In Psalm 133, the psalmist writes,
behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity. He says, it's like the precious
ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's
beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments, showing
here that Aaron, the high priest, this covered him. And this is something that reaches
to the fullness of salvation in Christ. And he says, he writes
in verse three, as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended
upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the
blessing, even life forevermore. Somebody once said that the most
precious thing we've got is the gospel truth and the power of
the Holy Spirit. that brings us to Christ. And they said the second most
precious thing that we got is the gospel truth in the hands
of the Holy Spirit that keeps us together in Christ. And I
believe what we're going to see here, after the apostle had been
inspired by the Holy Spirit to deal with issues that might ordinarily
divide people, And of course, he's not talking about gospel
truth here. He's talking about issues of Christian liberty in
those things which are not vital. In chapter 14, he dealt with
it, the keeping of days or not keeping of days, the eating of
certain foods or the not eating of certain foods. Not in a legal
way, but in a way of liberty. After doing that, he shows in
the first few verses of chapter 15 what this really is all about. And what it's all about is Christian
liberty and unity. And what he's showing is our
unity and our fellowship in the gospel is the most precious thing
that we have, and nothing should come between us in that unity. Nothing should upset it or break
that fellowship or unity. And we ought to do everything
we can do to preserve it, short of compromising the gospel. Now
unity, at the expense of the truth, is an unholy unity. You know, we've all, in our lifetimes,
we've heard of and probably read quite a bit about the spirit,
the ecumenical movement. In other words, you know, all
these different denominations and that we're all Christian,
we're all going to the same God, we all believe the same gospel,
so let's forget our doctrinal differences and get together,
well that's unholy. It's unbiblical, it's compromised. Peace and unity at the expense
of the gospel is a false peace and an unholy unity. But if we're
gathered around the true Christ, If that's what we're here this
morning, you know, to hear the truth preached and to identify
with the truth and to identify with one another in the truth,
we should never allow anything else that is non-vital upset
or break that unity. And that's a given. Now, there
may be differences in a lot of different areas and we may even
you know, disagree to the point of getting angry, which we shouldn't,
but we do, we're human, has no excuse. You know, when I say
we're human, I'm not saying that's an excuse for it. It's just the
reality of it. And so we may get angry, but
you know, I mean, I've known people who get angry over certain
things in the church, you know, that had nothing to do with the
gospel, and they stopped coming to hear the gospel. And that
would be like getting angry at home and then stop coming to
the table to eat. Starve to death because you're
mad, you know? And that's not right now. And
that's again, that goes back to what I've been talking about
in these lessons about Christianity is advanced citizenship. We've
got to be mature enough and be strongly connected to Christ
enough that we can overlook these things. and get over it, you
know, and do what we need to do because we're children of
God. We're people of grace, grace, love, and unity. So here's what
he says. Now, here's the thing. He always
puts the burden upon the strong, the mature believer. Look at
verse one. We then that are strong, that's mature. These are the
ones who have the liberty. They realize their Christian
liberty. And it's not liberty to sin, it's not liberty to break
the law, it's not liberty to act like a fool, it's liberty
in the use of non-vital things. Things that don't mean anything.
Remember he talked about it over here in verse 14, when he says
that the kingdom of God, verse 17, for the kingdom of God is
not meat and drink. Those are not things that identify
or set one in or out of the kingdom of God. But here's what means
something, righteousness. And you know what he's talking
about there. He's not talking about our morality. Now should
we be moral? Yes. And if we bring shame upon
the gospel and upon the church with our immorality, should we
be confronted? Yes, the scripture says that.
Galatians chapter six, we confront a person who is at fault there
in humility, recognizing that we too are sinners. So when he
says the kingdom of God is righteousness, you know what he's talking about?
He's talking about the merits of the obedience unto death of
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's our right and title to
be citizens of the kingdom of God. Salvation based upon what
Christ accomplished on the cross to bring forth righteousness
that we don't have, but that which God has reckoned to our
account. and from which God has given
us life within to look to him and rest in him. And that's what
the kingdom of God is about. It's about righteousness. And
then it's about peace. Peace, first of all, between
God and his people. That peace is established by
the blood of the cross. And that's what makes us at peace
with one another, not in these non-vital issues necessarily,
but in the gospel. That's our fellowship right here.
You see that? That's the peace which passes
understanding. And then joy, that's what ought
to bring joy. My joy ought not be because you
agree with me on some issue that doesn't mean anything. My joy
ought to be is that we're together in the Lord and in his truth. Our love and unity in the truth.
