Friday, June 2, 2017

Mutual Edification

Today’s Bible Reading:  Proverbs 22-24; Romans 14

Journal Entry on a passage from today’s reading:
Topic: Liberty



SCRIPTURE:  Romans 14:19 & 21

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification…   21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. (Rom 14:19, 21 NIV)


OBSERVATION:

There is a principle of Christian conduct contained in these verses that is often ignored. In Paul’s day as in ours, people often held differing opinions and convictions about what is acceptable and not acceptable to take internally into our bodies. Many look to Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 6 to satisfy the argument for indulging in their “acquired” tastes by emphasizing “All things are lawful for me…” while only lightly considering, “…but all things are not helpful,” or acknowledging, “…but I will not be brought under the power of any:

12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Cor 6:12-13 NKJV)

The principle is to be considerate of others over one’s self—to be willing to set aside one’s own permissible indulgences for the sake of the edification of others.  


APPLICATION:

Whether one person adheres strictly to a vegan diet and another likes his steaks blood rare, or one person enjoys intoxicating beverages and another is a teetotaler, or one person enjoys inhaling carcinogenic smoke into their lungs and another is aghast at the practice, is not the primary consideration. The conscientious Christian must ask, “How does my liberty affect others for either good or bad?” If someone is a recovering alcoholic, is taking shots of whiskey with them present at a party a good idea? If dietary freedoms or actions lawful for me before the Lord cause someone weaker to fall, Paul says discretion for the sake of mutual edification” is the nobler exercise.


PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for the freedoms for which You have set me free. Grant unto me a wise and loving heart that defers to the best needs of others over my own personal liberties. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done. Through Christ. Amen.  -AP

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