Grace Has Boundaries
This is the last in a series of sermons on Grace. We first looked at being saved by grace. We next looked at grace equipping us for special and powerful ministry to one another in the church. We then looked at grace equipping us for ministry in the world.
What happens when the world "gets saved" and comes into the church? What do we do? How do we act? Allow me to suggest that grace has boundaries.
- Grace puts boundaries around those "weak" in the faith, giving them time to grow.
- Grace puts that same perimeter around me, preventing me from encroaching on their need for time and space to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
Let's begin reading in Romans 13:8-10:
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. for the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (ESV).
And out of some convoluted sense of "Propriety" we attempt to make those new and weak in the faith look just like us. They must wear suits, dolled up dresses, short hair on guys, etc. While Paul nor I are about to advocate loose morality, there are certain cultural things which stink like a cheap suit when forced on other people. For example, in this particular culture older people tend to dress their best on Sunday, because they are dressing for the Lord. However, in my last church, which drew people from the inner city and goth-like cultures, to dress up is to be stuck up. Dressing up was to many of those folks a way to say that you're better than everyone else.
Before going on into chapter 14, we must first realize that Paul was writing to Christians who were both Jewish and formerly Gentile. His main point throughout his letter is that faith in Jesus ... not the specific details of Torah is what identifies us as God's people. Thus, such a group would inevitably encounter conflict.
So ... what are we to do with those coming from the world and into the church? Let's begin reading in 14:1:
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions (ESV).
We certainly welcome people to come into our fellowship ... mostly to make them look like us. However, instead of trying to make them look like us, why don't we give them time and space to grow into looking like Jesus?
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. the one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,
"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God (ESV).
Notice in this part of the passage Jesus is referred to ... not as Jesus ... but as Lord, which is from the Greek, "Kyrios." One dimension of kyrios is that of absolute ownership ... think of Caesar. We are owned by Jesus ... if we truly claim him as our savior ... which is also to claim him as our lord. Therefore, we have no choice to do other than as Jesus does. Jesus, who is God, has welcomed (see my underlinings in the above passage) the weakling in the faith ... and so should we ... again not for the purpose of quarreling over "opinions." Rather we are to welcome him into our fellowship so that he can have boundaried-room to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.
This is a major part of our ministry of grace. Consider daring to envision drunks, wife-beaters, adulterers, racists, homosexuals, gluttons, etc. all becoming/transforming into/morphing into something just like Jesus. Imagine their becoming the righteousness of God. Where are they going to do that? Let's pick up at chapter 15:1:
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God (ESV).
The weak in faith are to be transformed into the righteousness of God in our midst ... and with us ... "with one voice."
No comments:
Post a Comment