Review of Previous Messages

Weaver reviews the first four messages: degrees of faith among Christians, the uselessness of arguing, the issue of meats and special days as sources of conflict, and the biblical definition of offense as encouraging a weaker brother to act without knowledge.

So let me just take a few moments and try to review and try to bring everything into focus because this is message number five on how to avoid conflicts between Christians or what is biblical offense or what does it mean to offend. First of all, we began by looking in Romans 14, and we saw that there are indeed degrees of faith. In fact, Paul talks about the weak and the strong, and our Lord Himself talked about those who had little faith and those who had strong faith. So obviously, if there's a weak and a strong, there are degrees all in between as well. So there are varying degrees of maturity in Christians. And John the Apostle divided Christians into babes, or young children, young men, and fathers. And consequently, because some are weak, some are strong, inevitably, there's going to be some conflict, and so the apostle told us in Romans chapter 14 verse one, we had to learn to receive those who were weak in the faith, and when we receive them, it was not to doubtful disputations.

That is, there was not to be arguing and fussing and fighting. In the second message, I showed you the uselessness of arguing and fussing and fighting. You're never ever going to argue someone into the faith. You're never going to argue someone out of their position. You may teach them. You may patiently try to educate them. But as far as fussing and fighting, it will never work because it is God who must grant understanding. And if God does not grant understanding, if God does not open the eyes, no one is going to see it anyhow. So there's no reason to get mad, there's no reason to get angry, there's no reason to get upset, there's no reason to argue.

We also discovered in the third message that one of the problems that really existed, not only in the Roman church, but in the Corinthian church, was this difference over meats that had been sacrificed. It was in special days. In other words, some had to say, well, you had to observe this day and you had to observe this day in this way. And the Apostle Paul says, no, come on now. It is a source of conflict. But he said, some esteem one day alike, some others do not esteem every day alike. So then he said, let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Now, I also pointed out, and it's important for you to remember, that meat is not defiled because of an idol. An idol has absolutely no influence over meats. Okay? I also pointed out that anytime you locate evil or sin in anything material, you've gone into Greek dualism or Greek paganism. So it was the Greeks then who divided everything between spirit and matter and they separated those things and they said that matter was inherently evil. Therefore, the spirit was far better. And that is what leads to asceticism. It's what led to the monasteries. It's what led to self-flagellations, where you would whip yourself and beat your flesh trying to drive the evil out of it. That's pure paganism. God says that sin and evil is located in the heart. It's not in anything material. So this wood is not evil in and of itself. Alcohol is not evil in and of itself. Meat is not evil in and of itself. OK, so evil is in the heart. Now when I began explaining last week.

What it really means to offend someone biblically, I hope that you remember and I pointed out that truly, only in this context, only can a brother be offended and especially a weaker brother. I pointed out that there is, in the very nature of God's salvation, an offense to the gospel. The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5 and verse 11,

Now listen to what he said.

There is a natural offense to Jesus Christ. There is a natural offense to grace. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 1, you're close there. Go back, if you would, to 1 Corinthians 1, and let me show you just what we're talking about. You see, the gospel of Jesus Christ does not appeal to the flesh. It does not appeal to the intellect. So if you'll notice, in 1 Corinthians 1, the Apostle Paul says in verse 18, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness."

"But unto us which are saved it is the power of God." Now look what God says. "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" Now look. "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God." The world's wisdom is totally contrary to God. The world, by wisdom, knew not God. "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." Here it is. "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock," there's that word, "and unto the Greeks foolishness."

So there is an offense to the gospel. In fact, I gave you a number of passages last week from the Old Testament and the New Testament where the Bible tells us very plainly that Jesus Christ is a stumbling block to those who will not believe. In fact, one of those passages is found in 1 Peter 2 where the Word of God says concerning Christ,

So very obviously, there is an offense to the Gospel. The natural man, the natural mind does not want to hear of salvation by grace through faith. If we were preaching and teaching salvation by works or salvation by any other means, the flesh would receive it very willingly, but not when everything is the work of God.

Now, very quickly, let me just review what we covered last week to try to bring you up to speed. First of all, I pointed out that Christian liberty is involved and therefore the issue surrounds things that are indifferent. And when I'm talking about things that are indifferent, I'm not talking about things that are sinful and wicked in and of themselves. If something is sinful, it is not indifferent. If something is sinful, it is a violation of God's law. 1 John 3:4 tells us very clearly that whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. But eating meat is not a sin, even eating meat that had been blessed through an idol. It is not sin. Why? An idol is nothing. It has no influence over the meat. It does not change the substance of that meat or the essence of that meat, not at all. So, it involves things that are indifferent.

Secondly, I pointed out, it is the weak Christians who stumble and are offended. Look in 1 Corinthians 8. Let me emphasize this again. It is only the weak. Notice 1 Corinthians 8 and look at verse 7. He says, "Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled." Skip down to verse 9. "Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak." And then verse 11, "And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish." Verse 12, "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience." So it's the weak then who stumble. It is the weak who are offended. So if someone is biblically offended and they tell you that biblically, I said, they're acknowledging and confessing that they're weak. They're weak in faith, they're not strong in faith. So it's weak Christians that are offended and stumble.

Thirdly, I pointed out that those who are weak, those who are offended, those who do stumble, are so because of their ignorance. Now, I didn't say that, God did. Look in 1 Corinthians 8, verse 4. "As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." The ignorant, the weak, are weak because of their ignorance. They do not understand the sovereignty of God. They do not understand the providence of God. And he goes on to say in verse 7,

So they're ignorant in the aspect that they think that somehow this idol, this dumb piece of wood or whatever it is, somehow affects that meat where it is defiled. No. The Bible tells us that it has no influence at all upon that meat. And those who think that somehow that it does, the Apostle Paul says are ignorant. Then, fourthly, last week we looked at this and I tried to show you that biblically speaking to offend someone means to encourage and to embolden them to do what you're doing without having your knowledge. Look in verse 10. "For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols?" Now, let me emphasize this before I get started today. You can only biblically offend a weak brother, and you offend him by encouraging him, by emboldening him to do what you're doing without having your knowledge and your understanding.

Let me make this clear. One does not sin by exercising his liberty in Christ. The only way that you can sin in this aspect, in this context, is when you encourage and you embolden a weaker brother to do what you're doing without having your knowledge. I pointed out last week how that we have taken the biblical doctrine of offense and perverted it and we turned it around to make it mean to make somebody mad or to upset someone or to hurt their feelings when it has absolutely nothing to do with that. And I'm going to show you just a little bit later. In fact, you will remember I told you last week that the Apostle Paul undoubtedly upset the Apostle Peter in Galatians chapter 2 when he shook his finger in his face and rebuked him before everyone. And although he upset him and may have angered him, he never offended the Apostle Peter because to offend in this context means to encourage someone to do what you're doing without having your knowledge. All right, number five.

Point 5: Offense Requires the Weaker Brother to Act Against Conscience

An offense only occurs when the weaker brother, emboldened by the stronger's example, acts without knowledge and against his conscience. If he does not act, no offense is committed.

Here's where we're beginning today. Here's point number five. An offense only occurs when the weaker brother acts without knowledge against his conscience. Let me say that again. An offense only occurs when the weaker brother acts without knowledge against his conscience. Look at verse 10 again. He says, "For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols?"

Now, I'm going to get just a little technical just for a moment. The Greek construction in verse 10 is known as ean with the subjunctive and that implies a third class condition or a possible situation. So what the Apostle Paul is doing in verse 10 is drawing a picture for us of an enlightened or a strong brother exercising his liberty by eating a feast in the idol's temple with a strong brother enjoying that liberty and yet the weak brother is watching and is encouraged to do the same thing. Now, a little bit later in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verses 14 through 22, the Apostle Paul is going to point out to the strong brother how it's not necessarily very wise or expedient for him to do what he's doing. But yet at the same time, he's just drawing a picture here.

And you remember I told you last week that in pagan temples, after the sacrifice was over, they would have a feast of a lot of the meat that was left over. They would invite family and friends. And a lot of Christians then were not going to the idol sacrifice. They were going to the feast after the sacrifice and sitting down and enjoying the free meal. A good piece of steak is what it amounts to. And these Christians then that were going were treating this meat as if it was just meat. Something that they had bought or something that they had raised. They knew, they understood that an idol was absolutely nothing, that it had no influence over that meat. It did not change the essence of that meat. They were not worshiping that idol. They were not honoring that idol. They were just sitting down and eating food.

Now, here's Paul's argument, and by the way, let me remind you about the word emboldened. I told you what the word actually meant. It means literally to edify, but it means more than that. It means to erect a building or to set up a foundation. So here's what was happening. Here's what the Apostle Paul is saying. Here you are publicly eating this meat, enjoying it in the feast.

