Living in Love: Unity and Conscience in Christ

Let us not therefore judge one another anymore but judge this rather that no men put a stumbling Blocker on occasion to fall in his brother's way I know and persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean to him it is unclean. [00:15:46]

Now that's to be our governing principle in the Christian Life not only thinking about ourselves think about others he says think about your brother and put this up as the great motto before you in your Christian Life whatever I do or say I must not be a hindrance of a stumbling block to my brother. [00:04:38]

The strong could see that there was no reason whatsoever why a Christian shouldn't eat these meats and they were doing so but this was an offense to the others and hence the church was in turo and not only the church at Rome as we've seen but other churches now that's what the Apostle is really dealing with. [00:02:53]

If thy brother be grieved with thy meat now wst thou not charitably destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died let not then you are good be evil spoken of now here as I was indicating last Friday at the beginning we have this new subsection in the great argument of this chapter. [00:00:47]

There are some Christians who have rely considered this question and they've thought it out as best they can and they have come to the conclusion that these meats that have been offered in the idol temples is unclean, that is their decision they have reasoned they have reckoned this is the conclusion at which they've arrived. [00:10:39]

If your brother is grieved with your meat now you're not walking charitably don't destroy him with thy meat for whom Christ died now here is a tremendous statement what does it mean well let's get the terms right first of all If thy brother be grieved with thy meat now that's clear isn't it. [00:14:50]

The spirit is always more important than the understanding the heart in this sense is always more important than the understanding a man who may have perfect understanding if he behaves in this matter simply because it's clear to him he is violating the most important law of all the law of love the law of Charity. [00:25:08]

Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died now here is the most difficult statement in many ways one of the most difficult we've encountered in the whole of this epistle up to dat what does it mean well start with this word destroy it's a very strong word everybody is agreed about that. [00:26:13]

The conscience has got to be a good conscience always you must never produce a bad conscience in your brother but then at the end of this same first chapter of one Timothy he puts it again in a still more striking manner holding face and a good conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwreck. [00:34:40]

The Apostle is able to rise almost to the heights of his Lord and Master not quite of course because nobody ever can but that is what the master did that is what the Son of God did he considered not himself he counted it not robbery to be equal with God he humbled himself he took upon him the form of men. [00:41:29]

The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pillar heart every everything that God does to us and has done for us in his son is to bring us into this condition of love and of sympathy and of understanding charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of Faith unfeigned. [00:33:22]

The Son of God didn't consider himself and his rights and prerogatives no no he put them all on one side he even died he gave up his life he sacrificed his life that you and that brother might be saved very well then says the Apostle is it asking too much of you to forgo the eating of these meats. [00:39:36]