Weak and Strong: Unified

“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing

judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows

him to eat everything, but another man,

whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who

eats everything must not look down on him who does not,

and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn  the man

who does, for God has accepted him. ”

-Romans 14:1-3

                Today, many people instantly feel judged when they walk into a church. This is because many Christians have different ideas about taboos from wearing zippers instead of buttons to working on Sundays and drinking beer or smoking. However, Romans 14:1-15:13 teaches us how we should treat a fellow brother or sister in Christ. Discussing what a man eats and then what days someone sees as holy (Romans 14:5-6) are only examples about how we should not judge others based on doctrinal matters or religious practice. Many churches have different rules. Some do not use musical instruments and others require a formal dress. But this does not make them any more or less of a follower of Christ.

“If we live, we live to the Lord; and if

we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live

or die, we belong to the Lord.”

-Romans 14:8

                We have no place judging another man who is God’s child. We can judge character so we know who we should follow and hang around. But only to that extent. That is God's place alone, for it is his creation and he is the ultimate judge. We cannot condemn a man to Hell or give him a place in Heaven amongst the angels.

“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?

To his own master he stands or falls. And he

will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

-Romans 14:4

“You then, why do you judge your brother?

Or why do you look down on your brother?

For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”

-Romans 14:10

                The strong are supposed to lift the weak, not in silent matters that the bible does not address but in matters that the bible speaks strongly and loudly about (premarital sex, homosexuality, gossip, jealousy, unrighteous anger, slander, etc.) and the weak should not judge the strong about what they are doing either. What one man believes and does (in matters such as instruments, buttons vs. zippers, etc.) is his own choice and his interpretation of what should be or not be done.

“But if anyone regards something as unclean then

for him it is unclean.”

-Romans 14:14

                We must keep each other from stumbling and act in love. If one brother believes something is unclean, do not do or say anything that will anger him. Keep what you believe between you and God (Romans 14:22) but rather help lift him up by not partaking in eating the unclean thing.

“If your brother is distressed because of what

you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your

eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.”

-Romans 14:15

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads

to peace and to mutual edification. Do not

destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food

is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes

someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat of drink wine or to

do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.”

-Romans 14:19-23

               

                The duty of a strong Christian is to lift the weak and less mature in spirit (Romans 15:1). Christ came not to please and help himself but rather to help those who needed saving, the unbelievers and the spiritually weak. We need to unify ourselves as the body of Christ and accept one another. For through faith we are all saved and share the same Father. You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can’t make him think. However, Romans 14 and 15 should not be used to support homosexuality or abortion or anything else the Lord declares wrong and sinful. We need to remember, Jesus is our savior, not a religion and each man and woman must give account of himself to the Lord. Don’t let judgment and wrongful criticism destroy you.

The Bible and Politics

              The presidential elections are being held this year in November and the candidates are going on their campaigns. Everyone is starting to decide who to vote for and others are choosing to remain loyal to their registered party. But for a moment, let’s forget about political parties. What’s really important is what the person stands for and what their moral values are. Who is going to bring God back into our country? Is there anyone at all? What needs to happen is for the voters and citizens of our country to listen to what the candidates have to say and what’s important to them.

                Who should Christian voters vote for in 2012? All of the candidates profess faith in Christ, but faith does not equate to a calling to be President, nor does profession of faith equate to faith. In the past, many have touted their relationship with Jesus to draw support and votes from Christians during the primaries, only to turn their backs on us during and/or after the general election. America does need a righteous leader, one who is wise and capable and experienced, one with strong leadership ability. Ultimately, elected officials remain responsible under God for their actions and decisions, and we need to pray for whoever ends up in office.

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers,

intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- for kings

and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives

in all godliness and holiness.”

-1 Timothy 2:1-2

                The issue is not whether we want a God-fearing president who will lead America well. Of course we do. The issue is that a church leadership or church body might back one candidate over all the others, as though the voice of God had spoken. One pastor may support the candidacy of Rick Perry and another pastor might support Barack Obama. The fact that a church leader backs a particular candidate does not necessarily give God’s view on the matter. Voters need to do their homework.

                First, we must recognize that God ordains who should lead.

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,

for there is no authority except that which God has

established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

-Romans 13:1

                The bible constantly states that leadership is a position given by God. That does not mean that those who became leaders obeyed God or served Him well. There are plenty of kings and rulers in Israel who turned away from God and followed their own desires. Yet, God still gave them the position for His purposes.

                The United States is a representative form of government, which means that the people of America have far more control and responsibility over what happens in their government than do the citizens of a dictatorship or a kingdom. The United States was formed as a government of, by, and for the people, and Christians have the same civic duties as all citizens. However, it seems that the leaders of our country, whether in the judicial, legislative, or executive branch, are becoming more tyrannical. Wicked leaders cause a country to fail, and that is what is starting to happen to America.