And here is the weaker brother. And he sees you doing that, and he thinks, well, if he can do it, I can do it as well. And he does not have your knowledge. And so he lays his foundation. He builds his house, so to speak. He sets up housekeeping there and he goes and does exactly what you're doing. And then as he does that, his conscience smites him. Because he does not have your knowledge. And he is offended. Now.

I want you to listen to me carefully. If the weak brother does not act, or is emboldened to act, he has not stumbled, and no offense has been committed. Now, let me just show you this. Here I am sitting in the idol's temple, having a good steak that's free. And Henry comes along and says, oh, look at that. There's my pastor up there. I wish he wouldn't do that. I don't like that. He may do it, but I'm not going to do it. And Henry walks on down the street. Have I offended him? No. You see, this is what you've got to understand. Someone may not like what you're doing, as long as it's not sin. They may disagree with what you're doing. But unless that weaker brother actually goes contrary to his conscience, he has not been offended.

Let me try to draw you an illustration. Let's suppose that Alice and I are planning a picnic at the beach. Now, let me ask you a question. Is it sinful to go to the beach? Is it a violation of God's law to go to the beach? No. Is there a commandment that says thou shalt not go to the beach? The answer is no. You say, but you don't understand, Pastor. You can sin at the beach. Well, it's true. But you can also sin in the privacy of your own home. You can also sin out in the woods. You can sin anywhere. But the beach itself is not necessarily sinful.

Now, I'm using an illustration. I hope everyone knows, and if you know me, you know this about me. I have lost nothing at the beach. I do enjoy seeing the sunrise and the sunset over the ocean. I enjoy watching little birds run up and down the beach in the shoreline, but I have no desire to go there. I have no desire to sunbathe. I have no desire to swim. In fact, I enjoy going to the beach about once every 10 to 20 years. You know, so I've lost nothing at the beach. You understand that. So, I'm not encouraging anybody to go to the beach. I'm not telling you to stay away from the beach. I'm just saying that's not my cup of tea. I enjoy looking at the water and seeing that sunrise and sunset, and I enjoy those little birds, but other than that, I'm not getting in that water. Okay?

For a number of reasons. For one, it's dirty. Number two, medical waste is thrown in there. Number three, I don't like sharks. But anyhow, you understand this. But here's my illustration. Alice and I are planning a picnic to the beach. In fact, we've got everything ready and we're putting everything in the car when you drive up. And I say, man, you've gotten here just at the right time. We're planning a picnic at the beach and we want you to come go with us and enjoy our picnic. And you say something like this, I don't go to the beach. What? What's wrong with going to the beach? I don't go to the beach.

There's too many scantily clad people there. And I have a difficult time keeping my mind pure. In fact, I don't go to the beach. I don't even think you should go to the beach. And I don't want to go.

Now, you may get upset at the prospect. You may even ask, how is it that you could even think of going to the beach? And then I explain to you, well, look, we're going to a secluded spot. Hardly anyone there. Just us. And still there's hesitation. No, I don't think I want to go to the beach. So I look at Alice and say, all right. Let's take our picnic that we planned and let's go to the park. Would you go to the park with us? Oh, yes, I'll be glad to go to the park. Now, here's my question. We take our picnic and I take you and we go to the park instead of the beach.

Now, have you been offended? No. Did you like the prospect that Alice and I would go to the beach? No. Did you agree? No. Did it upset you? Maybe. But did it offend you? The answer is no. Because I have not encouraged you, I have not emboldened you to go contrary to your conscience.

Now, let me try to flesh this out for you. You drive up. We're going to the beach. And I say again, man, you've gotten here just in time. We're going to the beach. We've got this picnic. Let's go. And you say, I don't want to go to the beach. I don't go to the beach. I have trouble at the beach. There's too many temptations at the beach. And I look at you and I say, don't be childish. Come on, let's go to the beach.

I said, you're out of your mind. Don't be childish. And I urge you, I chide you, I pull you. And I basically force you to go when you don't want to go. And you get to the beach. And your conscience smites you. And you see things that you did not want to see. And you say to yourself, I knew I should not have come. I knew it'd be a time of temptation. I knew I'd fall in that temptation. I knew I shouldn't have come. And you're miserable and you're discouraged and you're depressed and you're upset. Here's my question. Did I offend you? Yes, I did.

