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The Responsibility of Church Relationship
by H. Frank Fort

Lesson Two

In this lesson we shall consider the question, "Why dost thou set at nought thy brother?" from Romans 14:10, seeking to teach our hearts the truth concerning God. It is His judgment that shall stand; therefore, in obeying the commandment to be "joined...in the same judgment" (I Cor. 1:10), let us be sure that it is in "righteous judgment," (John 7:24) and not the product of envy or prejudice.

We are all, to a certain extent, prejudiced. We do not judge those whom we naturally like, due to things held in common, by the same standard used to judge those to whom we are not attracted. It takes the grace of God to enable us to be impartial, fair, just, to "first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matt. 7:5) We often excuse in self what we too quickly condemn in others, but God's Word says, "whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." (Matt. 7:12)

Notice this reciprocating law:

1) "Forgive and ye shall be forgiven." (Luke 6:37)

2) "Give and it shall be given unto you." (Luke 6:38)

3) "The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of (for) them that make peace," (James 3:18) as Christ said, "blessed are the peace makers." (Matt. 5:9)

4) "The merciful...shall obtain mercy." (Matt 5:7)

Notice now in connection with what is commonly called the "Golden Rule" in Matt. 7:12, we have these words, "for this is the law and the prophets." In Romans 13:8,10, we read, "he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law....Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law."

In Galatians 6:2 we read, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Notice again, "by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Gal. 5:13-14)

Thus, to forgive, to show mercy, to do good, to promote peace, is to prove one's love for those thus treated, and evidences the fact that the one thus acting, is conscious, gratefully so, of having been "forgiven," (I John 2:12) of having "obtained mercy," (I Peter 2:10) of having "freely received." (Matt. 10:8)

Our attitude one toward another will be largely determined by our attitude toward our possessions in Christ. It is impossible to be spiritually minded God-ward and carnally minded man-ward at the same time.

1) When we are "carnally minded" our relationship in the church will be marked by "envying, and strife, and divisions," (I Cor. 3:3) and James says "if ye have bitter envyings and strife in your hearts...there is confusion ad every evil work." (James 3:14,16)

2) When we are "spiritually minded," we are governed by "the wisdom that is from above," which is said to be "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." (James 3:17)

James says "lie not against the truth." (3:14) Now what is the truth?

1) When there is "envying and strife" we are walking "as men" are carnal and fruitless.

2) When there is peace, mercy, good fruits, impartiality and sincerity, we walk as "the children of light," and "he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men." (Romans 14:18) Thus Paul exhorted, "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another." (Rom. 14:19) If there is peace, there is edifying also. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the "saints." (I Cor. 14:33)

A. "The things which make for peace." What is the individual's responsibility toward this peace? We know that it involves both our speech and our actions.

1) Our Speech.

As for our speech, Solomon wrote, "a Word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." (Prov. 25:11) A "Word fitly spoken" in the mouth of "a wise reprover" will effect in the life of one who has an "obedient ear" (Prov. 25:12) that which is morally beautiful, hence edifying. It is written "a soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger....the tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright....a wholesome tongue is a tree of life." (Prov. 15:1-4)

"A word spoken in due season, how good it is!...the words of the pure are pleasant words." (Prov. 15:23,26) Compare this with "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Matt. 12:34) A pure heart expresses itself in "speech...seasoned with salt." (Col. 4:6) James said, "Speak not evil one of another, brethren." (James 4:11) "Evil speaking" (I Peter 2:1-Eph. 4:31) is to be put away by God's people, because it is destructive of that unity without which the church is helpless before a gain-saying world. When God's people "continued daily with one accord...the Lord added to the church daily." (Acts 2:46-47)

2) Our Actions.

We are responsible for the effect our lives have on others. Timothy was commanded to be "an example of the believers." (I Tim. 4:12) Titus was to be a "pattern of good works." (Titus 2:7) All who "have believed in God" are required "to maintain good works." (Titus 3:8) Hear this. "Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but rather, let it be healed." (I Cor. 11:1) When Paul said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ," (I Cor. 11:1) he pursued a course wherein was fellowship with the Lord and could exhort others, "I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

One who, by the grace of God, engages in that work whereby he 1). "supports the weak," (Acts 20:35) and 2). "bears the infirmities of the weak" (Rom. 15:1) will not be likely to "put a stumbling or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." (Rom. 14:13) Such will be grateful to God for all who take part in this work of edifying and will lend neither his speech nor ear to any who would dare to cause another to "stumble." (Rom. 14:20-21)

Brethren, let us follow the example of Him in this respect, of whom it is written, "even Christ pleased not himself," which fact was used as a basis of this exhortation, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." (Rom. 15:1-2)

Now, keeping in mind that we are not only "members of the body of Christ," but also, "members of one another," (Rom. 12:5) is it not reasonable to see that the prosperity of any one member is to the enrichment of the rest? Hence, "whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it." (I Cor. 12:26)

Why do we not see this? Because we lose sight of the purpose for which the unity of the body was enjoined by it's Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the first place, "that the world may believe." (John 17:21) Do we care? When our speech devours, and our behavior leads astray, just how much love do we evidence, either for God, or those whom He has redeemed? How must we answer in the light of I John 4:11, "Beloved, if God so loved us (that he sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins, v. 10) we ought to love one another." What of this? "He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (I John 4:20) It is written "By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God, and keep his commandments." (I John 5:3)

It is written "that the members should have the same care one for another," and where this is maintained there will be "no schism (division) in the body." (I Cor. 12:25) We are "free" in Christ. What then shall we do? Shall we do as we please? No, by the grace of God in-wrought, (Phil. 2:13) let us please him who has called us into the fellowship of His Son. Paul said, "take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak....When ye so sin against the brethren , and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ." (I Cor 8:9,12) Here is the attitude of Paul in the matter. "If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth." (I Cor. 8:13)

We may seek to live independently one of another, but it is still written, "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself....We are the Lord's....every one of us shall give an account of himself to God....Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." (Rom. 14:19)

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"