Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
The Apostle Paul is urging the believers to refrain from judging one another over inconsequential matters threatening to disrupt the harmony of the body of believers in the local church in Rome. Why does he have to repeat time and again throughout this chapter the same point? Why is he so longwinded? I believe this is a pertinent principle for the believers’ to learn for blessed church life.
God is doing a blessed work of sanctifying the lives of His people through the putting on of holiness in the believers’ life. May His children not impede the spiritual progress of God’s body by taking issue with the weak brother on inconsequential issues. Be willing to give deference one to another. Let Christian fellowship be sweet when the believers focus upon those things that work to build up one another in the faith.
The believers serve Christ and find approval in the company of God’s people by refraining from “bickering over inconsequential matters”as William MacDonald observes. He says well, “we should make every effort to maintain peace and harmony in the Christian fellowship. Instead of stumbling others by insisting on our rights, we should strive to build up others in their most holy faith.”
Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes
(Remember Now Thy Creator)
– In His Time
Ecclesiastes 3:11
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
The believer serves Christ by living a life of holiness before God. This is what counts in God’s sight as Solomon said at the conclusion of his evaluation of life in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
When one receives Jesus Christ into his life through repentance and faith towards God through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells such a one. In the sight of God, he is righteousness, the divide before him and God has been bridged by Jesus Christ’s atonement on the cross. He receives eternal life. His spiritual eyes are opened to understand spiritual things through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. He is now a child of the kingdom of God.
The Christians are exhorted to cultivate spiritual fruit their lives – to grow in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. He urged them not to be squabbling concerning differences in the physical aspects of life, scrutinizing and taking offense over one others’ eating habits. Rather focus on cultivating a strong walk with God through self-examination, confession of sins and obedience to God’s Word.
Acts 6:1-7 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
The Apostle Paul is asking the believer to guard his testimony that he is not charged by the weaker brother for being unkind and lack grace in accommodating his weakness. The weaker brother would understand that his weakness does not warrant such harsh treatment from a fellow believer.
What is Saving Faith?
The Westminster Confession of Faith, the best summary of the Christian faith in the English language states:
The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, [a] is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, [b] and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, [c] by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened. [d]
[a] Hebrews 10:39 “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
[b] 2 Corinthians 4:13 “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.”
Ephesians 1:17-19 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.”