Did I sin against you? Yes, I did. Because I made you do something contrary to your conscience, contrary to what you know. Now, let's consider this truth from another perspective. You drive up and I say, we're ready to go to the beach. We've got a wonderful picnic planned. Come on, let's go. And you say, oh, no. I don't go to the beach. Why? Well, to be honest, I have trouble keeping my mind pure. I have trouble with this. I have trouble with that. I said, look, step into my office a minute and let me show you some things. And I opened my Bible and I showed you how God has given us richly all things to enjoy. And I point out how the ocean and the beach is God's creation. It is ours. I not only show you that, but I show you how to renew your mind.

how to control your thoughts so that you will not fall into temptation. And I show you from the Bible how to gird up the loins of your mind and walk holy before the Lord. And I demonstrate to you it's just as possible to be as holy on the beach as it is holy in your own home or holy in a park. And I show you that from the Bible. And you say, yes, I see that. I understand that. And after showing you that, after you listening and receiving all of that truth from God's Word, you agree to go. And when you go, you get there and you enjoy yourself and you have a good time. And you keep your heart and you keep your mind and you don't fall into sin. Now, here's my question. Have I offended you? No. Why?

Point 6: Offending a Weak Brother Is Sin Against Him and Christ

Offending a weak brother is a sin that wounds his conscience and is also a sin against Christ, because it violates the command to love, harms one united to Christ, and insults Christ's lordship over the conscience.

I don't care if he's a baby. I don't care if he's a young man. I don't care if he's a father. He says when you sin so against the weak brother, you wound their weak conscience and you sin against Christ. Now the word sin here has the impact of injuring, offending, or leading someone into sin. Well, how do you sin against the weak brother? When you violate God's law that requires you to love your brethren and to seek their welfare, and thus when you violate that law, you sin against them. Sin is properly against God. But it is also against man. When one is done an injustice, it requires restitution.

But you realize there are some things you can't make restitution over. If I steal from Terry, I can make restitution. If I steal from Ed, I can make restitution. Suppose I ran up to Carrie and planted a great big kiss right on her lips. And afterwards I said, oh, I shouldn't have done that. Can I un-kiss her? No. How can I make that right? You see what I'm saying? There's something.

All I can do is apologize. All I can do is say I'm sorry. But I can't undo what I've done. So we've got to understand that when we're talking about restitution, there's some things it's almost impossible to make restitution over. And it requires repentance, yes, it requires forgiveness yet, but you can't make restitution over some of that stuff.

Now, let me show you. I'm trying to point out that sin is primarily against God. Do you remember in Psalm 51, when David is confessing his sin, he said, "Against thee, and against thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." What did he say? Now, he's talking about his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. And he said, "Against thee, and against thee only, have I done this evil, have sinned against thee and done this evil in thy sight." Well, did he not sin against Bathsheba? Yes, he did. Did he not sin against Uriah? Yes, he did. Did he not sin against his own family? Yes, he did. Did he not sin against the families of Uriah and Bathsheba? Yes, he did. His sin may have been primarily against God, but it certainly affected everyone else as well.

So the point I'm trying to make is this. Christians are obligated not only to do right toward God, but we're obligated to do right toward our fellow man as well. That's why Galatians 6:10 says this: "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Although I have a responsibility to do good to all men, I have a special duty to do good to those who are the household of faith. So he says, when you sin so against the weak brethren, you wound their weak conscience.

Now, the word wound here literally means to smite or to beat or to injure. Well, how do you injure a weak brother? Well, you've got to understand their consciences are ill informed. They are ignorant. And when you embolden them and encourage them to go contrary to what they know, you burden them then with a sense of guilt and sorrow and anguish. And our Lord says it's a sin.

Now, let me ask you a question. How do we sin against Christ when we sin against the weak brethren? That's what he said. "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ." How do we sin against Christ? Well, first, we sin against Christ because he has commanded us to love one another and in loving others, we're to seek their good and their well-being. Secondly, weak brethren are just as intimately united to Jesus Christ as are the stronger brethren. And when we harm them, we sin against Christ. He is their head, just like He is our head. They are His body, just as we are His body. And when we harm them, we harm Him.

Do you remember what our Lord said in Matthew 25 and verse 40? He said, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Third, here's another way you sin against Christ. You have to remember that Jesus Christ is Lord of the conscience, not man. I have no right to dictate to you when and how and where your conscience shall be enlightened and illuminated. That's the Lord's prerogative, not mine. Illumination, understanding, enlightenment is His gift. I want to show you something in light of this. When you consider the context of Romans 14, 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and we're talking about eating a piece of meat. OK. Placing a piece of meat ahead of a brother who's been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ is an open insult to Jesus Christ. When you say, I'd rather have a good piece of steak than consider the conscience of a weaker brother, you're insulting Jesus Christ who purchased that man with his own blood. So what an insult it must be to Christ when one demonstrates in his actions, listen carefully, that you'd rather have a piece of meat or some other frivolity.

Then to help someone who is a true Christian. It denies and denigrates the sacrifice and the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for believers. OK, so it is a sin to wound the weak conscience of a weak brother. And when we do, we sin against Christ in those three ways that I've just mentioned.

Now, here's point number seven. I want you to follow with me. The word of God and Christian charity demand that we do not offend the weaker brother. The word of God and Christian charity demand that we do not offend the weaker brother. Look in 1 Corinthians 8 in verse 13. Look what the Apostle Paul said. "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." What did Paul say?

Point 7: Christian Charity Demands We Do Not Offend the Weaker Brother

Scripture commands us not to cause a brother to stumble. Paul's example shows we must be willing to forego the exercise of liberty for the sake of the weak, without surrendering the principle of liberty.

Then to help someone who is a true Christian. It denies and denigrates the sacrifice and the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for believers. OK, so it is a sin to wound the weak conscience of a weak brother. And when we do, we sin against Christ in those three ways that I've just mentioned.

Now, here's point number seven. I want you to follow with me. The word of God and Christian charity demand that we do not offend the weaker brother. The word of God and Christian charity demand that we do not offend the weaker brother. Look in 1 Corinthians 8 in verse 13. Look what the Apostle Paul said. "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." What did Paul say?

I don't have to have a steak. I don't have to have a full meal. Now, I want you to hold 1 Corinthians 8, but turn right back, if you would, to Romans chapter 14, and look at verses 13 through 17. He's dealing with the same issue, Romans 14. Beginning there, verse 13. Look what he says.

He said, just make sure that you don't cause anybody to stumble or fall. Now watch. Look what he said in verse 14.

"I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Now, in verse 16, when the Apostle Paul says, "let not your good be evil spoken of," the good there refers to Christian liberty. Let not your good Christian liberty be evil spoken of. Do not abuse it. Do not misuse it. Do not malign it.

I want you to hold Romans 14, but turn over your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, look in Galatians chapter 5. I could quote this, but I want you to see it, Galatians 5 in verses 13 and 14. Paul says very plainly what he is implying in Romans 14 when he said in verse 16, "let not your good then be evil spoken of." Look in Galatians 5 verse 13.

What did he say? You've been called unto liberty. Only use not your liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another. I want to make something exceedingly clear. OK, I want you to listen to me.

This is very, very important. We must at all times consider the weaker brethren. But considering the weaker brethren is not surrendering to them, nor pandering to them in their weakness. But let me say this again. We must at all times consider the weaker brethren. But considering them does not mean surrendering the truth or Christian liberty or pandering to them in their weakness. There is a principle in Scripture that is very, very clear and that principle is that of Christian liberty. And we may never, ever forsake that principle. However, although we may never forsake the principle of Christian liberty, that does not mean that at times we cannot forego the exercise of that liberty.

Did you hear what I said? Although we may never forsake the principle of liberty, that does not mean that at times we cannot forego the exercise of that liberty. There are at least three reasons given in Scripture whereby we may lawfully and legitimately forego the exercise of our liberty. We're not giving up the principle. But we just do not exercise it in these three instances. First of all, we may forego the exercise of our liberty for the furtherance of the gospel. I want you to look in your Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. And I want you to see how the Apostle Paul forewent the exercise of his Christian liberty. The Apostle Paul was not married. At least he certainly was not married here. Some say that he had to have been married for he was a member of the Sanhedrin because that was a requirement. If he had been married his wife died.

But at this particular point in his life, he's unmarried. So look in 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul says,

or Peter. Now look what the Apostle is arguing. Let me ask you a question. Now I know you know the answer. Is it a sin to marry? The answer is no, it is not. Did Paul have a right to marry? Yes, he did. Was Paul married at this point? No, he was not. And he forewent the exercise of that. He said, I have the liberty to lead around a sister or wife the way Peter does and some of the other brethren. They were married.

They carried their wives with them. But Paul did not marry for the purpose of the gospel. Look what he said in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, beginning there verse 32. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 32. Here's why he was not married. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 32. He says, "But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife."

