Jesus Revealed in Doctrine NO ONE LIVES TO HIMSELF
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 1 Cor. 8:9.
The number one prerequisite for knowing God's will specifically for you in any area is to have an ongoing, vital, personal relationship with Him day by day. The person who suddenly decides he wants to know God's will in a particular area, who has had no time for relationship with God before that point, will find it very difficult to get the signals straight. But once a person does have a vital relationship with God, he will find that there are guidelines given in Scripture to aid in determining what is right and wrong in the gray areas, where specific details for ever situation have not been given.
Some things that are all right to do if you are alone on a desert island would not be all right to do if you are living in a community. Let's notice it in Scripture. Romans 14:7, "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Verse 10, "Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?" Verses 12-16, "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walketh thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of."
In those days they had the practice of dedicating foods to idols. This food was then sold in the marketplace. Some of the Christian brothers were having problems when one of the other church members ate of the meat that was offered to idols. It had nothing to do with flesh, necessarily, but rather with food offered to idols. But Paul says, If someone is going to stumble over it, don't cause them to stumble. The issue of influence is a big one by which to determine the Lord's will in a gray or uncertain area. If our actions will hinder the spiritual growth of any of those around us, then we must take this possibility into account when we make our decisions in areas where God's will has not been specifically revealed.
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 1 Cor. 8:9.
The number one prerequisite for knowing God's will specifically for you in any area is to have an ongoing, vital, personal relationship with Him day by day. The person who suddenly decides he wants to know God's will in a particular area, who has had no time for relationship with God before that point, will find it very difficult to get the signals straight. But once a person does have a vital relationship with God, he will find that there are guidelines given in Scripture to aid in determining what is right and wrong in the gray areas, where specific details for ever situation have not been given.
Some things that are all right to do if you are alone on a desert island would not be all right to do if you are living in a community. Let's notice it in Scripture. Romans 14:7, "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Verse 10, "Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?" Verses 12-16, "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walketh thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of."
In those days they had the practice of dedicating foods to idols. This food was then sold in the marketplace. Some of the Christian brothers were having problems when one of the other church members ate of the meat that was offered to idols. It had nothing to do with flesh, necessarily, but rather with food offered to idols. But Paul says, If someone is going to stumble over it, don't cause them to stumble. The issue of influence is a big one by which to determine the Lord's will in a gray or uncertain area. If our actions will hinder the spiritual growth of any of those around us, then we must take this possibility into account when we make our decisions in areas where God's will has not been specifically revealed.
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