Now, Paul's subject in our text
this morning is the same subject he's been dealing with. We've
been looking at the last few weeks. He's talking about the
unity of the brethren, how the stronger and the weaker brethren,
while they may not have the exact same understanding of some peripheral
issues, that they're joined together, that they accept one another,
receive one another in unity. Now, Paul here is not talking
about going out of our way to have unity and accept just religious
people out, you know, we meet out in the world. He's talking
about brethren here. We definitely make allowances
for our weaker brothers and things that aren't central issues to
the gospel. But we can never tolerate the
error of false religion. You don't make allowances for
false religion so you can have unity within. He's talking about
brethren. What did our Lord say about the
Pharisees? He said, leave them alone. Don't
have unity with them. Don't make allowances so you
can have agreement with them. Leave them alone, He said. They're
blind leaders of the blind. Look over in Galatians chapter
1 before we look here in Romans. Look at Galatians chapter 1.
What did Paul say about making allowances to have unity with
false religions? In Galatians 1 verse 6, he says,
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called
you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is
not another. But there be some that trouble
you that would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an
angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed As we said
before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel
unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." He's not
having unity with those fellows. He says, let them be accursed.
And one more scripture, 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy chapter 1. We don't make allowances for
those who left the truth of the gospel. 1 Timothy 1 verse 19. Holding faith in a good conscience,
which some, having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck,
of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan,
that they may learn not to blaspheme." Doesn't sound to me like Paul's
having unity with Hymenaeus and Alexander. They've left the gospel. So he's not making allowances
for them. What he's talking about here is brethren. And that's
a totally different story. We're dealing with brethren.
And we may have some differences on some peripheral issues, but
I tell you what we have is a common bond of love. And it's a bond
that holds us together. There's love for each other and
there's love for Christ. Now, each child of God is equally
loved by Christ, our Savior. And what we'll see here in these
verses this morning is we're to follow the example of Christ
when we deal with our brethren. They're to be loved and accepted
for Christ's sake as Christ received us. Now verse 1 here in Romans
15, Paul says, we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities
of the weak and not to please ourselves. Now Paul here is talking
to the mature believer, those who are strong, he says. They're
strong in faith. They're not strong in themselves.
They're weak in themselves. I've said this before, a very
large part of growing in grace is growing in the knowledge of
how weak we are. Look at 2 Corinthians 12, I'll
show you that. They're not strong in themselves,
they're weak. They recognize that weakness
in themselves. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 10. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I
strong. When I recognize my own weakness
and lean completely on the Lord Jesus Christ, then I'm strong. Because all of our strength comes
from Him. And these Paul's talking to here are strong in faith.
They're established on the rock Christ Jesus. They've learned
to depend completely and wholly on the Lord Jesus Christ for
all their salvation. They understand that their spiritual
condition isn't affected by what they eat or what they wear. They're
free from that law in Christ. Now Paul says to those strong,
strong in faith, to bear the infirmities, bear with the weaknesses
of your brethren. This word infirmities, I looked
it up yesterday. It actually means an error arising
from weakness of mind, an error arising from weakness of understanding,
of understanding the gospel. These are weaknesses that come
from being a babe in Christ. Our babies are weak physically. They're weak physically. They're
weak in understanding. Well, a babe in Christ is the
same way. They're weak in the strength of faith. They have
these weaknesses that come from spiritual immaturity. Now, they
have spiritual life. They're brethren. But it's just
not very developed yet. It hasn't had time to grow strong
yet. And they're weak. They're carrying around burdens
that they don't need to carry. But the strong don't chastise
them for it. They don't look down on them
for it. They still may have some burden of the ceremonial law.
They feel some burden of the Sabbath day. Well, they don't
have to. Christ is our Sabbath. He's our
rest. We find rest in Him. But they
still may have that weakness and feeling tied to it. Well,
the strong should help them carry that burden until that weak,
the one whose weakened faith grows up a little bit, until
their faith becomes stronger. I read this this week. This is
a good rule of thumb. Don't treat your weak brother
like a wicked man. He's not a wicked man. He's a
brother. Treat him like a frail brother because that's what he
is. And just be very careful not to squash that tender plant.
He's just a babe. Give him some water. Give him
some sun. Give him some time and room to grow. He'll grow
just like we did. You know those great redwood
trees out in California. I've never seen them. I've seen
pictures of them. We have a picture in our house of John Esther Flaming
standing beside one. I mean, humongous thing. That tree is so big you cut a
hole in it and drive a car through it and don't hurt that tree.