And those are the things that characterize the kingdom of God.
So he says in verse one, we then that are strong, we're mature,
we know how to use our liberty. But you ought to bear the infirmities
of the weak. Infirmities. It's almost like
a double word here. What is infirmity? It's the weakness
of the flesh. Not necessarily the sin of the
flesh. Now we have sin. But you know, Christ suffered
the infirmities of the flesh in his humanity. He got hungry. He got tired, had to sleep. He sorrowed, he wept. Those are sinless infirmities,
you see. He suffered them just like we
do, except he did it without sin, scripture tells us. So he calls this weakness an
infirmity, and that's what an infirmity is, it's a weakness.
So if you are, if in reading these verses, in your heart of
hearts, okay, you recognize when he talks about a weak believer,
he's talking about you, understand that he's calling you weak. And
you don't need to stay weak. You need to be taught. and those
who are mature and strong and know the use of their liberty,
the burden's on us, who are like that, to bear the infirmities
of the weak, not to offend, not to put a stumbling block, and
the key is in this verse one, and not to do what? Not to please
ourselves. I'm gonna do what I want, I don't
care if it, you know, what you think. No, that's not the Christian
way now. True Christianity, I put here,
is not a religion of self-centered people. It's all about me. I fear that too many preachers
either actively promote it or let it go to be all about them. I know people who, you know,
they get attached to one preacher and they say, well, if he leaves,
I'm leaving. Well, he's not your salvation. Christ is. And whoever comes in, you may
not like that person as well, you may not be as a close a friend,
you may not even like their style of preaching, but as long as
they're preaching Christ, he's feeding our souls. Isn't that
right? This is not about, it's not about
us. It's not about me. It's about
Christ and his word, his truth, And we're not in here to go through
life for our own selfish desires and our own purposes. We're here
for the glory of God. And we're here for the good of
each other. The edification, he's going to
call it. So in other words, what he's telling the mature believer
here is, look, if it, and I tell you, I know it takes a lot of
wisdom here now. It's not always easy. You know, because I hope I've
made it clear through this Romans 14 on Christian liberty and then
today, that this is not talking about where to stop doing this
and start doing that in order to feed the self-righteousness
of unbelievers. Because our Lord didn't do that
now. He didn't give in to the Pharisees when they challenged
on their practices. He told his disciples, you go
ahead and do it. Because you see, what they're
doing or not doing, they're thinking that that's their salvation.
That's their righteousness before God. And they need to know better.
And we know better. So that when we let our light
shine before men, that they may see our good works, but glorify
our Father in heaven. So I don't want anybody to look
at me, anything I do morally and say, well, I know you're
saved because of that. No, I'm a sinner saved by grace. And at my bad times and at my
good times, I'm still a sinner saved by grace. I don't have
any righteousness before God, but the imputed righteousness
of Christ. And so he's not saying to placate unbelievers. He's
talking about the unity of the brethren here. And it takes some
wisdom. And it takes some teaching. It
takes some compassion. It takes a resolute mind to say,
I'm gonna do my best to maintain unity in the faith. Unity in
grace. And that's what he's talking
about. And so, what we are to do or not do is to please and
honor God, to reflect the love of God in Christ, and to preserve
our relationship to one another as brethren. And so we're to
stand together against the world and make a concerted effort to
promote spiritual growth, unity. In the brethren, look at verse
two. He says, let every one of us please his neighbor for his
good dedication. Now, the neighbor there is talking
about the weak brother or sister in Christ. It's not talking about
everybody in the world. I know when the Bible tells us
to love our neighbors ourself, that's talking about all people.
That's the law. That's talking about unbelievers
and believers. That's the kind of love that
we're to display. And I always make it a point
to say this because people get confused on this, to love our
enemies, to love unbelievers is not to speak peace to them
when there's no peace. Because now, you know, when we
tell people the gospel, the Bible says in John chapter three and
verse 19, that light has come into the world and men love darkness
and hate the light. Now there's nothing I can do
to an unbeliever to make that unbeliever love the gospel. when I tell it to him. And why
does he hate it? Because it exposes his false
refuges. It exposes his deeds as being
evil. And that's the nature of the
message. That's the persecution that comes
with the territory over the truth, persecuted for Christ's sake.
But the greatest show of love that we can give to any unbelievers,
tell them that truth that they by nature hate or don't want.
Don't believe, and it just may be that they're one of God's
sheep and he'll call them into the fold. But now when it comes
to brethrency here, let every one of us please his neighbor.
