Thought for the Week
Each week Brother Joe Norton shares his inspirational insights to Scripture.
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First in a series on Romans 15:1-3
“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). Adding to his discussion of being a positive influence on those whose faith is weak, the Apostle Paul here takes the situation a step further: he teaches we must forego participating in matters of liberty that the weak have scruples against. Those who are strong are those who know better than to confuse liberty with law—specifically, in this context, they know that eating meat is not a sin. The weak are those who don’t have this knowledge—they are unnecessarily scrupulous when it comes to such matters of liberty. Rather than pleasing ourselves by indulging in a matter of liberty, we must give it up if it will lead our fellow Christians to sin. We must understand this teaching is only about matters of liberty: we can never violate law because of the objection of another Joe “To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom” (Proverbs 10:23) Contextually, this proverb is talking about religion—it is a discussion of the difference between a person who delights in living his life in sinful ways and one who realizes the value and pleasure of living a godly life. The foolish person not only thrives on indulging in evil activities but also boasts about it and makes light of those who try to correct him, actually making a laughing matter out of sin. A person of wisdom, on the other hand, makes life decisions in accordance with God’s word. He realizes the lasting value of those decisions in eternity as well as the wholesome quality they bring to the present life. Joe |
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