It's huge. You just, seemingly indestructible. Well, you know, there's a day
that redwood was a seedling and if you stepped on it, you'd have
killed it. You can't step on it now because it's grown strong.
It's got roots down deep. It took time. It took a lot of
years, but it finally grew strong. Well, our weaker brother is the
same way. Give him some time. He'll grow strong. He'll be what
Scripture describes as a tree planted by the rivers of water.
He'll grow, but give him some time. These things take time. Spiritual growth is one of the
things that takes the most time that there ever was. It just
takes a long time. So he says in verse two, Romans
15, let every one of us please his neighbor for his good edification. You know, when we do things that
please ourselves, even though it is perfectly acceptable, there's
no law against it, but if it would hurt the conscience of
our weaker brother, what that's doing is showing a selfish attitude. And that's contrary to grace,
it's contrary to the new nature of a believer. Look at Philippians
chapter 2. Here's a description of the new
nature of a believer. Philippians 2 verse 3. Let nothing be done through strife
or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." This is the
description of the new nature of a believer, to care about
others, to care about their welfare and their conscience, what would
hurt or please them. And Paul says we're to please
our neighbor for his good, to his edification. This goes back
to what I said in our opening comments. There were not to deny
any part of the revealed will of God, the revealed word of
God in order to make our weak brother or neighbor or unbelieving
neighbor happy. To do that wouldn't be to his
good or his edification, none whatsoever. That would be an
opportunity to meet and teach the word, but it wouldn't be
the time to make allowances, to deny the word of God. We shouldn't
encourage someone in doctrinal error. That wouldn't be for their
good. We don't encourage or make allowances for someone who's
acting in an immoral fashion. That wouldn't be for their good
or their edification. It's just like our children.
We could keep our children just happy as could be if we feed
them candy all day. But it wouldn't be for their
edification. They've got to have some vegetables. Just, you know,
got to have some broccoli. Got to have some beans. Got to
have some corn. Those are things that are for their edification,
for their good. And that's the same thing spiritually. What we're talking about is not
denying the word of God. It's personality differences
or differences in the way we think the service should be conducted
or differences of opinion about the ceremonial law. In those
things, we can make some allowances. We can give up some of our liberties
so everyone can be comfortable to worship together when we teach
the word. You know, many times, the younger,
the weaker in faith, Paul here talking to the strong, need to
remember, those weaker ones, those younger ones, learn by
following the example of the stronger, by following your example.
How do our children learn? By following the example of their
parents. Well, then you ought to remember,
set a good example. Do things that would edify that
younger one. Don't set an example of selfishness.
Don't set an example of a critical, judgmental attitude. Set an example
for their good to edification. Now verse 3, here's the key to
the whole thing. For even Christ pleased not himself,
but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach thee fell
on me. Here is our example in everything. The Lord Jesus Christ. You want
to talk about a stronger brother. He's our older brother. That's
why scripture refers to him. He's perfect. He's the solid
rock. This is the stronger brother.
And he never one time sought his own welfare. Never one time
did he seek his own comfort, his own fame. He always sought
what was best for his people. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter
8. He never one time sought his
own right. Always what was best for his people. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9 For you
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,
yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty
might be rich. The king of kings was a pauper
who had nowhere to lay his head. The creator had nowhere to lay
his head. He made himself of no reputation. to save those who didn't have
any reputation. The master appeared in the form
of a servant. A servant to his father, but
a servant to his people, those who were lower than him. He washed
the feet of his disciples, showing us the example of serving one
another in humility. He spent years being patient
with their weaknesses, teaching them patiently The one who inhabits
glory, who is the light of glory. There, John said in Revelation,
there's no need of the sun, no need of the moon, no need of
the stars. The Lamb is the light thereof. The one who inhabits
glory was a man without glory. Never one time sought his own
glory here on earth. Did that for you and me. Reckon
we could have that attitude sometimes? I'd like it just sometimes, honestly.
I wish I could just have it sometimes to have that attitude toward
my brethren. So what if I have just a small
amount more understanding than someone else? What is that compared
to the Lord, to His understanding and my understanding? I think
I could have some compassion for someone that may not know
as much as I do. More likely they know more, I
just think I know more. Maybe we have a minute, minute
bit more growth in grace than someone else. What's that compared
to what my Lord did for me? What He did for you? Maybe we
could learn to give a little, couldn't we? Follow the example
of our Lord. He is the ultimate example. of bearing one another's burdens,
to bear the weaknesses of your brethren. He bore our sins in
His body on the tree. He bore with our weaknesses so
much that He took our sins as His own and became guilty so
that we could be righteous in Him. He emptied Himself of everything
and endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself. He didn't claim His own right
He didn't claim his right to call those legions of angels
from heaven to put an end to this. He endured it gladly for
his people. He suffered the hell that our
sins deserve. He died the death that we deserve
so we can live. He died so we can live. Now,
in light of that, in light of my Redeemer, how ashamed should
I be? If I ever insist on my rights
when it will hurt my brother, it ought never be, just never
be. Our Savior gave up his right,
his crown right to sit on the throne so he could bear my sins. He gave up his crown right to
sit on his throne to hang on a cross. How could I not bear
the infirmities of my brother? in light of Him and what He did
for me. That's the key. If we gain an
understanding of that, all the rest of this is just simple to
understand. Well, verse 4, Paul says, For
whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures
might have hope. Now, when Paul teaches doctrine,
he teaches any doctrine some point he wants to make throughout
all of his epistles, he uses the Old Testament Scriptures.
He proves his point by God's Word. Back here in verse 3, that's
a quote from Psalm 69. He's using the Old Testament
Scriptures to show how God's children ought to bear one another's
burden. Psalm 69 is a messianic psalm which foretold how Christ
would bear the burden, bear the reproaches of his people, and
that's the Example, the illustration that Paul uses from the Old Testament
Scriptures. And all God's Word is written
for our learning. God's Word is not written so
we can go find something that proves our point. God's Word
is not written so I can go find a verse in here to prove my particular
favorite doctrine. I heard Charlie Payton say one
time, he said, every time I get in trouble in the pulpit, it's
when I take my point that I want to prove and go to God's Word
and try to prove it, instead of going to God's Word and saying,
this is what God's Word says. That's when we get in trouble.
God's Word is written for our learning, so that we'll learn
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why I love doing what
I do, going verse by verse through God's Word. verse by verse, dealing
with every one of them. Because over time, if we do that,
if God be pleased to teach us, we'll be well taught by going
verse by verse. Look at 2nd Timothy, 2nd Timothy
chapter 3. 2nd Timothy 3 verse 16. All scripture
is given by inspiration of God. And it's profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, may be mature, throughly furnished
unto all good works. That's how we grow. That's how
we're instructed, verse by verse, line upon line, precept upon
precept. And I'll tell you this, if that
babe in Christ, that weaker brother, if he's going to grow, it's going
to be by the Word of God. Look at 1 Peter 2. If he's going
to grow, it's going to be by the Word of God. 1 Peter 2, verse 2. As newborn
babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow
thereby. That's how we grow, on the Word
of God. And not just the weaker brother,
not just the babe, but the stronger. strong, mature believer, if they're
going to remain established, if they're going to be fed, if
they're going to continue to grow, it's going to be by the
exact same Word. The Word of God. Now we have,
believers have a good hope in Christ. But if that hope is going
to be strengthened, that hope grows just like all the other
graces. It's going to be strengthened by the Word of God. Verse by
verse. And in this verse, there's two
things. that every believer needs. Whether they're weaker or whether
they're stronger, there's two things every believer needs.
Patience and comfort. Patience and comfort. The fact
that the Scriptures give us patience and comfort tells me that in
this life we're going to need patience and comfort. It's giving
us something that we need. We shouldn't be surprised when
sorrow and trouble come. Because we need patience and
comfort. We need patience for the trouble
and comfort for the sorrow. Well, where do we find it? Where
do we find patience and comfort? It's in God's Word. God's Word
that's inspired by God the Holy Spirit who's the Comforter. That's
why we find comfort there because the Comforter inspired these
men to write the Word. All of God's Word points us to
Christ who is our Comforter. The Word, God's Word, shows us
time and time again how the Lord delivers His people. Promise
after promise after promise how He'll keep His people. God's
Word teaches us to patiently wait on Him. These are things
you're going to learn right here. You're not going to learn that
out in the world. You're not going to learn that in school or in
college. It's right here in God's Word.
