DO NOT BIND OPINIONS ON OTHERS I. TEXTUAL
THOUGHTS 1. 1 Corinthians 8 - Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2. Romans 14 - Pursue the things that make for peace. 3. Romans 15:1-7 - Bear with the weaknesses of the weak. 4. John 3:16-18 - Jesus' purpose is to save, not to condemn. 5.
Matthew 23:23-26 - Do not be so careful about the small
things that you forget the large. II. MAIN THEME - We have freedom in matters of personal judgment, but we are to practice love and avoid things that will cause a fellow Christian to stumble. 1. Regulations about eating and drinking are not to be bound as law - Colossians 2:20-23 a. Laws about the basic principles of this world have no power to make us righteous - Colossians 2:23; Galatians 4:8-11; Philippians 3:7-9 b. But we should abstain from things that cause a brother to stumble - Romans 14:19-22 c. We must do the things that edify - 1 Corinthians 10:23; 14:26 d. Eating and drinking regulations are examples of opinions that we should not bind upon others. There are many present day applications of this lesson. 2. Making harsh laws about minor things while overlooking justice, mercy, and faith brings condemnation from Jesus - Matthew 23:23-26 a. Jesus' purpose is to save - John 3:16-18; 12:47 b. Our desire should be to help others - Philippians 2:1-4; Galatians 6:10 c. We will be judged by how we judge others - Matthew 7:1-5 d. A heretic is one who fights about points of law - Titus 3:9-11 3. Justification comes through Jesus Christ - Galatians 5:1; Romans 3:21-22 a. Justification comes through our relationship to God in Jesus - Ephesians 1:3-14 b. When we are guided by His spirit we will not practice the works of the flesh - Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:8-14 c. Love of God and love of our neighbor causes fulfillment of the law of Christ - Romans 15:1-2; Galatians 5:14; 6:1-2 d. Justification is not dependent upon obeying the opinions of humans; in fact, heeding human opinions can bring a curse -
Philippians 3:9; Galatians 1:6-9 III. APPLICATION 1. We should do things that edify and build each other up in our faith - 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 Romans 14:19; 1 Corinthians 8:1 2. We should avoid disputes about matters of judgment regarding physical things - Romans 14:1-3; Hebrews 13:9 3. We should respect our own and others conscience - Romans 14:21-23 4. We should not think someone is worthy of condemnation just because they are not doing everything that we do - Mark 9:38-41 5. The
scriptures should be studied to make us workers, not arguers - 2 Timothy
2:14-16 IV. MEMORY VERSE
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Romans 14:13,19
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