Love Does Not Insist On Its Own Way - Individually

(Back to Study Home Page)   (Sermon March 11, 2007)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)    (Back to Shultz Home Page)

March 11, 2007 - 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:5b

Though the lesson is from 1 Corinthians, this study is from Romans 14:13-23 that teaches the same principle.

Open It

  1. What do you do when a homeless person asks you for money?

  2. When have you refused to eat something that was put before you?

Explore It

  1. What should we do instead of judging fellow Christians? (14:13)

  2. What was Paul's personal belief about unclean foods? (14:14)

  3. What consideration should a Christian give to the opinions of fellow believers on controversial matters? (14:14-15)

  4. When should a Christian defer to another Christian's beliefs? (14:15-16)

  5. What is the true focus of the kingdom of God? (14:17-18)

  6. What is a Christian's responsibility for building peace among the other believers? (14:19-21)

  7. How should concern for other believers affect our personal choices? (14:21)

Get It

  1. What life-style rules and issues do Christians argue about today?

  2. What responsibility do you have to be a good example for others?

  3. What practice would you be willing to give up if it proved to be a bad influence on others?

  4. When Scripture is not explicit on an issue, how should a person decide what is right and wrong?

  5. What are some areas of life that we should examine carefully for practices that cause others to sin?

  6. How can Christians share a spirit of unity despite having different views on certain practices?

  7. How would you distinguish between an activity that is merely permissible and one that is clearly immoral?

  8. How can a strong Christian use his or her strength to help other Christians?

Apply It

  1. What area of your life can you review this week for practices that may cause difficulty for Christian friends or associates?

  2. What can you do this week to spread peace and mutual edification among Christians?

Notes

Romans 14:13ff: Both strong and weak Christians can cause their brothers and sisters to stumble. The strong but insensitive Christian may flaunt his or her freedom and intentionally offend others' consciences. The scrupulous but weak Christian may try to fence others in with petty rules and regulations, thus causing dissension. Paul wants his readers to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others' needs. Because we are all strong in some areas and weak in others, we need constantly to monitor the effects of our behavior on others.

14:13ff: Some Christians use an invisible weaker brother to support their own opinions, prejudices, or standards. "You must live by these standards," they say, "or you will be offending the weaker brother." In truth, the person would often be offending no one but the speaker. While Paul urges us to be sensitive to those whose faith may be harmed by our actions, we should not sacrifice our liberty in Christ just to satisfy the selfish motives of those who are trying to force their opinions on us. Neither fear them nor criticize them, but follow Christ as closely as you can.

Romans 14:14: At the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), the Jewish church in Jerusalem asked the Gentile church in Antioch not to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Paul was at the Jerusalem council, and he accepted this request not because he felt that eating such meat was wrong in itself, but because this practice would deeply offend many Jewish believers. Paul did not think the issue was worth dividing the church over; his desire was to promote unity.

Romans 14:20-21: Sin is not just a private matter. Everything we do affects others, and we have to think of them constantly. God created us to be interdependent, not independent. We who are strong in our faith must, without pride or condescension, treat others with love, patience, and self-restraint.

Romans 14:23: We try to steer clear of actions forbidden by Scripture, of course, but sometimes Scripture is silent. Then we should follow our consciences. "Everything that does not come from faith is sin" means that to go against a conviction will leave a person with a guilty or uneasy conscience. When God shows us that something is wrong for us, we should avoid it. But we should not look down on other Christians who exercise their freedom in those areas.

(Back to Study Home Page)   (Sermon March 11, 2007)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)    (Back to Shultz Home Page)