And I'll show you why we learn that in God's word. Look at verse
five. Now, the God of patience and
consolation, comfort grants you to be like minded one toward
another, according to Christ Jesus. See, we find patience
and comfort in the word because it's God's word, the word of
God, who is patience and comfort. That's his character. That's
what's when what's revealed in his word. We can't even imagine, we can't
comprehend how patient the Lord has been with Adam's race. Long-suffering with Adam's race. But not just that mass of nameless
humanity out there. How patient has the Lord been
with me and you? That's where the rubber meets
the road. How patient has He been with me? He's patient with
our sin. So patient with it that He bore
it Himself. So patient with all of our weaknesses. He's so patient, He strengthens
us in His Word. He's so patient with our diseases
and our infirmities. So patient that He heals all
of our diseases. So patient that He binds up all
of our wounds with the balm of Gilead, which is the Word. Oh,
He's so patient. And He comforts. the hearts of
His people. This is something that you can't
explain to the world. It really can't even be explained
in human language. They're in the midst of turmoil
when the world is utterly turned upside down and then shaken. And it's utter chaos all around
you. The Lord can grant calmness of
heart and peace and comfort in the heart, that when it's just
a madhouse all around you, there's peace in Christ. And you know where you found
it? In the Word. Oh, there's peace. There's never
been a trial, not one, that the Lord didn't stand by you. Not
one time. There's never been one time you've
fallen that the Lord deserted you. Your religious friends may
have deserted you. But the Lord didn't. He stood
by you. There's never been an error that the Lord didn't stand
by you and patiently teach you. Now, Paul prays. His prayer is
that the Lord would give us the mind of Christ. This attitude
of Christ. When he says, according to Christ
Jesus, literally that means according to the example of Christ Jesus. That we follow His example. That
we comfort our brother in trial. That we not deserve them when
they've fallen, but that we bear them up. Even though they're
weak, and yeah, they may have a misunderstanding about something,
be patient in teaching. Be patient with them and forgive
them as Christ forgave us. And do it patiently now, so you
can be a comfort to others. Because no matter what it is,
I don't care what you want to name, whatever it is we bear
from our brethren, I guarantee you it's not a fraction. of what
the Lord has borne for us, not a fraction. Now, verse 6, he
says that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, every believer
has a desire first and foremost in their hearts to glorify God.
Well, how do you do that? It says here, worship together
in unity with God's elect to live together in peace and unity
with God's people. I'm convinced God cannot be worshipped
when we're divided in heart and attitude, any more than he could
be worshipped if we're divided in doctrine. God cannot be truly
worshipped when the conduct of our lives does not match the
doctrine of our preaching. You can't preach about love and
be unloving. You can't preach about grace
and not be gracious. You can't talk about mercy and
not be merciful. Worship is sweet and truly glorifies
God when we do it, us here together with one heart, with one voice,
together singing his praises. So, verse 7, he says, wherefore,
now this being true, you receive one another as Christ also received
us. See, that's the key, as Christ
also received us to the glory of God. Receive one another like
Christ received you. Well, how did Christ receive
you? How did he receive me? Think about that for a minute. Scripture says he received us
when we were sinners. When we were rebels, that's when
he received us. When we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. He received us when we had everything
wrong. We didn't have one thing right,
but he received us and taught us. Well, we're to receive each
other the same way. Yeah, we're sinners. You don't
have to look far to find out we're still sinners. We're rebels.
We don't understand all the deep mysteries of Scripture, but receive
one another like Christ received you. Christ received us as the
prodigal son. The son who did everything wrong,
I mean, just took everything the father gave him, took his
mercy for granted, went off and wasted it in riotous living.
But when he came home, how did the father receive him? Open
arms. He didn't put him on probation
to see if he learned his lesson. He received him as his son. Put
shoes on his feet, put the best robe on him, put a ring on his
finger. My son's home. That's the way the Father received
us. We wasted His mercy. We lived in rebellion. But when
He called, we came and He received us with open arms, forgetting
the past and receiving each other as equals. Christ received us
as loved children, as someone who's precious to Him. Scripture
calls His people His peculiar treasure, His purchased treasure. Well, we're to receive one another
the same way, as beloved children. We're to receive one another
as someone who's precious to us, as a treasure. Because you
are. God's children are treasures. They're rare. You find one, they're
rare. Treat them well. Receive them
as precious treasures. And last, Christ received us
into His heart, into His bosom. He received us so that He'll
never cast us out. Never. We're to receive one another
the exact same way. Into our heart. Into our bosom. Never to be cast out for weakness.
Never to be cast out for stumbling. Into the heart. to the glory
of God. You want to glorify your Father?
Receive your brethren the same way Christ received you. That
will glorify God because it will reveal a work of grace. That
didn't come naturally. You weren't born with that the
first time. What you were born with the first
time was a selfish nature. What you're born with the second
time will receive your brethren as Christ received you. and reveal
a work of grace.