Accept Weak Christians

I would like all who read this to take some time to reflect back to when you were a new believer.  Take some time to think of the convictions you had then but have changed since then.  When a new believer starts out with the Lord he is considered a “babe” in Christ.  Some of you reading this may be moms or dads having children of your own.  We all know when a child is born he or she is virtually helpless, totally dependent on his or her parents.  They can’t crawl or stand or walk, or talk or feed themselves, all they can do is cry and mess their diapers waiting for you to feed and change them and hug and love them.

New believers are kind of like new babies.  Their way of thinking is still worldly in many ways and they need to be loved and fed spiritual food (God’s Word) and be discipled so that they can grow and mature in their Christian walk.   

I can remember years ago I wouldn’t have anything to do with devils food cake or anything else that had devil on it. Watching things on T.V. with cuss words was o.k.  There were things that I considered o.k. then, that I wouldn’t now and vice versa.  With time and the Lord’s help we grow and mature.  But it seems like many times instead of helping new believers we hinder them by standing in judgment of them.  Many times instead of building them up and encouraging them we are too hard on them and we discourage them by expecting too much out of them.  Sometimes we forget that this is a lifetime process and some believers don’t mature as fast as others.

I have had a problem with comparing young believers with myself at times disregarding the thought that I have been in the Lord for many years and I am certainly far from where I should be still.  This is part of being self-righteous!

I think the Lord helps me to type out these lessons not only to help those who read them but also to convict me so that I can see the errors that I need to repent of and work on in my own life, and I Praise God for it.  One of the things you and I should never disregard and take for granted is the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives, no we need to thank and praise God for it.  This might shock you, we also need to thank and praise the Lord for his chastisement and correction in our lives because God is treating us like His children, Praise God.  

The Apostle Paul wrote about some Christians in the Corinthian Church saying they were infants in Christ. Paul said in 1^st Corinthians 3:1–3, “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I could to mature Christians, I had to talk as though you belong to this world or as though you were infants in your Christian life, I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food because you couldn’t handle anything stronger and you still aren’t ready for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires you are jealous of one another and quarrel with one another, doesn’t that prove that you are controlled by your own desires.  You are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord.”

The Corinthian Church had a real problem and it is still evident today.  This doesn’t only happen to new believers but also with those that have been in the church many years.  We need to pray for discernment, compassion, patience and love and then demonstrate them to our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Paul also said in Romans chapter 14:1-6, “Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.  For instance, one person thinks it is alright to eat anything but another believer who has a sensitive conscience will only eat vegetables.  Those who think it is alright to eat anything must not look down on those who won’t and those who won’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do.  For God has accepted them, who are you to condemn God’s servants?  They are responsible to the Lord so let Him tell them if they are right or wrong.  The Lord’s power will help them do as they should.  In the same way some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike.  Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter. Those who have a special day for worshipping the Lord are trying to honor Him.  Those who eat all kinds of food do so to honor the Lord since they give thanks to God before eating and those who won’t eat everything also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.  For we are not our own masters, when we live or when we die.  When we live we live to please the Lord and when we die we go to be with the Lord.”

Romans 14:10 says, “so why do you condemn another Christian?  Why do you look down on another Christian?  Remember each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God.”

If this is speaking to you and you realize that you are guilty of this, repent and confess it and ask the Lord to forgive you.  We Christians have a promise in 1^st John 1:9 that says, “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteous.”  Praise God for his promises that we can rely on.  

Paul goes on to say some other interesting things about this subject in Romans 14:17. Paul says, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat and drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  If you serve Christ with this attitude you will please God, so then let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.” 

There is more on this subject, check out the entire chapter of Romans 14. Knowing these things, let us look to others as better than ourselves, and let us do nothing to hurt each other. Let your love be evident to those that are weak in the faith by supporting and encouraging and building them up in the faith and we will be pleasing God.  Have a great day and may God bless you!