Now, let me point something out. In 1 Corinthians 7, and I'm not going to go over this, but Paul gives you three reasons to marry, three reasons not to marry. And it is true that married people have advantages over single people. And it's also true that single people have some advantages over married people. Clay used to do what he wanted to do. He could go where he wanted, what he pleased, how he did it. He can't do that now. He has a wife to consider and soon a child to consider. You see what I'm saying? Paul said, I have a perfect right to marry. I have a perfect right to drag my wife around like everybody else. But he said, it caused me more trouble than it's worth and for the gospel sake. Hey. How would you love to have been Paul's wife and gotten thrown in jail with him? You see what I'm saying? Get thrown in prison all the time, get beaten, get stoned with stones. Get beaten with a whip. So I'm just saying, here's Paul. He had an absolute right to marry, but he remained unmarried for the furtherance of the gospel. So here's the principle. You cannot forsake the principle of Christian liberty, but you can forego the exercise of Christian liberty for the furtherance of the gospel. OK, secondly, we may forego the exercise of our liberty for the sake of personal holiness. Whatever we have liberty to do, personal holiness must come first. I may have personal liberty to go to the beach.

And I do. But I'm certainly not going to go in July and August when it's most crowded and you see the most scantily clad people there. In other words, I can forego the exercise of my liberty for personal holiness. I want you to understand this. I have liberty to watch movies. But my personal holiness comes ahead of any movie. And if that movie is full of filthy and foul language and teaching adultery and fornication, I'm not watching it. Because personal holiness comes first, and let me tell you something, if a movie is too vile and too wicked and too filthy for you to watch downtown at the movie theater, it's still too vile and too wicked, too filthy for you to watch on your TV set when it comes on TV. Scripture says this, David said in Psalm 101, verse 3,

So the point I'm trying to make is this. Here's the principle of liberty, but you may forego the exercise of that liberty for the furtherance of the gospel or for personal holiness.

And personal holiness comes first. Thirdly, and by the way, I hope you remember the book of Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14 says,

There are plenty of things that I can do without. But one thing I cannot do without is holiness. For without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. And thirdly, we may forego the exercise of our liberty for the sake of the weaker brethren. Paul certainly understood that an idol had no influence upon meat. Paul understood that the meat was not contaminated by the idol. Would Paul eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol? Absolutely. Would Paul eat that meat with a bunch of weaker brethren watching him? Absolutely not. Because Paul said, "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth." In other words, I'm not giving up my liberty, but I'm willing to forego that liberty for the sake of the weaker brethren.

So the principle is this. We have liberty in Christ. But we may forego the exercise of it for the furtherance of the gospel, for personal holiness, and for consideration of the weaker brethren, because we do not want to sin against Jesus Christ.

Three Legitimate Reasons to Forego the Exercise of Liberty

We may forego exercising our liberty for the furtherance of the gospel, for personal holiness, and for the sake of weaker brethren, while never forsaking the principle of Christian liberty.

Did you hear what I said? Although we may never forsake the principle of liberty, that does not mean that at times we cannot forego the exercise of that liberty. There are at least three reasons given in Scripture whereby we may lawfully and legitimately forego the exercise of our liberty. We're not giving up the principle. But we just do not exercise it in these three instances. First of all, we may forego the exercise of our liberty for the furtherance of the gospel. I want you to look in your Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. And I want you to see how the Apostle Paul forewent the exercise of his Christian liberty. The Apostle Paul was not married. At least he certainly was not married here. Some say that he had to have been married for he was a member of the Sanhedrin because that was a requirement. If he had been married his wife died.

But at this particular point in his life, he's unmarried. So look in 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul says,

or Peter. Now look what the Apostle is arguing. Let me ask you a question. Now I know you know the answer. Is it a sin to marry? The answer is no, it is not. Did Paul have a right to marry? Yes, he did. Was Paul married at this point? No, he was not. And he forewent the exercise of that. He said, I have the liberty to lead around a sister or wife the way Peter does and some of the other brethren. They were married.

They carried their wives with them. But Paul did not marry for the purpose of the gospel. Look what he said in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, beginning there verse 32. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 32. Here's why he was not married. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 32. He says, "But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife."

Now, let me point something out. In 1 Corinthians 7, and I'm not going to go over this, but Paul gives you three reasons to marry, three reasons not to marry. And it is true that married people have advantages over single people. And it's also true that single people have some advantages over married people. Clay used to do what he wanted to do. He could go where he wanted, what he pleased, how he did it. He can't do that now. He has a wife to consider and soon a child to consider. You see what I'm saying? Paul said, I have a perfect right to marry. I have a perfect right to drag my wife around like everybody else. But he said, it caused me more trouble than it's worth and for the gospel sake. Hey. How would you love to have been Paul's wife and gotten thrown in jail with him? You see what I'm saying? Get thrown in prison all the time, get beaten, get stoned with stones. Get beaten with a whip. So I'm just saying, here's Paul. He had an absolute right to marry, but he remained unmarried for the furtherance of the gospel. So here's the principle. You cannot forsake the principle of Christian liberty, but you can forego the exercise of Christian liberty for the furtherance of the gospel. OK, secondly, we may forego the exercise of our liberty for the sake of personal holiness. Whatever we have liberty to do, personal holiness must come first. I may have personal liberty to go to the beach.