“By justice a king gives a country stability, but one

who is greedy for bribes tears it down.”

-Proverbs 29:4

“A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving

rain that leaves no crops.”

-Proverbs 28:3

“Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked

man ruling over a helpless people.”

-Proverbs 28:15

“When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;

but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.”

-Proverbs 28:28

                Also, our nation’s government should not be so large. A smaller government is better for the country as a whole. Once one man becomes wicked, he poisons the whole system (Proverbs 29:12).

“When a county is rebellious, it has many rulers,

but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.”

-Proverbs 28:2

                Regardless of how leaders conduct themselves, either in their personal lives or in carrying out their official duties, they must be obeyed. But their ungodly examples are not to be copied. By respecting those who hold offices through the authority and permission of God, we actually show respect to God Himself. While their personal conduct may be far from praiseworthy, even to the point where some corrupt the very government that they represent, they are still appointed by God to preserve order and punish law-breakers and wrongdoers.

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must

obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what

they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up

heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are

not willing to lift a finger to move them.”

-Matthew 23:2-4

                However, the salvation of the world ultimately lies in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, not the messy thing we call politics. Government decisions are important but only the blood of Jesus can save us.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one

comes to the Father except through me.”

-John 14:6

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given

among men, whereby we must be saved.”

-Acts 4:12

Repentance and Humilty

           

                There is no such thing as a perfect person or a blemish free Christian. Many people outside of the Christian faith believe that Christians are not allowed to make mistakes. This is very far from the truth. We are not to seek sin or continue to live as we did before we knew God.  God understands that as humans we may stumble and fall. That’s why he sent his one and only son to die for us; so that we may be forgiven and have a way to the Father.

“The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where

sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as

sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign though

righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

-Romans 5:20-21

“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through

the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to

God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,

so that we may serve the living God.”

-Hebrews 9:14

                Just because we have accepted the Lord into our lives does not mean that we are automatically accepted into the kingdom of our Father in Heaven.

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’

will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does

the will of my Father who is in Heaven.”

Matthew 7:21

                The difference between a believer of Christ and someone who has not yet received Him as their savior is that we know the difference between right and wrong, sin and righteousness. We recognize this and the Holy Spirit convicts us when we do something wrong. Without our spirit committed to God, we cannot receive the Holy Spirit to grasp us when we start to slip away. When Jesus died for us, sin could no longer come after us but we could still seek sin. After we are saved by the grace of God and our faith in Jesus Christ, we are less likely to fall into sin but it still happens.

“Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in his

sight by observing the law; rather, through the law

we become conscience of sin.”

-Romans 3:20

                But it doesn’t just take believing in Jesus to be saved from our sins. We must also have repentance and humility. When we ask for forgiveness of our sins, and mean it from our hearts, he will forget our sins.

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake,

and remembers your sins no more.”

-Isaiah 43:25

                In Luke 18:9-14, a Pharisee and a tax collector went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee prayed about himself and was not humble; he did not admit to any sin but rather raised himself up higher than everyone else. The tax collector however confessed that he was a sinner and begged for mercy. The tax collector was justified with God for he humbled himself. This is how we are to be. We should not exalt ourselves before God or before men.

“If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now

that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

-John 9:41

                   This is a difficult passage to understand but let’s look at it logically, bearing in mind that Jesus was talking about spiritual blindness. Jesus is not saying that people who are physically blind are innocent of sin, as if God overlooks their sin because of their disability. The Bible teaches that everyone will be held accountable for their sin (Romans 3:9-19). Jesus was not speaking about sin in general but about the sin of spiritual pride. Those who were spiritually blind and did not claim to understand spiritual truth were not guilty of the sin of spiritual pride, but those who were spiritually blind and yet claimed to be spiritual leaders were guilty, and Jesus said that their guilt would remain.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor,

but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous,

but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 5:31-32

                There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3). Metanoeo means to change one's mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and heart and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised. Evangelical repentance consists of a true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness; an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ; an actual hatred of sin (Psalm 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Corinthians 7:10) and turning from it to God; and a persistent endeavor of a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments. The true penitent is conscious of guilt , of pollution, and of helplessness. Therefore, he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Psalm 51:1; 130:4). We must have a change of heart to have true repentance!

                As I said earlier, through Jesus’ blood we are saved; he was the sacrifice to the Lord and with him our sins were buried. We have been forgiven.

