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"Let each of us please his neighbour for his good..."

Text: Romans 15:2

OUR CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

The liberty that Christ has given to the believer is a priceless treasure. The believer stands or falls in the sight of the Lord, and nobody else! One does not fear unkind words of judgment from others because it is Christ who justifies us. This concept is strongly taught by the apostle Paul (Cf. Romans 14:4).

PLEASING OUR NEIGHBOUR

Christian liberty can be stretched too far! Paul decided that it was wise to balance the idea of liberty with appropriate concern for one’s neighbour.

“Let each one of us please his neighbour for his good,
leading to edification.”
Romans 15:2

1. What does it mean to “please (our) neighbour”?

a) What it does not mean?

i) It does mean patronizing a person.

ii) It does not mean taking a fawning approach.

iii) It does not mean that our neighbour can “control” us by citing this text.

b) What it does mean:

i) It means being thoughtful of a neighbour (especially a weak one).

ii) It means making sure our actions are not offensive or unpleasant.

iii) It means that our neighbour would be appreciative of our thoughtful actions.

iv) It means that our neighbours are happy with our being considerate and kind toward them.

2. Leading to edification

a) The good and thoughtful ways we adopt would go a long way to bless a neighbour.

b) The weaker neighbour with his scruples can be edified through thoughtful deeds.

c) Edification of people should always be borne in mind by the strong in faith.