Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Sometimes on a hot summer afternoon, a lot of children come home and sit down at the supper table for a cold glass of milk and some cookies. There’s something really tasty about fresh cookies right out of the oven. One of our families favorite treats is chocolate oatmeal drop cookies. To me, they taste almost like a candy bar, but being so good, they can present quite the temptation. Sometimes if you leave a bucketful of them on the table, the children will quietly and quickly disappear from the room with fistfuls, leaving nothing for dinner. Personally, I’ve never been very big into desserts, but for some people, it can be quite the addiction. As a parent, it’s a good thing to make a small batch so that the kids are not tempted to overdo it. As a child they have a hard time saying no, because they have a weakness for sweets. As an adult, we want to help them through their weakness, by not putting them into a place of temptation.,
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
There are many things that people consider sinful within their own mind. When they become a follower of Jesus Christ, we want to provide them with an atmosphere that does not provoke them to temptation. Many of us can enjoy a cookie or two and leave it at that, but for others they might have great difficulty saying no, because they have a sweet tooth.
Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
One time I took a group of kids out fishing on a big lake. As we were fishing, I noticed that one of the girls didn’t seem to be enjoying herself. I eventually realized that she was sobbing. When I asked her what was wrong, she explained that she didn’t like catching or eating fish because she really liked animals. In her own mind it felt cruel to hook a fish and to reel it in. I immediately brought her back to the campground and told her that we understood. From that point on, I don’t know if any of us ever fished or ate fish in front of her again. Although there is nothing sinful about eating fish, her conscience was convicted in her own mind that the activity was wrong for her. Remember that we are supposed to weep with those who weep, looking not just on our own things but on the things of others. Some people in the church have turned away from false religions in order to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Certain foods that you eat might remind them of the past life that they left behind. Although there is nothing wrong with food in and of itself, we don’t want to be a stumbling block to those who are weak.
Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
We are not supposed to do anything that would cause a brother to stumble, to sin, or to put him into a place of temptation. Everybody has certain weaknesses in the flesh, that as a Christian we are trying to overcome and defeat in faithful obedience towards Christ. As we grow in God’s Word, our conscience is being formed and sanctified by biblical truth. We begin to recognize the things in our lives that we need to turn away from in obedience to the will of God.
If a brother takes issue with certain foods that you may consume, you have the power to forego them for his sake and for his salvation. It’s one thing for somebody to slip into sin themselves, but it’s completely another to assist them, and encourage them to go against their conscience. If you were to do this, you are the one who becomes partially responsible for their sin in the sight of God. Obviously we cannot read people’s minds, and this is why communication in the church is so important because we become familiar with the weaknesses and temptations of others. This isn’t to stand in judgment over them, but to help them succeed at the Christian Life. Following Jesus is learning to obey God in everything. Only through our obedience can we prove our love for God. Whatever we can do to warn and to encourage others in their walk of obedience with God is beneficial for them both now and forever.
On the other hand, It is the devil who offers no assistance in overcoming the sins of the flesh, and actively tempts people to go against God’s will. We must resist him steadfast in the faith, because his entire life is a stumbling block to those who are trying to live for Christ. In the garden of Eden he seduced Eve to go against God’s command. He tried to tempt Jesus in the desert, and continues to do the same thing today. He doesn’t want you to succeed and overcome the sinful nature. He doesn’t care about your weaknesses and temptations, but feeds upon them like a wolf feeds on raw meat. In the church there are young children who have been educated in biblical truth. Their conscience and knowledge of what’s right and wrong is formed through the teachings of scripture. But, because they are an impressionable child, the devil attempts to lead them away from the convictions that they have been taught since their youth, trying to get them to believe him rather than God. He tries to get them to go against conscience or do something that they feel is wrong or sinful. Those who are filled with these seductive and devilish works would be better off ending their own lives.
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
In the church it is both our duty and responsibility to encourage, admonish, and warn each other daily to keep a clear conscience and focus on the narrow path of Christ. When we understand the weaknesses of others, we should never put them in a place of temptation. We should desire that people succeed in the Christian Life, which may require bending to the convictions of others. What might be okay for us, might not be okay for somebody else. We should help them overcome their problem, rather than becoming a part of the problem. You might find it quite easy to say no when it comes to cookies, but others may find it quite difficult. Remember this the next time that you are surrounded by a group of hungry little….
……Sweet-Tooths
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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