“If we have been united with him like this in his

death, we will certainly also be united with him in his

resurrection. For we know that our old self was

crucified with him so that the body of sin

might be done away with, that we should no longer

be slaves to sin-…”

-Romans 6:5-6

                However, not all men are forgiven just because of Jesus’ death for us sinners. You can pray and ask for forgiveness but do you have true repentance? Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Christ and your savior and changed your heart and life accordingly? If not, I urge you to do so today so that you can receive the full grace of God and have the joy of knowing that you will have everlasting life not full of gnashing teeth and fire but rather of the light of God in Heaven. Say a prayer like this and mean it from the bottom of your heart:

Father God in Heaven,

I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to you that I am

a sinner and I’m sorry for the life I’ve lived; I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only Son Jesus Christ shed his precious blood on

the cross and died for my sins so I may have everlasting life in your

kingdom. Right now I confess Jesus as my Lord and savior. I believe

with my heart that you raised Jesus from the dead. From this moment

on I live for you. Transform me so I may bring glory and honor to you

alone and not myself. Use me as you see fit. Thank you for your

unlimited grace that saved me from my sins. Amen.

Submisson

              The word 'submit' means to voluntarily put yourself in another person's hands. Chaos occurs when everyone is trying to lead at the same time. So the husband has been designated by God (Genesis 3:16) in each family to be the lead and the other to put themselves in the leader's trusting hands. The wife is not stupid or talentless but is weaker as a physical vessel and should be treated accordingly.

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives,

and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as

heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

-1 Peter 3:7            

                Many women today feel that they can be the head of the house and that they can boss their husbands around. They feel that they have the final say in everything and try to control the husband. However, the bible tells us that the wife is supposed to be submissive to the husband.

“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife as

Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is Savior.

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also

wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

-Ephesians 5:22-24

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”

-Colossians 3:18

“Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands,

so that, if any of them do not believe

the word, they may be won over without

words by the behavior of their wives…”

1 Peter 3:1

-A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day;

restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.”

-Proverbs 27:15

“Better to live on a corner of the roof than

share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”

-Proverbs 25:24

                However, remember not to take these passages out of context. A woman should not give in to her husband blindly, totally, and completely if it means violating her rights or causes her to sin. It does not mean to treat her like a minor without good judgment.

                This passage is often quoted by husbands when the wife does the opposite of what the husband wants her to do. This passage does not justify the abuse of wife-abuse physically or verbally. The wife is the heart of the family; her actions are often based on emotions. The man’s job is the head of the family; his actions are based on reasoning most of the time. They are meant to complement each other and work together, not contradict.

                A husband is called to love his wife as Christ loves the church. And how does Christ love? With a sacrificial love.  And this must be the husband’s love for his wife.  It must be a sacrificial love!  It must never be a selfish love.  Christ loved the church, not that the church might do things for Him, but that He might do things for the church. This would assure the woman that she could not be abused in any way and would make it very easy to submit to him.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved

the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy,…”

-Ephesians 5:16

“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

-Colossians 3:19

       

                If Jesus is the head of the church and the head of his body that the Father has given to him, then he is the head of the bride or wife in the spiritual marriage contract between mankind and God. We, in the spiritual marriage, are to be submissive to the Lord’s will.

           

           Did Jesus ever say that he rebelled against the Father's wishes? No! He said that whatever he was doing it was because the Father had sent him to do it. This shows an awful lot of respect and trust in Jesus by the Father to do the right thing doesn't it? Did Jesus ever think it wrong to admit that he was God and that he had an equal footing in the Godhead before and after he became Jesus the Christ? No, for the Bible states:

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the

 form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself

 of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men."

-Philippians 2:5-7

            In another place he says that he laid down his own life and that it was not taken from him without his permission:

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.  

And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. "

-1 John 3:16

                So what does Jesus' behavior have to do with being a good submissive wife to your husband? Jesus is the spiritual wife in this relationship between him and God and he submitted his will unto the Father and trusted him to execute the plan that they both discussed before the Creation was formed. Should not wives be doing the same? The only reason that a wife would not is if she is being mistreated, abused or betrayed. God condemns treachery and that was how Jesus was treated when he was given over to the Sanhedrin and for that matter by us who have been the ones who were guilty of disobedience in the first place.

                And even in a marriage relationship we are not to live under turmoil but in peace and if this is not happening we need to leave this kind of relationship.

"But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage

 in such cases.  But God has called us to peace. "

-1 Corinthians 7:15

                The woman should trust the man that he will make the right decisions. But sometimes the wife may have more expertise in a certain situation and her opinion should be taken into consideration.

"For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  'For this

reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.'This is a great 
mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  
Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife 
see that she respects her husband."

-Ephesians 5:30-33

            However, submission is not a wife only deal. A man should also be submissive in certain situations. It is important in all relationships that submission occurs-not in the wrong situations, but when it is possible. We are to develop relationships of trust and confidence and respect so there is an element of submission in everything we do. Jesus submitted to the Father's will until he was crucified and then The Father put all authority under the feet of Jesus. The wife submits to her own husband and he loves her so much that he in turn gives much authority and trust and confidence in her opinion and sets her in high esteem for the world to see. To understand the meaning of submission from God's perspective we must first of all submit to God and do as he has instructed so that we may all benefit from a lifetime of blessings.

“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you

must be your servant and whoever want to

be first must be your slave-…”

-Matthew 20:26