Do not let your good be spoken of as evil: Our liberty in Jesus and freedom from the law is good, but not if we use it to destroy another brother in Christ. Error: Passwords should have at least 6 characters, Error: Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. 6. The business of our lives is not to please ourselves, but to please God. On the other hand, he that eatest not those meats which were forbidden by the ceremonial law, to the Lord he eateth not. Romans 7:5. Every saint is God's workmanship, his husbandry, his building, Eph 2 10; 1 Cor 3 9. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 3. Johannine Writings To illustrate this (v. 11), he quotes a passage out of the Old Testament, which speaks of Christ's universal sovereignty and dominion, and that established with an oath: As I live (saith the Lord), every knee shall bow to me. Passwords should have at least 6 characters. If a weak Christian doubts whether it be lawful to eat flesh, while he remains under that doubt he had best forbear, till he be fully persuaded in his own mind. They may lack exercise (needing exhortation). Minor Prophets according to the flesh: who are Israelites; to whom , The Pastor's Parting Blessing I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 3. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point As to ourselves, it is joy in the Holy Ghostthat spiritual joy which is wrought by the blessed Spirit in the hearts of believers, which respects God as their reconciled Father and heaven as their expected home. Though some Christians are weak and others strong,though of different sizes, capacities, apprehensions, and practices, in minor things, yet they are all the Lord'sall eying, and serving, and approving themselves to Christ, and are accordingly owned and accepted of him. Romans 4:4. Of a mistaken conscience, v. 14. The business of our lives is not to please ourselves, but to please God. [2.] The advantages of it. Charity to the souls of our brethren is the best charity. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. If the contending parties will but submit to this fair arbitration, each abate of his rigour, and sacrifice their differences to their graces, all will be well quickly. Johannine Writings Theme. We must not give account for others, nor they for us; but every one for himself. Receive one who is weak in the faith: We accept those weak in the faith, but not for the sake of carrying on a debate with them regarding doubtful things. The meaning is sufficiently plain. (wpe), The Leading of the Spirit, the Secret Token of the Sons of God. 10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? You are no longer walking in love: The issue now is not my personal liberty; it is walking in love towards one whom Jesus loves and died for. I want to know the happiness that comes from not condemning myself by what I approve in my life. This takes faith, because we often cling to hindering things because we think they make us happy. For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto , The Leading of the Spirit, the Secret Token of the Sons of God The Old Testament 2. i. Poetical Books (Romans 14:1-2) Receiving the weaker brother. i. It was after he had died and risen that he said, All power is given unto me (Matt 28 18), and presently he exerts that power in issuing out commissions, v. 19, 20. If a man were verily persuaded (it is Dr. Sanderson's instance, sermon on ch. Because God hath received them; and we reflect upon him if we reject those whom he hath received. Art thou satisfied that thou mayest eat all meats, and observe all days (except the Lord's day) alike? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? If a thing be indifferent, so that it is not in itself a sin not to do it, if we really think it a sin to do it it is to us a sin, though not to others, because we act against our consciences, though mistaken and misinformed. Therefore Paul says that he was persuaded by the Lord Jesus, not only as the author of that persuasion, but as the ground of it; it was built upon the efficacy of Christ's death, which removed the curse, took off the forfeiture, and restored our right to the creature in general, and consequently put a period to that particular distinguishing prohibition. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. b. Particularly, he gives rules how to manage our different apprehensions about indifferent things, in the management of which, it seems, there was something amiss among the Roman Christians, to whom he wrote, which he here labours to redress. So that whenever God saith As I live, it is to be interpreted as swearing by himself; for it is God's prerogative to have life in himself: there is a further ratification of it there, The word is gone out of my mouth. Let us not judge one another: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus helped us to understand what this means it means judging others according to a standard that we would not want to have applied to ourselves. He that duly observeth these things, First, Is acceptable to God. If we do that, then it could rightly be spoken of as evil. End every tongue shall confess to God.. In those indifferent things which we are sure it is no sin not to do, and yet are not clear that it is lawful to do them, we must not do them while we continue under those doubts; for he that doubteth is damned if he eat (v. 23), that is, it turns into sin to him; he is damned, katakekritaihe is condemned of his own conscience, because he eateth not of faith, because he does that which he is not fully persuaded he may lawfully do. 14. Did he think it worth while to deny himself so much for them as to die for them, and shall not we think it worth while to deny ourselves so little for them as abstaining from flesh comes to?with thy meat. (5.) 11. He is Lord of those that are living to rule them, of those that are dead to receive them and raise them up. Romans 12:2. (1.) i. Trapp on I know and am convinced: Many, on the contrary, are persuaded before they know; and such will not be persuaded to know.. Romans xiii. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Thou pleadest that it is thy own meat, and thou mayest do what thou wilt with it; but remember that, though the meat is thine, the brother offended by it is Christ's, and a part of his purchase. And be not conformed to this world: Do not live as men of the world do. This is reasonable. Pentateuch And this leads to another reason against judging and despising. He argues against both these jointly: we must not despise nor judge our brethren. Christians should take heed of grieving one another, and of saddening the hearts of Christ's little ones. 11 14. Our love is the true measure of our obedience to God. Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in mine heart. Spurgeon left this earth for his heavenly hope in 1892. Romans 8:28. He also knew well the terrible joy that comes only through suffering as he lived quite afflicted (both by illness and slander). He that regards the daythat makes conscience of the observance of the Jewish fasts and festivals, not imposing it upon others, nor laying a stress upon it, but willing to be as he thinks on the surer side, as thinking there is no harm in resting from worldly labours, and worshipping God on those daysit is well. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 3. Romans 13 He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. We must deny ourselves in our appetites, inclinations, and in the use of Christian liberty, rather than obstruct and prejudice our own or others' grace and peace. We must deny ourselves in many cases for the preservation of our credit and reputation, forbearing to do that which we rightly know we may lawfully do, when our doing it may be a prejudice to our good name; as, when it is suspicious and has the appearance of evil, or when it becomes scandalous among good people, or has any way a brand upon it. Essentially, Pauls answer is Stop worrying about your brother. They may be a babe in Christ (babies are weak). Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat: It would be easy for a Christian who felt free to eat meat to despise others as hopeless legalists. Romans 8. On the other hand, he that regards not the daythat does not make a difference between one day and another, does not call one day holy and another profane, one day lucky and another unlucky, but esteems every day alikehe does not do it out of a spirit of opposition, contradiction, or contempt of his brother. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. 1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. John 14:19 . Now those that had been Jews were trained up in the observance of the ceremonial appointments touching meats and days. If God now accepts thy works, thou mayest eat thy bread with joy. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brothers way. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. It is true we cannot hinder loose and ungoverned tongues from speaking evil of us, and of the best things we have; but we must not (if we can help it) give them any occasion to do it. The business of our deaths, to which we are every day exposed and delivered, is not to make ourselves talked of; we run not such hazards out of vain-glory, while we are dying daily. for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. They may be sick or diseased (by legalism). If we are troubled by something, it likely isnt of faith and likely is sin for us. The better to insinuate the exhortation, he puts himself in; Let us not; as if he had said, "It is what I have resolved against, therefore do you leave it: but judge this rather, instead of censuring the practice of others, let us look to our own, that no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall, in his brother's way,"proskomma, e skandalon. 1. Me apollye. While thou destroyest thy brother thou art helping forward the devil's design, for he is the great destroyer; and, as much as in thee lies, thou art crossing the design of Christ, for he is the great Saviour, and dost not only offend thy brother, but offend Christ; for the work of salvation is that which his heart is upon. Where he cannot be beneficent he is benevolent. Romans 14:1-4. Compare Gal 6 4, Let every man prove his own work, that is, bring it to the touchstone of the word and try it by that so exactly as to be well satisfied in what he does; and then he shall have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. The Gospels 4. "Nay, God doth not only receive him, but hold him up, v. 4. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Your partnership makes all we do possible. God is determined that it shall be so. And therefore, First, We have little to do to judge others, for they are not accountable to us, nor are we accountable for them (Gal 2 6): Whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me, God accepteth no man's person. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. By these wounds the life and soul of religion expire. It is paid to God through him as Mediator. Probably from Corinth, about A. D. 58. 5001 North Oak Trafficway Kansas City, Missouri 64118 Visit This was Paul's own clearness, and he practised accordingly. Or why do you show contempt for your brother? Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete), Matt 14 19; 15 36; Luke 9 16; John 6 11; Matt 26 26, 27; Acts 27 35. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Now walkest thou not charitably. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. A believing regard to the judgment of the great day would silence all these rash judgings: Why dost thou that art weak judge thy brother that is strong? Not that it is in the power of any man's conscience to alter the nature of the action in itself, but only as to himself. Though bodily exercise alone profits little, yet, as it is guided by inward fear and reverence, it is accepted. Here is a proof of Christ's Godhead: he is the Lord and he is God, equal with the Father. Nor will it be asked, "Who was conformist and who was non-conformist?" 2. Who are you to judge anothers servant? When Jesus was here among men, the world saw him in a certain sense, but yet in truth it did not see him at all. Because some Christian saw nothing wrong in this meat and others saw much wrong in it, this was a burning issue among believers in Pauls day. THIS passage is a piece of holy teaching set forth under the parable of rising in the morning and preparing for the work of the day. The Old Testament Major Prophets We must take heed of saying or doing any thing which may occasion our brother to stumble or fall; the one signifies a less, the other a greater degree of mischief and offencethat which may be an occasion. But in the epistle to the Galatians, where he deals with those that were originally Gentiles, but were influenced by some judaizing teachers, not only to believe such a distinction and to practise accordingly, but to lay a stress upon it as necessary to salvation, and to make the observance of the Jewish festivals public and congregational, here the case was altered, and it is charged upon them as the frustrating of the design of the gospel, falling from grace, Gal 4 9-11. 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