

Bible Study, , ,

A HIGHER LAW

“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, to that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer eating in love. Do not by your eating, destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know to be good be spoken of as evil.” Romans 14:12-16.

In the end, it’s not about me. It’s about you.

If I cling stubbornly to my rights and not consider yours, I may, in the end, destroy your faith instead of building you up.

That’s the responsibility of the one who is strong in faith and free of rituals and taboos because he sees that nothing in the physical world has the power to affect his spirit. But the strong one does not have the right to beat a weaker person with his freedom if he or she does not think the same way. It depends on how a person’s conscience has been shaped from childhood.

Imagine, for example, how difficult it must have been for the first Jewish believers to set aside their scruples about not eating with Gentiles, or even entering their homes, for that matter. They were taught from babyhood to believe that it was wrong to mix with “unclean” people. To them, Gentiles were unclean because they did not carry out all the purification rituals of the Jewish faith.

And what about the Gentiles? Most of them would have been idol worshippers. They had their own beliefs and rituals, not the least being the power that the gods, represented by their idols, had over their lives. Meat offered to the gods was sold off at the meat market to be eaten at home. How much power did that meat have over them when they ate it? It all depended on what they believed.

It was difficult for these different groups of people to shed their beliefs and embrace the truth instead that Jesus Christ had set them free from these things to worship God alone because He is the only one with power over their lives. It did not happen instantaneously when they believed.  It was a gradual process that happened as they renewed their minds with the truth. There were many “young” believers who still had scruples about doing or not doing the things that belonged to their old lives.

In the end, it is fear that holds a person in bondage to his old practices; fear that, if he lets them go, something bad will happen to him. That’s how Satan keeps a person in bondage. He deceives him into believing that he has power over him and he has, as long as he goes on believing his lies. But Jesus exposed and defeated the devil through the cross. Until that truth replaces Satan’s deception, that person will be held captive to the false belief and go on living as though it were true.

However, the person who has been set free from his false beliefs must remember that he lives by a higher law – the law of love. He must not use his freedom as a weapon against someone who still struggles with his weak conscience. Since he is free from false scruples, he is also free not to parade his freedom in front of others who are not yet free. Instead, he can quietly abstain in the presence of a weaker brother or sister so as not to offend them.

Paul concluded:

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification.” Romans 14:17-19.

There you have it! Once again, in simple and practical terms, it’s about doing the right thing to benefit others more than ourselves. This attitude requires confidence in God. It is not our job to fix others who are not as far along on the journey of faith as we are. Jesus is their Master too. He is perfecting them just as surely as He is perfecting us. We can trust Him to do His work of grace in their lives without our help.

Our task is to administer grace where and when we can, and not the least by having a gracious attitude towards those who are behind us on the way.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

On Or Under The Rock?

Bible Study, , , ,

ON OR UNDER THE ROCK?

“What, then, shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as a way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

As it is written:

“See I lay in Zion a stone                                                                                                                   that causes people to stumble                                                                                                         and a rock that makes them fall,                                                                                                   and the one who believes in Him                                                                                                       will never be put to shame.”

Romans 9:30-33.

Isn’t the imagery of the Bible beautiful? Jesus…a rock? This statement conjures up all kinds of mental pictures about the one in whom we are called to put our trust.

Bedrock – strong, stable and immovable, a solid foundation upon which to build a life; cornerstone – holding the building together, giving strength to the structure; stumbling stone – causing people to trip and fall because they will not accept the truth of who He is; cleft rock out of whom flows living water like the water from the rock that satisfied the thirst of the children of Israel in the desert; crushing rock that destroys those who refuse to believe in Him; mighty rock in a barren land that gives shade and shelter to those who hide in its shadow.

Elizabeth Clephane – (1830-1869) – captured the spirit of these beautiful thoughts in her hymn:

“Beneath the cross of Jesus                                                                                                                 I fain would take my stand,                                                                                                             The shadow of a mighty rock                                                                                                           Within a weary land;                                                                                                                           A home within the wilderness,                                                                                                            A rest upon the way,                                                                                                                 From the burning of the noontide heat,                                                                                           And the burden of the day.”

http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh297.sht

Why did the Jews stumble over Jesus? They thought they knew better. Isn’t that the reason why people still stumble over Him today? For whatever reason – religion; childhood traditions; beliefs they have accumulated through misunderstood life experiences – they choose to believe their own beliefs rather than the truth.

What is it about Jesus that causes people to stumble? The cross!

“Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” 1 Corinthians 1:23.

Both Jews and Gentiles missed it. The Jews expected a warrior Messiah, disposing of the Romans with mighty acts as He did when He delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. A crucified Messiah was abhorrent to them! They missed the bigger picture – slavery to sin and death and the greater deliverance their Messiah came to bring. They tried so hard to gain acceptance with God through their puny efforts at righteousness, only to miss it because righteousness is a gift given to us at Jesus’ expense.

 

The Gentiles missed it because God’s wisdom made no sense. Their gods had to be magical and powerful, yet manageable… and visible and plural because one god couldn’t do everything. They needed to manipulate them to serve their own ends so they created them in their image. A God who was invisible and spiritual and loving was too much for their minds, so they also tripped over the rock.

