STUMBLING Block or BUILDING Block
? ... WEIGHING our Witness on CHRIST'S Divine Scales
Are we a Stumbling Block or a
Building Block to Young Christians ?
Are we causing weakened, young, or
new Christians to STUMBLE or to be EDIFIED by our actions or …
·
by our words ?
·
by our countenance ?
·
by our attitudes ?
Is what they SEE in us drawing
them closer to CHRIST JESUS ?
Is what they see us doing
REMINDING them of The LORD ?
Is what they see in us bringing
CONVICTION upon them... without us speaking a word ?
If NOT, then we need to change
something we are doing.
Is our walk so full of
"freedom" from the "Law" that our freedoms cause a young or
weak brother to stumble ?
Does our "freedom" wound
the conscience of a weakened brother, causing him to think that self-indulgence
is okay with The LORD ?
Weak brothers, as the Apostle
Paul terms them, may NOT necessarily be "weak" because they do not
love CHRIST JESUS.
They may have wounded hearts.
These wounds may stem from
circumstances over which they had no control as a babe, child, or youth.
Oftentimes, such wounded ones
STRUGGLE every day with trying to "be normal" or "be
happy."
Even though they have turned to
CHRIST with all they know, they may
have wounds that simply have not
been healed yet, in the timing of The
LORD.
We older ones in CHRIST realize
that those deep inner healings come
as we
pick up our Cross and walk with The LORD JESUS, daily.
As we eradicate sinful acts AND
ATTITUDES from our lives, The LORD
strengthens us to live deeper in CHRIST.
When we go deeper in CHRIST
JESUS, then the healings come.
For each of us, HE+ calls us to
walk in the ways of righteousness with Our LORD.
No, we DO NOT FOCUS on our
"healings." Rather, we FOCUS
on CHRIST HIMSELF+. We strive to please
HIM+ in act and attitude.
When we fail, we repent.
HE+ LOVES HONESTY. When HE+ sees our inner honesty... then …
HE+ picks us up, cleans the dirt
off, and lovingly says,
" Next time, do it MY+ way."
Just like the 10 lepers that
were healed in Luke 17, as we GO TOWARDS GOD,
HE+ heals us !
Marvelous! There is nothing we have done to
"earn" our healing... just like the 10 lepers.
·
We simply MEET JESUS.
·
We acknowledge with
everything that is within us that HE+ is indeed MASTER.... JESUS MASTER+ .
·
We ask HIM+ for mercy.
·
We listen for His+ Word
to us.
THEN WE OBEY HIM+ !
And, as we walk along that path
of obedience --- ALWAYS GOING TOWARDS THE LORD --- HE+ brings the
healing.
Thus, those weakening and
draining wounds we have carried so long gradually are healed as we make it a
point to walk closely with CHRIST JESUS
daily, picking up our Cross.
Then, we can hear HIM+ clearer. We have authority and freedom when we are
freed from sin.
Then we have some privileges and
responsibilities because Our FATHER knows HE can trust us with them.
HOWEVER ... it is those "freedoms" that the Apostle Paul was warning us about
using .
The freedom and authority
addressed in 1 Corinthians 8 was being able to eat meat, flesh, which had been
sacrificed to idols and then sold in the market place.
Some Christians knew they could
cleanse the meat, spiritually, and thus were NOT eating corrupted flesh. Their
conscience was clear.
Some, however, seeing them do
this, thought it was "a thing allowed" ... when really, it was NOT
CLEAN before GOD. The weaker brother did not realize the TOTAL
situation, and thus, he was made to stumble into sin.
He was only trying to "be
normal" or "be happy," just like he saw OTHER Christians do or
be.
In our day, what if we should see
a pastor or upstanding Christian walk into a bar or tavern?
A young Christian might not
realize that he was going there to rescue
his neighbor from drink. The young or
new Christian might think the pastor was going to "un-wind" with his
friends ... so it must be okay for him to do to this, too... at the local bar.
An older Christian might have been
delivered from lust of the flesh, so he has the "freedom" to attend a
swimming party with friends and family.
He himself will not fall into sin if he attends.
However... if a younger Christian
who has NOT fought the battle with lust of the flesh sees him attending, what
will he think ?
The ladies will be there in
skimpy, form-fitting swim wear which is seldom modest. The men will be scantily dressed also, to
show their fine forms.
Yes, they are friends and family,
but lust feasts on revealed flesh, regardless to whom it belongs.
The younger or weaker Christian
will think this:
"This must not be wrong to do
because THAT older CHRISTIAN is attending. So I can go with my friends and
family to the swimming pool ( lake, party, hole, etc.). "
Thus, following the example of the
"freed" Christian, the younger, weaker brother is put
in harm's way and his conscience is made weaker and even wounded.
Thus, let us spiritually
WEIGH the witness we are ABOUT TO GIVE
when we do things.
Not only is our witness to the
world, but also, our witness and responsibility is to younger or weaker
brethren.
Why should we think about them ?
BECAUSE CHRIST DOES.
Hear the Scriptures.
I Corinthians 8
8:9
But take heed lest by any means
this liberty of yours
become a stumblingblock
to them that are weak.
8:11
And through thy knowledge
shall the weak brother perish,
for whom CHRIST died?
8:12
But when ye sin so against the brethren,
and wound their weak conscience,
ye sin against CHRIST.
+ + +
Brethren, let us
not sin against CHRIST with our “freedom.”
Let us always walk in agapA love
towards the young, the weak, and the new Christian.
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