Bible Reading: Psalm 105-106; Romans 15:1-21.
Memory Verse: “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4 (KJV)
God is interested in the salvation of every soul. That’s why the gentiles are brought into his kingdom. Therefore He does not want anyone to be condemned but to come to salvation. Thus, you should do everything out of love. If your brother’s faith will be shaken by your action, you should desist from such actions so that you should not be putting a stumbling block on his path. Apostle Paul states it clearly in Romans 14:15,21 (KJV), “But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. [21] It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”
Your goal is to help strengthen your brother in his faith and not to weaken him. You are therefore expected to encourage him on how to strengthen his relationship and not to condemn him where he is faltering. That’s well stated in Romans 14:4 (KJV), “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” You should know that God can make any weak strong like he did to Thomas, (who did not believe in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus until he saw him physically in John 20:27-29) who himself received the baptism of the Holy Spirit along with other disciples.
Similarly, if you are the one who is weak, struggling with your faith in Christ, call on the Holy Spirit within you to guide you in all you do and pray for God to strengthen you in your area of weakness. Remember always Philippians 4:13 (KJV), “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
And when you are strong, look for others and preach the gospel to them teaching them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and to keep fellowshipping with him studying his word so that they can grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2). Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ visited Peter when he was low in his faith, encouraged him by making him catch fish and asked him to feed his sheep. ( John 21:1-17).
Action Point:
Prayerfully, seek for Christians that are weak, pray for them and encourage them to remain strong in the Lord.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero