WE CANNOT DO TO THE CHURCH WHAT IS FORBIDDEN AGAINST A BROTHER
Romans 14:15-23
15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 Therefore let us pursue the things that make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
1 Corinthians 8:9-13
9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?
11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for who Christ died?
12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
In no way would I advance the notion that those who refuse to worship with instruments are weak. Some who desire to worship with instruments often like to say that we are weak. But the claim that “freedom in Christ” justifies doing what is unauthorized and violates the consciences of brethren to the dividing of the church is unwarranted.
Using the principle of “whatever is true of the lesser is true of the greater” we cannot do to the Lord’s assembly what we cannot do to a fellow believer. We are not free to use our “freedom” to run over brethren. If this is true over personal disputable matters, then it is all the more true over things being openly introduced into the work and worship of the church for which there is no authority.
15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 Therefore let us pursue the things that make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
1 Corinthians 8:9-13
9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?
11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for who Christ died?
12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
In no way would I advance the notion that those who refuse to worship with instruments are weak. Some who desire to worship with instruments often like to say that we are weak. But the claim that “freedom in Christ” justifies doing what is unauthorized and violates the consciences of brethren to the dividing of the church is unwarranted.
Using the principle of “whatever is true of the lesser is true of the greater” we cannot do to the Lord’s assembly what we cannot do to a fellow believer. We are not free to use our “freedom” to run over brethren. If this is true over personal disputable matters, then it is all the more true over things being openly introduced into the work and worship of the church for which there is no authority.
posted by Johnny D. Hinton @ 5:08 PM
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