Accepting the Weak for a Stronger Church - Part 2

For the sake of Christ and His church, we cannot allow those differences in minor areas of doctrine and practice to become WALLS between us as believers.

In Romans 14, the Apostle Paul tells us FIRST of all, that to keep these differences from becoming WALLS we must ACCEPT one another. This is not just in the door but in our HEARTs acceptance. We must accept one another as God in Christ accepts us. That is, accept your differing brother or sister NOT because you can find an emotional liking for them, but because they have been BOUGHT by the same blood as you, the precious blood of Christ. We have equal standing before the Father based on Christ's work, not our worthiness or perfect understanding and practice of doctrine. PHEW! That's GOOD NEWS.

The NEGATIVE side of this principle of ACCEPTANCE is found in Romans 14:3: DON'T CONDEMN.

• The STRONGER brother can easily take a CONDESCENDING attitude towards the Weaker brother.
• The WEAKER brother can easily be CONDEMNING of the STRONGER brother.
• The STRONGER might think: "You are too narrow and legalistic."
• The WEAKER might think: "You are too liberal and stretch God's grace."

2 Reasons Paul gives us not to condemn:

• v.3b: God has accepted your brother. If HE has accepted Him, and He is holy and infinitely perfect, will I dare to reject my brother?
• v.4: We are not our brother's judge. We are not qualified in the slightest sense!

3 reasons it is wrong to try to judge our brother:

• Our brother's master is the Lord! And this master will make even His WEAK servants stand. V..4
• The Lord is OUR master, too. Of EVERY area of our lives. v.7-9 Let's focus on serving our Master instead of trying to be our brother's master!
• The Lord and the Lord alone is judge! see vv.10-12. He WILL judge some day. We will stand before His judgment seat and give an account of our lives.

Brothers and sisters: may God have mercy on us to STOP judging one another and instead, because of what our Lord has done on our behalf AND on the behalf of our brothers: ACCEPT one another!