Am I My Brother's Keeper?

"Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?" - Genesis 4:9

Great question.  Of course, Cain was trying to avoid answering with the truth that he had murdered Abel. But his answer begs a question.  - Are we responsible for other people? The answer is "yes". Jesus said, 

"If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." - John 15:10-13

Loving others like Jesus loves us. Placing their welfare ahead of our own. Are you committed to that? Because it will mean that you must forego you own plans and desires for their benefit.

"All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." - Romans 14:20-21

So, we are not to do anything that causes our Brother to stumble. But isn't there a limit to how much I must not do? That is the wrong question. The right question is "Does anything I am doing or about to do cause my weaker brother or sister to stumble in their faith?"

Another question - Do I really care that doing what I want to do, when and where, and how often I want to do causes other Christians to stumble in their faith?  After all isn't their sin their problem? As a Christian, you will find that you must quench the Spirit in order to not be your Brother's keeper. 

Abstaining from things that are not necessarily sinful - can be spiritually harmful to others. Does that matter to you? It should. You are your Brother's keeper. And to answer the question of "So what if I don't?" James addressed that. 

"To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." - James 4:17

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone