This is not about a religious order of compliance to God’s commands but rather a relational order of surrender to God’s desires.
We can have distinction without having division if we understand that agreement and unity aren’t always the same. A divided world needs the unified church to get past emotional agendas and embrace the deeper purposes of God’s love.
1 John 4:7-11 (Dear friends), let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 (Dear friends), if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ESV
The love we experience from God is the very love we are called to express to others. Paul addressed divisive controversies of his day promoting a mature revelation of unity.
Romans 14:19-21 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. ESV
The history and context of this was simply a matter of eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Mature believers asked to protect the conscience of others. In doing so it protects their faith.
Matthew 12:20-21 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope. NIV
God lovingly cares for the dimly burning wick, flickering flame of belief. The Holy Spirit won’t carelessly blow on a weak flame for concern of putting it completely out. There are dimly burning wicks in your life and even in this room.
Romans 14:1-3 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. ESV
Verse 3 in the new 2022 version might read something like this: “Let not the one who wears a mask despise the one who doesn’t and let not the one who doesn’t wear a mask despise the one who does.” Perhaps it would go on to say, “Let not the one who gets the vaccine despise the one who doesn’t and let not the one who doesn’t get the vaccine despise the one who does.”
Put aside your arguments for or against these issues for a moment. There is a greater issue at stake! God has commissioned us as stewards of another person’s conscience. We become stewards of another person’s faith.
If you believe you are the one who is truly enlightened then you have the greater responsibility to protect the conscience of those who are not as enlightened as you may be. When you take the treasure of being enlightened and use it to pass judgment on others, formulating arguments and harsh expressions condemning “those idiots who just don’t get it” you’re being used as a tool of division in the hand of the enemy.
Romans 14:14-15 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. ESV
If you have a friend who believes with all of their heart that they are not supposed to get the vaccine and you’ve come to the informed conclusion that this is not the way they should go then you are commissioned by God to protect their conscience.
If you have a friend who believes with all of their heart that they are supposed to get the vaccine and you’ve come to the informed conclusion that this is not the way they should go then you are commissioned by God to protect their conscience.
Romans 14:19-21 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. ESV
Paul is saying if you the meat eater persuade the vegetarian to eat the meat and they do so without faith you cause them to stumble because your goal was to make them more like you rather than to protect their conscience. Your goal was to be proven right rather than to defend their flame.
We can have distinction without division when we understand that agreement and unity aren’t always synonymous. A divided world needs the unified church to get past emotional agendas and embrace the deeper purposes of God’s love.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Reflect on these verses, repent where you’ve missed it and make a sincere effort to restore any relationship that’s been affected.
CONSISTENTLY SUBMITTING
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: As a church family we want to be OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
Our 2022 New Year’s Revelation as a church family is EVERYONE IS CREATED FOR ABUNDANT LIFE! Much will flow from heaven into our hearts and homes this year!
The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but realize the aim of death is not to kill you but to keep you from the fulness of life until you die. Distraction is destruction of what could have been in your life.
John 10:10b “...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Amplified
Jesus came demonstrating that true life is discovered in a willing death. When we die to ourselves we learn what it means to be alive in Christ.
God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family. This is why we start each group with the first question:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Don’t move on to the next question until everybody who is willing to share has had the opportunity to give their perspective.
ROMANS 14:1-3 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. ESV
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words.
What do these verses teach us about God?
What do these verses teach us about people?
What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing?
Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?
If you have time read these verses in conclusion asking everyone to truly open their hearts to receive a deeper reality of what God is revealing as you read.
1 JOHN 4:7-11 (Dear friends), let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 (Dear friends), if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ESV
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Reflect on these verses, repent where you’ve missed it and make a sincere effort to restore any relationship that’s been affected.