We're to please that weak brother or weak sister in Christ. And
that doesn't mean we give into every little whim. It doesn't
mean that we're never to exercise our liberty because oh, so and
so might see us or something like that. It just means we're
to use wisdom, compassion, and love, and we're to work hard,
look at verse two, for his good to edification. Now you know
what edification is. It means to build up rather than
to destroy. And you know, he talked about
that in Romans 14, about condemnation or damnation, talking about their
conscience. He wasn't talking about the person's
relationship with God there, he's talking about their conscience,
condemned in their conscience. Because they're convinced that
this is God's revealed will by way of commandment, or a prohibition
that God has made. And so, however we treat them,
however we deal with them, it's got to be aimed at their edification,
to build them up, to teach them. And any of you who, again, if
in your heart of hearts you look at things like this and you say,
you know, that's talking about me, understand you need to be
taught from the word of God. When you talk about the keeping
of days, here's what you need to learn. You need to learn that
Christ is the Christian Sabbath. Christ is our Sabbath. Well,
does that mean that I don't have to regard Sunday the first day
of the week in any way? No, you regard it as the Lord's
Day, which is set aside for us to meet together and to worship.
That's a special day. Yes, we ought to worship God
every day. Yes, every day's the Lord's Day. And we ought to look
at it that way. But now, tomorrow's Monday. We're
not gonna meet here tomorrow morning like this. This is a
special time, but it's not our Sabbath. Christ is our Sabbath. Read Hebrews 4, and I can show
you other passages, too. We enter into his rest, see,
the finished work of Christ, and he is our Sabbath. We rest
in him. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. So we bask in
the rest of Christ, because he finished the work. He's our wisdom,
our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. And that's
what we're doing. We're to do that every day. And that's what the Sabbath rest
in the Old Covenant was pointing to, that Christ is our Sabbath. And then when it comes to eating
or not eating certain foods, there's no prohibition upon edible
foods which God has blessed. That doesn't mean we're gonna
go out here and eat rocks or something like that. That just
means that we're gonna use our, God's given us a brain. And so
if, you know, years ago, we had a man here who just, he would
not eat pork. And he was just convinced that
that's still held in check. But he never did say anything
to me about it. I know when he's out of town, his wife would go
get Jimmy's hot dogs. You know, that's the kind of
things you gotta put up with sometimes. I haven't had a Jimmy's hot dog
in years. But anyway, these are not the things that make up and
hold together the kingdom of God. What we're preaching, what
we believe, our foundation, how firm a foundation ye saints of
the Lord is laid for your faith in what? His excellent word. And that's what it's all about.
Well, he says in verse three, he says, for even Christ pleased
not himself. And boy, you know that's true.
He gave of himself. And he quotes from Psalm 69,
nine, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach
thee fell on me. Christ did all that he did in
his humiliation. And look over there at Philippians
chapter two. That's the prime, I don't know
why I didn't put that as a scripture reference on this, but you can
write it down on your lesson. Philippians chapter two there is the prime example. And you
know, Paul uses this in Philippians because there was a disagreement
in the church. Look at verse one. of Philippians
2, he says, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, any
comfort in Christ. If you're uncomfortable, and
I've thought about this a lot, if you're uncomfortable in the
fellowship of the saints, ask yourself, why is that so? Is
it because you're not getting your way? Well, boo hoo. Isn't that right? Isn't that a shame? Are we here
for you? Do I want my way too? Sure, I
do. I don't always get it. Is that
why you're uncomfortable? Be there for any comfort, consolation
in Christ. That's what we're here for. He
says, if any comfort of love, love from God to us in Christ
and love for one another, if any fellowship of the Spirit,
in the word of God around the truth. If any bowels and mercies,
that's a common way of talking about our emotions, because our
emotions affect our digestion and all that. He says, verse
two, fulfill ye my joy that you be like-minded, having the same
lun being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through
strife and vainglory. Strife is the friction that divides
us. Vainglory is the reason. Pride,
I want my way. But in lowliness of mind, let
each esteem other better than themselves. You know, I thought
about that. You know how we can do that?
I know my thoughts. I know my inner being. I don't
necessarily know yours. I know what the Lord says in
his word about all of us. But I know that my thoughts sometimes,
boy, I tell you, if I had them flashed up here on the screen,
I'd be down behind the pulpit here. I don't know how you're
thinking right now. I hope it's better than me. Not
right now, but. But you know what I'm saying.
