Putting Up With the Weaknesses of Others
The strong Christian must patiently and lovingly tolerate the infirmities of others, knowing they are of the redeemed.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of bearing with the weaknesses of others within the church, as highlighted by the Apostle Paul's instruction in Romans 15:1. He acknowledges that there will always be individuals with various infirmities, such as scruples about food or holy days, who may struggle with their faith and impose their convictions on others. Tozer encourages the 'strong' Christians to exercise patience and love towards these individuals, recognizing their place in the community of believers. The sermon calls for a compassionate approach to those who may be difficult to deal with, reminding us that we are all part of the redeemed family.
Text
The Apostle Paul wrote, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves" (Romans 15:1). He thus plainly accepts the fact that there will be infirm persons among the believing members of the spiritual community we call the local church. He tells us to bear them, or bear with them in their weakness.
Now who are the infirm persons in the church? How can we identify them? Not how can we find them, for they are sure to be easiest of all persons to find. Their very infirmities make them conspicuous.
The infirm brother is the one who has painful conscientious scruples about foods (Romans 14:1-2); or he has deep convictions about certain holy days (Romans 14:5-6); or his grasp of gospel truth is weak, and he is forced to support himself by various crutches which he may have found in some religious attic. To him these scruples are sacred; consequently, he is likely to try to force them upon everyone else, and in doing so he is pretty sure to make very much of a nuisance of himself. That is where the "strong" Christian gets opportunity to give his patience a workout. He dare not dismiss the overheated brother; he must bear with him in love, knowing that he too is of the company of the redeemed.
Sermon Outline
- The Weaknesses of Others
- The Opportunity to Bear with Weakness
- The Importance of Patience
- The strong Christian must not dismiss the weak
- He must bear with them in love
Key Quotes
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves” — A.W. Tozer
“He tells us to bear them, or bear with them in their weakness” — A.W. Tozer
“He dare not dismiss the overheated brother; he must bear with him in love” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must patiently and lovingly tolerate the infirmities of others in the church.
- The strong Christian must not dismiss the weak, but rather bear with them in love.
- Bearing with weakness is an opportunity for the strong Christian to give his patience a workout.