Love's Convictions Romans 15:1-13

Text: “...Be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus, that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 15:5-6.

Good morning, Spirit-led Christian!  Because Christ has loved you - with all your weaknesses, faults, and failings - and loved you enough to lay down His very life for you upon the Cross; you are led by the Holy Spirit within you to love others who seem, perhaps, even weaker in faith than yourself.  This is what I call Love’s Convictions: a love within which reveals a strong outer conviction to love others as Christ loves us.  This could also be referred to as Spiritual love in action.  (James 2:26)  (John 13:34-35)

It is every true Christian’s reasonable duty and God-given responsibility to exercise a love towards weaker, more apparently vulnerable, brothers/sisters in any given Church group.  There is indeed one way of ensuring that we are consistently trying to exercise this true Christ like love.  (James 1:22)

This method entails a simple reminding oneself of one’s own personal weaknesses, faults and, if we are honest, frequent failings when compared - not to the local Pastor, not to a respected and otherwise Godly elder; nor to the Sunday-school teacher - but to the altogether Holy and truly perfect, Christ Himself.  (1 Peter 1:15-16)

Christ is God’s standard for us in all things, but especially in the area of righteousness - an asset of which we mere mortals are completely devoid.  (Romans 3:10) (Isaiah 64:6)

Therefore, when we are honest with ourselves as to our own personal and utter failure to match up to Christ’s perfection, we shall be more ready to receive the weaker, more apparently vulnerable, believers into our fellowship and to encourage them to be strong in the Lord.  (Matthew 7:1-5) (Galatians 6:2)

The Lord is bigger that all our pathetic problems, faults, and shortcomings; His grace is indeed all sufficient for us.  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!  Amen.  (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

However, with the above concept in mind, there is one thing we must not forget.  The Lord cannot abide blatant hypocrisy!  We must, therefore, be sure to follow closely the revealed instruction given to us in verse seven of this morning’s Bible reading.  We must be gracious in receiving other born again believers, knowing how gracious the Lord Jesus has been in receiving weak, Hell-deserving, sinners such as we.  (Romans 6:23)

If we can comprehend this concept more fully, and put it into practice as it pertains to other ‘weaker’ brothers/sisters, we shall in fact prove to ourselves that we possess a love which convicts.  A love which does not convict us into practical action is a love which is selfish, and useless as a means of bringing glory to the Lord God.  (1 John 4:7-8;21)

True convicting love is also exercised in plainly spoken rebukes to those who are seen to be either flaunting obvious weaknesses before a fault-finding world, or persisting in sin which is clearly open to the fellowship group and thus a hindrance to younger believers in the faith. (i.e. cigarette smoking!)  (1 Corinthians 6:12) 

Yet, convicting love rebukes, corrects in a spirit of Christ like meekness, and such corrective rebuke is given at all times in order to restore the offender to close fellowship with God and with the Church group.  It cannot be criticism for criticism’s sake!  (Galatians 6:1) (Romans 3:22-23)

With the present lesson in mind, let us therefore love on with convicting love, yet, ‘be there’ at great personal depth for each other, and for all those of ‘...like precious faith...’ in Christ Jesus.  Amen!  So be it, Lord.

Thought:  When searching for faults - search FIRST for your own!

Stumbling-Blocks? Romans 14:1-23

Text:  “...But judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.”

Romans 14:13.

Good morning, potential Christian stumbling-block!  Everyone who professes the Name of Christ Jesus as Saviour and Lord - the writer included - can be a potential ‘stumbling-block’ to other believers.

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  (Matthew 26:41)

Disputes and bickerings within the universal Body of Christ, the true Church, are one of the greatest causes of Spiritual hindrance today.  The Church desires to do great things in the service of our Redeemer King, Jesus the risen Christ, yet we find our power coming in short bursts instead of a steady flow of world-shaking energy which might threaten to turn the world upside down.

“And if a house (i.e. the Church) be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”  (Mark 3:25)

One section of the Church, the universal Body of Christ - all those truly born again of the Spirit of God; by grace alone; through faith alone; in the Cross of Christ Jesus alone - believes fervently in speaking in other tongues, while another believes Biblical ‘tongues’ are proper languages. 

One demands that women wear hats, and forbids females wearing ‘...clothes pertaining to the male...’.  The other welcomes women wearing trousers and devoid of any head-covering – believing that the woman’s hair is her ‘covering’. (Deuteronomy 22:5)     
(1 Corinthians 11:5-6)

One believes that The Lord’s Table should be administered every Lord’s Day, while another disagrees and administers The Lord’s Table once per month. 