And I do. But I'm certainly not going to go in July and August when it's most crowded and you see the most scantily clad people there. In other words, I can forego the exercise of my liberty for personal holiness. I want you to understand this. I have liberty to watch movies. But my personal holiness comes ahead of any movie. And if that movie is full of filthy and foul language and teaching adultery and fornication, I'm not watching it. Because personal holiness comes first, and let me tell you something, if a movie is too vile and too wicked and too filthy for you to watch downtown at the movie theater, it's still too vile and too wicked, too filthy for you to watch on your TV set when it comes on TV. Scripture says this, David said in Psalm 101, verse 3,

So the point I'm trying to make is this. Here's the principle of liberty, but you may forego the exercise of that liberty for the furtherance of the gospel or for personal holiness.

And personal holiness comes first. Thirdly, and by the way, I hope you remember the book of Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14 says,

There are plenty of things that I can do without. But one thing I cannot do without is holiness. For without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. And thirdly, we may forego the exercise of our liberty for the sake of the weaker brethren. Paul certainly understood that an idol had no influence upon meat. Paul understood that the meat was not contaminated by the idol. Would Paul eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol? Absolutely. Would Paul eat that meat with a bunch of weaker brethren watching him? Absolutely not. Because Paul said, "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth." In other words, I'm not giving up my liberty, but I'm willing to forego that liberty for the sake of the weaker brethren.

So the principle is this. We have liberty in Christ. But we may forego the exercise of it for the furtherance of the gospel, for personal holiness, and for consideration of the weaker brethren, because we do not want to sin against Jesus Christ.

Application: Recovering the Theology of Rebuke

Because of misunderstanding biblical offense, the church has lost the practice of warning, admonishing, and exhorting one another. True offense is not about hurting feelings but about causing a weak brother to sin against conscience.

Now, let me make a couple of applications today. The first one is this, and I've mentioned this to you earlier. Because of a misunderstanding of the biblical doctrine of offense, we have lost the theology of rebuke. People tend to think to offend someone means to upset them, hurt their feelings, make them mad. That is not true. I want you to turn in your Bibles. Follow me very quickly. First of all, to the book of Acts chapter 20. I want to show you some verses and I'm going to point out one word in each verse. Look in Acts chapter 20 and verse 31.

The apostle here happens to be speaking to a bunch of preachers, but that's immaterial. I want you to look at the word. Acts chapter 20 verse 31. Look what the Apostle Paul said. Acts 20 verse 31, "Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." Underline the word warn. I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears. Look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 15 and verse 14. Romans 15 verse 14. Watch carefully. Romans 15 verse 14. "And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Underline the word admonish. Warn, admonish. Turn right over to the book of Colossians chapter 1. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Colossians chapter 1. Look if you would please at verse 28. Colossians 1 verse 28. Look what the Apostle Paul says. Colossians 1 verse 28.

"Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Underline the word warning. So it's been warn, admonish, warning. Now look in the book of Hebrews chapter 3. Turn right over to Hebrews chapter 3 and notice if you would please verse 13. Watch carefully. Hebrews 3 verse 13. "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Exhort. Wow, look in Hebrews 10 at verses 24 and 25. Hebrews 10 verses 24 and 25. "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Now, the interesting thing is that the word warn, admonish and warning are all the same Greek word, noutheteo, which literally means to cause to stand in one's mind. You warn, you admonish by causing something to stand in the mind. How do you do that? And the answer is, according to Hebrews 3, Hebrews 10, by exhortation and provocation. We're to provoke one another to good works. Obviously, if you rebuke someone, if you warn someone, if you reprove someone, if you admonish someone, sooner or later, someone is going to get upset. They'll get mad. They'll get their feelings hurt.

