‘None of us lives to himself . . . —Romans 14:7
Has it
ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other
people? For instance, if I allow any turning away from God in my private life,
everyone around me suffers. We “sit together in the heavenly places . .
.” (Ephesians 2:6).
“If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it . . .” (1 Corinthians
12:26). If you allow physical selfishness, mental carelessness,
moral insensitivity, or spiritual weakness, everyone in contact with you will
suffer. But you ask, “Who is sufficient to be able to live up to such a lofty
standard?” “Our sufficiency is from God . . .” and God alone (2 Corinthians
3:5).’ CHAMBERS
When my mom became a Christian in 1969, none of
the older children, the ones who were grown ... including me, really believed that she had changed. We heard her words, but remembered what she
had been like in the past. But as we watched her, we saw a new person. The new life she lived had an effect on all
of us. People can pretend to be one way
in front of other people for a short time. But eventually they will drift back to who
they really are. Family members know all
too well who they really are. Our mom
had a spiritual responsibility. Her fulfilling
that responsibility is, in part, why my wife and I are on the mission field
today.
In the same we have a spiritual responsibility
toward others. God wants to use us as
salt and light to draw others to Himself.
(Matthew 5:13-16) Does it
matter what you do … what you say … how you live? You betcha! I have a problem
with self-focus if I say .. I am not my brother’s keeper. I am not responsible for anyone else. I can do what I want and it won’t have an
effect on anyone else. Do you know what
that is called … “a lie from hell”.
1
Corinthians 8:9-13 “But
beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who
are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple,
will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things
offered to idols? And because of your
knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren,
and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble,
I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”
Paul was saying that even behavior that is OK
before God should be avoided if it causes a Brother to stumble. That is taking our Christian life to a whole
new level. Are you willing to go there?
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
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