Both believing groups of Christians reckon these differences in doctrinal interpretation to be serious issues of separation, and thus, the Body of Christ is divided over secondary doctrines, and consequently weakened against the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Each group of believers pray fervently, but their prayers may well be hindered, according to the Word of God.

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go  thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”  (Matthew 5:23-24)

“Likewise ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.  (1 Peter 3:7)

Anything that hinders the prayers of God’s people needs to be dealt with immediately, that the Church may go forth in God’s full strength and not in the strength of our own fallible flesh.

I believe today’s Bible passage deals with the need to have mutual respect for another Christian’s sincerely held beliefs - as long as that belief is not recognized heresy, or a denial of a fundamental doctrine of “...the faith once delivered unto the saints...”.  (Jude 3)

As our passage today clearly teaches: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” (V.19)

It is so easy to be a serious stumbling-block to Christian power and the vibrant growth of the universal Church.  It is much more difficult to build up than to tear down a believer’s faith in an unseen Lord God - for “...faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  (Hebrews 11:1)

However, as our selected text from Romans 14: instructs us, the Lord thinks it a serious matter when we, as Christians, “...put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in a brother/sister’s way.” (V.13)

With the above lesson in mind, therefore, let us seek to encourage each other in the Body of Christ, and pray unhindered prayers to God.  Let us pray unhindered prayers that we might all be built up in our God-given faith, by the Word of God, and by sound Christian support for each other in Christ’s Body, the Church.  Let us go forth in unified power and claim all for the glory of Christ Jesus.  (Romans 10:17) (Romans 16:27)

Thought: Are you a stumbling-block or a stepping-stone to faith?

Love's Conscience Romans 13:8-14

Text: “Owe to no man anything, but to love one another; for he/she that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law.”

Romans 13:8.

Good morning, loving Christian!  Your Christian love towards all men, no matter if they be friends or strangers, has been much noticed; and being noticed, has brought great glory to the Saviour’s holy Name.  Love on, beloved, fulfil the Law.  

(1 John 4:7-21)

In what way might the Christian fulfil God’s law by his/her practical loving?  What law exactly might be fulfilled?  To more fully comprehend our daily Bible readings it is very healthy to ask oneself such relevant questions as one goes along.  “Ask, and ye shall receive...” (Matthew 7:7-11)

The law spoken of here in Romans 13: is, of course, God’s Ten Commandments to us.  These Ten Commandments can be found in the book of Exodus, chapter 20:1-17.

It is only through Spiritually imparted love that a person can even attempt to keep these Commandments.  In fact, I believe God gave them to Moses in the first place to prove to mankind the fact that he/she was incapable of keeping them; even while being implored of God the Holy Spirit to do so!  (John 15:4-5) (Ephesians 4:30-32)

The natural (unregenerate) man/woman loves not his/her Creator Lord, and is naturally disobedient to Him.  (1 Corinthians 2:12-16) (Job 14:4) (Romans 7:24-25) (Romans 8:7)

That is why we must, of an absolute necessity, be born again of God the Holy Spirit.  We MUST receive God the Spirit within us - otherwise we can never hope to really love our friends, never mind our enemies!  (Matthew 5:44-48)

Therefore, the primary step to successfully fulfilling God’s law is the new birth, Spiritual Regeneration; being ‘...born again...’ of God.  Then, and only then, can we begin to love God, and learn to love one another with purity of motive and purpose. (John 3:3-8)              (1 Corinthians 13:)

Christ summed up His way of fulfilling God’s Commandments by condensing the Ten Commandments into Two Commandments, as it were; Two Commandments which are based on this morning’s Bible theme of Spiritual love.  (Matthew 22:36-40)

To even try to be faithful in obeying these Two Commandments, is to manifest a Supernatural nature which has its conscience rooted firmly in love.

Look again at the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17.  The first four Commandments are primarily directed towards love for God, and instruct us in the manner we must worship Him if, indeed, we truly love Him   (i.e. His Way!)  Christ simply teaches us to love the Lord our God with our all. (Exodus 20:3-11) (John 14:6)

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”  (Matthew 22:37) (Psalm 32:11)

There then follows six further Commandments which are all directed towards our fellow man/woman.  We are to have a conscience towards all others grounded firmly in unselfish love for them. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”(Matthew 22:39) (1 John 4:20-21)

If we truly love our neighbours, we will not steal their possessions; take away their lives; covet their wives; be envious of their achievements, etc., etc.

True Spiritual love fulfils all these God-given Commandments (to the very best of one’s abilities) - and, in this Spiritual manner, fulfils God’s Law.

“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:40)  (Galatians 6:2)

Love on then, Christian!  God, the Holy Spirit, within you IS love’s conscience.

Thought:  She/he loves the best, who loves Love the most - for God is Love.