The problem is that those who fall over the rock will one day fall under the rock. The only safe place is on the rock!

Acknowledgement

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Stumbling Block

Bible Study, ,

STUMBLING BLOCK

“When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was able to give all his time to preaching and teaching, doing everything he could to persuade the Jews that Jesus was in fact God’s Messiah. But no such luck. All they did was argue contentiously and contradict him at every turn. Totally exasperated, Paul had finally had it with them and gave it up as a bad job. ‘Have it your way, then,’ he said. ‘You’ve made your bed, now lie on it. From now on I’m spending my time with the other nations.’

“He walked out and went to the home of Titius Justus, a God-fearing man who lived right next to the Jews’ meeting place. But Paul’s efforts with the Jews weren’t a total loss, for Crispus, the meeting place president, put his trust in the Master. His entire family believed with him.” Acts 18:5-8 (The Message).

Paul’s ministry to the Jews was like trying to wring blood out of a stone. The same stubborn resistance and unbelief that frustrated God through their entire history was still in them. It seemed that there were few Jews who responded, wherever Paul went, until he was forced to shake the dust off his feet and turn to those who welcomed him and received his message with enthusiasm. I guess, had Paul not had a face-to-face encounter with Jesus that shook him out of his stubborn unbelief, he might not have been where he was, doing what he was doing.

How did God weave this wholesale rejection into His plan for the salvation of the nations? Would these Jewish missionaries have so readily gone to the Gentiles had the Jews responded in greater numbers? As difficult as it was for Paul to accept the persecution he experienced at the hands of his fellow-countrymen, it was all in the plan of God to make Himself known to the nations to the ends of the earth.

Try as he might, as he went from city to city, he could not persuade the Jews that Jesus was their Messiah. What was the stumbling block? The cross! The very reason why God could invite His people into His presence, apart from the rituals that they had so come to trust, was the reason why they rejected Him in the end. They could not accept a crucified “criminal” as their Messiah, resurrection or no resurrection.

Paul understood this and he also understood that God in His sovereignty used this very rejection to open the door for Gentiles to hear the same saving message.

“Again I ask; Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious…Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” Romans 11:11-12; 22 (NIV).

Did God make the Jews rebellious and unbelieving? No, it was their choice. But God, in His sovereignty, used what they were to fulfil His purpose for the world. At the same time, He didn’t cast them off as rejects. In spite of those who believe and propagate that God is finished with the Jews, that is not what the Bible says.

“As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

“Just as you who were one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so now they too have become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all.” Romans 11:28-32 (NIV).

Beware!

Christian Life, , ,

BEWARE!

“He said to His disciples, ‘Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on! Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time.'” Luke 17:1,2 (The Message).

Do we ever ignore this warning! Why is it that we fall into this trap so easily? We live in an interactive world. No-one is an island, and no-one functions in isolation. It was God’s intention to create an entire universe that functioned together as one as the greatest expression of His nature.

God is one – echad, unity in diversity. There are sects and religions that take pride in their ‘monotheism’, denying the plurality of the Godhead from the mistaken idea that one God implies a single entity rather that a unity of essence and nature. The name, God, is a term that refers to a species, in the same way as ‘man’ or ‘dog’ refers to a species. Within the species are a myriad varieties but their essence is the same.

There are many gods in the world but they are the creation of man’s imagination and are therefore the reflection of human nature. They are often cruel, capricious, unpredictable, dictatorial and demanding. But, according to the Bible, “This is what the Lord says – Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty.’I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who is like me?'” Isaiah 44:6.7a (NIV).

God’s being is expressed in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are one in nature and essence but separate and distinct with different functions, one in purpose, not three gods, but one God. Jesus could say, even in His earthly human form, “‘I and the Father are one,’ and of the Holy Spirit He said, ‘But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth…He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.'” John 16:13,15 (NIV).

What is the implication? When God created man in His image, He made a being that was one with Himself, reflecting His nature and fulfilling His purpose, to be part of a unified universe that reflects His nature and glorifies Him.

Therefore, like the issue of adultery which we have already discussed, to do anything that disrupts that unity is to challenge the power that holds the universe together. What happens between individuals sets a chain reaction in motion that affects families, communities and nations.

Man chose to violate than unity when he followed the lies of the devil at the beginning. Now we live in a world that has been torn apart by disunity. Selfishness, greed and wickedness rip families and communities apart and create misery and suffering everywhere. Take for example the wars that have decimated nations and are still destroying people’s lives today. Nations on every continent are at war, ruining cities, tearing up society and devastating families. Why? Selfishness and greed!

Yet Jesus warned, ‘Don’t you be the cause of it.’ He takes this matter so seriously that He said it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a grinding stone around his neck than to put a stumbling block in the way of the nobodies, the ones He called ‘the little ones’.

To do that, wittingly or unwittingly, is to deny the very nature of God which does no harm to Him but does terrible damage and destruction to us. We are only fully human when we are one with the Creator of the universe, and that takes the miracle of God’s forgiveness and grace, through Jesus Christ, to begin the process.

But it’s your choice…