PLEASING YOUR NEIGHBOR
Romans 15:1‑6
Privilege is always accompanied by responsibility. Spiritually this is true. "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." The Apostle identifies himself with the strong unapologetically. The strong have come to such an understanding of their liberty in Christ that they have no scruples against eating meats and no compulsion to observe certain holy days. The weak do not enjoy such an understanding. Instead they still feel a compulsion to observe certain holy days, and feel no liberty to eat the meat they had been taught it was unclean to eat. If both of these diverse groups make jp the same group, if they walk together, someone must take responsibility for making some adjustments. Who is responsible for making the necessary adjustments to assure a unity within the Christian fellowship? The strong! They are the privileged so they are the responsible ones!

The basic assertion is that the strong should walk in a manner that will be pleasing to the neighbor. This whole passage expands this idea. This is really the last word of instruction on this question concerning doubtful things. Before we turn away from this subject that is always current, we need to consider this duty of the strong.

THE PRINCIPLE
The principle by which we must walk is stated simply. "Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." The principle is applicable to each believer. "Let every one of us" means just that! No believer is excluded. Each believer should feel himself responsible for walking in a manner that will gain the approval of his neighbor.

We need to be clear about the application of this principle. It is open for abuse and misunderstanding. This does not encourage us to seek to please our neighbor at all cost in all circumstances. We should never seek to please our neighbor if he is seeking to allure us into committing sin with him. The Holy Scriptures warn us of just the opposite. Yet there are times when Christians have altered their conduct in such a manner to do things that were sinful simply because they did not want to offend anyone. The matter under discussion is not a sinful matter‑‑but a doubtful matter. The question is whether or not to eat meat when your brother feels that the eating of meat is sinful. In such cases it would be better to abstain from meat and thereby show preference for the thinking of your weaker brother.

Also this would not encourage a compromise with the truth of God. If some particular form of teaching found in the word of God is offensive to your brother, you cannot alter the truth of God or the proclamation of the truth of God to gain the approval of your brother. The subject before us is simply the matter of doubtful things‑‑in these we should seek to please our brother.

A special qualification is placed upon this pleasing your neighbor. It is to be "for his good to edification." The matter of the pleasing is not simply to maintain peace at any price, but rather to insure him the opportunity to grow spiritually. If your use of your freedom offends him, and discourages him, or leads him into things he considers to be sinful, then his spiritual progress will be hindered. Our objective in seeking to please him makes his spiritual development primary. Above all we seek the spiritual good of our brother. We consider his spiritual growth to be of much greater importance than any meat dinner, or any special privilege that would belong to our liberty in Christ.

Clearly this removes any search for popularity from this practice. You do not seek to please your neighbor in order to simply gain his approval or praise, but rather to gain his good. Any attempt to gain popularity by pleasing others is totally foreign to the Spirit of the Lord.

THE PATTERN
As he does so often, when wanting to confirm a certain practice in the life of the believer, the Apostle points us to the life of our Lord. "For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.'' Without pointing to any specific instance, Paul holds up before us the example of his life. He sees the whole life of our Lord as being an illustration of this principle. He did not seek to please himself, but so identified himself with others that he bore their weaknesses.

That He did not please Himself is clearly demonstrated in His coming to the earth. if He had been seeking His own best interests, He would have stayed in heaven. He subjected Himself to the experience of the incarnation because of His personal interest in our good and spiritual welfare.

Furthermore this principle was lived cut day by day in his life. Every recorded incident found in the Gospels is an example of Him walking in this way. At no time can He be seen walking in His own selfish interests. He is always seeking to please others, to accomplish that which will bring about their good.  The principle by which He lived was "what will bring the most good for others." He never stooped to the level where he asked, "Now what would I rather do in this situation. What would be the best thing for me?" If He had, do you think He would have walked the way of the Cross?

The quotation from the Psalms demonstrates that He was Y710g to so identify himself with others so that what fell on them fell on him. The temptation of the strong is to draw back from the problems of the weaker brother with a shrug of the shoulders that says, "That is their problem." But if we draw back, we are not following the example of our Lord. He involved Himself in our problems at great personal cost‑‑all for our good!

Our reactions to the needs and problems of our neighbors should always be characterize by the spirit of the Lord Jesus. He is our example in this matter. He provides us the pattern to follow.

THE POWER
Most of us have no difficulty in approving this as being the right course of action with a weaker brother. We agree that our attitude should be one of forbearance and patience But living such a life is a different matter. Where do you get the power to walk in this manner? Before turning away from this duty the Lord points us to the dynamic of such a life Obviously this great duty is attached to the redemptive truths found in the first part of this Roman letter. Being the new man in Christ that we are, the power for such a relationship with our weaker brother is available. But beyond this, the Apostle points to two very practical things.

The Holy Scriptures provide such strength. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." When this text was written, the scriptures were confined to the Old Testament scriptures. The New Testament was still in the process of being written. So this points primarily to the purpose and place of the Old Testament scriptures. They were given to us to provide us with the instruction we needed, but they also impart comfort and patience. Strength and encouragement is found through them for facing up to the difficulties of life. As a result of being instructed by them, the believer can have hope. Hope provides the patience and comfort. Hope is the thing needed for patience in relating to a weaker brother. If you can be sure that the whole process is going to turn out for the good of your brother and the glory of God, it is much easier to be patient with the difficulty of the moment. The Holy Scriptures will bring us to such a hope.

Now this is of very practical importance. If you are in need of the power to be patient with your weaker brother, in need of the power to live the life of selflessness which our Lord lived, then you need to give a proper place to the study and assimilation of the Holy Scriptures. They were written for this very purpose.

Power also comes through prayer. God is the ultimate source of all patience and comfort so it must be received from Him through prayer. This prompted Paul to seek the face of God in behalf of His Roman friends. "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." The "God of patience and consolation " points to God as being the source of all patience and consolation. He is such a Person Himself, as was demonstrated in the incarnation, and is thereby able to impart the same to us. For this reason the Apostle addresses the petition to Him.

Have you tried praying to the Lord for patience and understanding? Have you asked the Lord to help you live like the Lord Jesus in this part of your life? Nothing could please your heavenly Father more than for you to ask Him to make you more like the Lord Jesus Christ. This is really what He desires to do more than anything else. He is willing to grant this petition anytime you will present it to Him.

So the message is that the Lord God is prepared to grant us what it takes to please our brother for his spiritual good. His power is available for the performance of this duty.

The ultimate purpose of all this is that we might all with one mind and one voice offer much glory and praise to our God. My brother and my sister, this means that the ultimate goal makes our learning to please our brothers in these doubtful matters worthwhile. The spiritual unity and harmony of the church is a matter of great spiritual importance. God puts a premium on it. If he does, then I should be willing to do whatever is necessary to walk pleasingly in the eye of the weaker brother.