Let each esteem other better than themselves. Lord, Lord,
I tell you, we're such sinful people. He says in verse four,
look not every man on his own things, but every man on the
things of others. And then he launches into what,
it's kind of like a commentary, what he's saying over here in
Romans 15, six about Christ. He says, let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form
of God. Now that means literally he is the exact likeness of God. He is God. Thought it not robbery
to be equal with God. Now that proves his deity. If
you and I, if we would raise ourselves up in pride to think
that we're equal with God in our nature, that'd be robbery. Stealing from his glory. But
for Christ it wasn't. When he said I am, it wasn't
robbery for him. He's equal with the Father. He's
the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. And he says in
verse seven, look here, now, but made himself of no reputation. Boy, talk about the condescension. Read about what Isaiah 53 says
about him. Man of sorrows. We esteemed him
not. took upon himself the form of
a servant, he who created this world, he who, by whom this world
consists, the reason this world consists and continues is because
of Christ. And what'd he do? He became a
servant. And was made in the likeness of men, condescended
to take into union with his deity a perfect sinless humanity. To,
to, What did they say? To cloak his glory in the human
nature without sin. The word made flesh. And being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. Well, how did
he humble himself? He became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross, even a most ignominious death.
That kind of death, to a Jewish person, that kind of death was
the highest shame. And why'd he do it? He did it
for the glory of God and the salvation of his people. To save
us, to bring us together, to build us up as his bride. His kingdom, the gates of hell
will not prevail against it. And he says in verse nine, wherefore,
for this reason God also hath highly exalted him and given
him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, things in earth, things
under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. That's what it's
about. Go back to Romans 15 now. Now
Christ did all of that to fulfill all the conditions and requirements
of the salvation of sinners who don't deserve anything but death
and hell. Enemies. Enemies. Colossians 1 talks about it.
It said, even when we were enemies, he made peace by the blood of
his cross. God's reconciled to us, and we're reconciled to God,
because Christ humbled himself unto death, obedient, even the
death of the cross. So there's this prime example
of it. We think, well, if we give in, it's below our dignity. And you know I'm right on everything,
aren't I? You know, I often kid about that.
I'll go to a verse and I'll say, now you may disagree with me
on this, but you have every right in this country to be wrong.
And we'll recognize that and let you go. But anyway, we think
it's below our dignity to placate somebody over these non-vital
issues. The Lord of glory condescended
to come to Earth to save a rotten sinner like me. Rotten sinners
like all of them. It shouldn't be below our dignity
to do anything to the praise of the glory of His grace and
for the edification of brethren in Christ. Well, look at Romans
15, he says in verse four, for whatsoever things were written
aforetime, obviously he's talking about the Old Testament there,
they were written for our learning. You know what a disciple is?
He's a learner. God teaches us the gospel of
his grace and lays the foundation from which we grow. And we learn. So any weak brother or sister
in Christ, you need to learn. Any mature brother or sister,
we need to learn. That's what a disciple is, a
learner. And God teaches us through his word, and he says that we
through patience, that's endurance, endurance, you see, That's perseverance
based upon his preserving power and grace and comfort of the
scriptures. We know it because God's word
says it. We might have hope, the certain
expectation of all the blessings of God's glory through the grace
and power of God in Christ. And here it is in his word, verse
five, he says, now the God of patience and consolation grant
you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.
Now, you can take this in one of two ways. It may have a little
bit of both, but it may be talking about God himself. He's patient. He's long-suffering, the scripture
says. And he certainly is the God of
consolation. I'm gonna talk about that this
morning in the assurance of faith. where the prophet said, speak
ye comfortably, I've got some comfortable words to you who
are looking to Christ for your salvation. Now I don't have any
comfort to give you who are not looking to Christ. If you're
looking elsewhere, I don't have any comfort for you. But God
is the God of patience and consolation, and then he gives us the gifts
of patience and consolation, endurance, comfort of the word,
of the gospel, and that we be like-minded one toward another
according to Jesus Christ, as it is in Christ. Now that's what
keeps us together. And so verse six, he says that
you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now again, that shows us that
our unity is founded upon the truth of the gospel of God's
grace. In other words, it's not unity,
again, it's not unity at the expense of the gospel. It's not
speaking peace where there's no peace. But with one mind,
remember, we have the mind of Christ. What does that mean? That means we see things as he
saw them, as he sees them, according to his word. Whatever God says
in his word, that ought to be our mind. That ought to be our
mode of operation. That ought to be our view of
things. And then he says, glorify God. How are you gonna glorify
God? You're gonna glorify God by resting in Christ and living
by his word. And this is like-minded one toward
another. This is what brings us together
and this is what keeps us together.