ALL – Psalm 25:1-11
ALL – Proverbs 20:13-15
OT – 2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21
NT – Romans 15:1-22
Interesting passage for the day: Let’s please the other fellow, not ourselves, and do what is for his good and thus build him up in the Lord. – Romans 15:2, The Living Bible
Thought: Have you ever been asked not to do a good thing? I mean, you’re having a great time and following Jesus with all your heart at the same time. And then someone gets offended for what seems to be no good reason, and they want you to stop whatever it is you’re doing.
Our tendency is to want to justify ourselves and keep going. Am I right? It’s irritating that anyone would want us to stop. Why stop having a good time when I’m not really hurting anyone? Sure, some moron’s offended, but he shouldn’t be—he’s just a moron!
When we adopt this attitude—when we justify ourselves, reject the “moron” and keep on doing whatever we were doing (because it’s a good thing to do, after all… there’s nothing wrong with it)—we forget and neglect the second greatest command of God: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We show that we are more concerned with our own pleasures than with pleasing others. It’s not as though the people who get offended are asking us to do something sinful—usually they’re trying to avoid sin, right? So it really comes down to a question of love. Do I love this person enough to stop offending them (even if they’re wrong and a bit stupid)? Or do I love myself and my own way of enjoying life more than I love my neighbor? Our attitudes and behaviors reveal a lot. Love sets us free to accept restrictions—even when they’re pointless.
Question: What are some of the most irritating restrictions other people want for you? Could you respond more lovingly? How?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label restraint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restraint. Show all posts
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Putting Things in Perspective
ALL – Psalm 24:1-10
ALL – Proverbs 20:12
OT – 2 Chronicles 29:1-36
NT – Romans 14:1-23
Interesting passage for the day: You have no right to criticize your brother or look down on him. Remember, each of us will stand personally before the Judgment Seat of God. – Romans 14:10, The Living Bible
Thought: I’m about to preach on 1 Corinthians 5, a passage where Paul (the same author who wrote Romans) says that it is our business as Christians to judge those inside the church. So how can he say both? How can it both be our business to judge fellow believers and not be our right to criticize our brothers?
One reason for the difference is that the “sins” to be judged are different. In 1 Corinthians, a man is being sexually immoral—and with his own father’s wife! If ever there were an obvious sin, this would be it. Here in Romans, the issue is that some people are eating meat sacrificed to idols, and some people are observing Jewish religious days. The “sins” are less obvious—in fact, Paul says that they don’t exist!
So in 1 Corinthians, Paul was dealing with real sin. Real sin is serious. But in Romans, Paul was dealing with consciences. It is important that we all stay within the bounds of our consciences. But Paul insists that we should not impose our consciences on other people. We are not to judge and criticize others for things that are not sin. Instead, we are to love one another enough to bite our tongues and trust that God is able to guide all of us! The second greatest command must be our guide: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” One of the ways we like to be loved is to have other people assume the best about us. Let’s do that for one another.
Question: I’m someone who tends to impose my conscience on others too quickly. What lessons have you learned that might help someone else to be less critical and more understanding?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 20:12
OT – 2 Chronicles 29:1-36
NT – Romans 14:1-23
Interesting passage for the day: You have no right to criticize your brother or look down on him. Remember, each of us will stand personally before the Judgment Seat of God. – Romans 14:10, The Living Bible
Thought: I’m about to preach on 1 Corinthians 5, a passage where Paul (the same author who wrote Romans) says that it is our business as Christians to judge those inside the church. So how can he say both? How can it both be our business to judge fellow believers and not be our right to criticize our brothers?
One reason for the difference is that the “sins” to be judged are different. In 1 Corinthians, a man is being sexually immoral—and with his own father’s wife! If ever there were an obvious sin, this would be it. Here in Romans, the issue is that some people are eating meat sacrificed to idols, and some people are observing Jewish religious days. The “sins” are less obvious—in fact, Paul says that they don’t exist!
So in 1 Corinthians, Paul was dealing with real sin. Real sin is serious. But in Romans, Paul was dealing with consciences. It is important that we all stay within the bounds of our consciences. But Paul insists that we should not impose our consciences on other people. We are not to judge and criticize others for things that are not sin. Instead, we are to love one another enough to bite our tongues and trust that God is able to guide all of us! The second greatest command must be our guide: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” One of the ways we like to be loved is to have other people assume the best about us. Let’s do that for one another.
Question: I’m someone who tends to impose my conscience on others too quickly. What lessons have you learned that might help someone else to be less critical and more understanding?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
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