What have you offended them? No. No. You can only offend a brother by encouraging to do what you're doing without having your knowledge. And I want you to notice something. The Bible said in Hebrews 10 that we're to provoke one another to love and to good works, not just simply provoke each other. That's what some do. But we're to provoke unto love and to good works. So we've lost our theology of rebuke because we've taken the word offend and made it mean to make somebody mad or to upset them. If I got really upset with Clay and shook my finger in his face and told him, son, you're not treating your wife correctly and I really nailed his hide to the wall, would he be upset? Probably. Would he get mad at me? Probably. Have I offended him? No. Because to offend a brother means to encourage him to do what you're doing without having your knowledge.

Very quickly, if we understand the biblical doctrine of Christian liberty, it will set us free from the traditions of men. Galatians 5:1, Christ says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." I am not obligated to submit to every dictate of man or to do what men think need to be done. My conscience is bound to the Word of God. I can't come along demanding that you do this and you do that and you do it exactly the way I understand it. If you don't, you're wicked, you're wrong. No, no, no. My conscience is bound to the Word of God. There's nothing wrong with traditions as long as, number one, they're biblical, or number two, everyone understands they're not binding upon anyone. But the problem with traditions is this. Sooner or later, somebody wants to bind your conscience to that tradition and say, you have to do it and you have to do it like this. And you don't.

Application: Freedom from Traditions of Men

Understanding Christian liberty sets us free from man-made traditions that bind the conscience. Our conscience is bound only to God's Word, not to human dictates.

Very quickly, if we understand the biblical doctrine of Christian liberty, it will set us free from the traditions of men. Galatians 5:1, Christ says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." I am not obligated to submit to every dictate of man or to do what men think need to be done. My conscience is bound to the Word of God. I can't come along demanding that you do this and you do that and you do it exactly the way I understand it. If you don't, you're wicked, you're wrong. No, no, no. My conscience is bound to the Word of God. There's nothing wrong with traditions as long as, number one, they're biblical, or number two, everyone understands they're not binding upon anyone. But the problem with traditions is this. Sooner or later, somebody wants to bind your conscience to that tradition and say, you have to do it and you have to do it like this. And you don't.

Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Our conscience is bound only to the word of God. You show it to me in scripture, I'm bound. If it's not in Scripture, I'm not bound. It's just that simple. If you want to do it, fine, you may do it. But don't get mad at me if I don't do it. OK. I want you to look back Romans 14 one last time. Romans 14.

And let me emphasize this again. We cannot and we must not press our ideas, opinions, and desires where there is no biblical warrant to do so. Look at Romans 14 verse 19. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence." For meat destroy not the work of God. Why would we desire our way and our ideas and our opinions to the point that we're willing to destroy the work of God in the lives of others, in their homes, and in their churches?

It would be the height of wickedness to do so. The last application is this: when we are exercising our Christian liberties under Christ, we must always consider weaker brethren, use wisdom, compassion and consideration. We're not to be spiritual bulls in the proverbial china shop demanding our way or else we'll tear the place apart. No, no. Do you realize the strong as well as the weak may destroy the work of God? The strong may destroy the work of God by condemnation and impatience. And the weak may destroy the work of God by judging and demanding. I'm just simply saying.

Application: Exercising Liberty with Wisdom and Compassion

We must consider weaker brethren, using wisdom and compassion, not demanding our way. Both strong and weak can destroy God's work through condemnation or judging.

And let me emphasize this again. We cannot and we must not press our ideas, opinions, and desires where there is no biblical warrant to do so. Look at Romans 14 verse 19. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence." For meat destroy not the work of God. Why would we desire our way and our ideas and our opinions to the point that we're willing to destroy the work of God in the lives of others, in their homes, and in their churches?

It would be the height of wickedness to do so. The last application is this: when we are exercising our Christian liberties under Christ, we must always consider weaker brethren, use wisdom, compassion and consideration. We're not to be spiritual bulls in the proverbial china shop demanding our way or else we'll tear the place apart. No, no. Do you realize the strong as well as the weak may destroy the work of God? The strong may destroy the work of God by condemnation and impatience. And the weak may destroy the work of God by judging and demanding. I'm just simply saying.

Here are principles that have been laid out by the Apostle Paul. If we follow these principles, we may not avoid every conflict between believers, but we certainly will avoid most conflicts. Because most conflicts arise when someone basically demands that everyone do what they tell them in the way that they tell them. And I love what Arthur W. Pink said years ago. I've never forgotten it. I quote this often. Arthur W. Pink said, and I quote, "One of the reasons we do not like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves." And that's a fact. You only offend someone by encouraging him to do what you're doing without having your knowledge. And you can only offend a weaker brother, biblically speaking.