对其他信徒的责任
罗马书十五章1至7节
1我们坚固的人应该担代不坚固人的软弱,不求自己的喜悦。
2我们各人务要叫邻舍喜悦,使他得益处,建立德行。
3因为基督也不求自己的喜悦,如经上所记:“辱骂你人的辱骂都落在我身上。”
4从前所写的圣经,都是为教训我们写的,叫我们因圣经所生的忍耐和安慰,可以得着盼望。
5但愿赐忍耐、安慰的神,叫你们彼此同心,效法基督耶稣,
6一心一口荣耀神、我们主耶稣基督的父。
7所以你们要彼此接纳,如同基督接纳你们一样,使荣耀归与神。
信息分享
我们很容易批评或非议其他信徒,认为他们没有我们虔诚,对他们失却耐性。
保罗指出,信心软弱的信徒需要我们扶持、爱护和接纳,而绝不是批评。否则,对方只会感到被排斥和漠视,这绝不是圣灵的心意。
无疑基督在世的时候,可以避开那些质疑祂的人和所谓「问题人物」。然而,祂却经常主动去帮助穷人、困苦的人、瞎子、痳疯病人、聋人和被污鬼附着的人。
他对信心软弱的人满有忍耐。祂的十二门徒也曾令他失望,可是,祂却继续信任他们。你如果翻阅约翰福音十七章祂的祷告,会惊讶祂鼓励门徒们是何等亲切。祂对我们也是一样。
人们渴望甚么?学童期望别人怎样待他?就是接纳(第7节)。年轻人期望别人怎样待他?也是接纳。新朋友来到教会,期望别人怎样待他?也是接纳。我们每个人期望别人怎样待自己?同样是接纳。
请再读第7节。尝试去实践这个教导,接纳每个你碰见或认识的人。该接纳到甚么地步呢?第7节已提供了准则:「你们要彼此接纳,如同基督接纳你们一样。」
牢记经文:「你们若有彼此相爱的心,众人因此就认出你们是我的门徒了。」(约十三35)
RECOGNIZING RESPONSIBILITY
Romans 15: 1-7
1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”[a]
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us,[b] to the glory of God.
Message
It is so easy to be critical and selfish or even hard on other believers. It is easy to think that their devotion is not as good as our own. Sometimes our patience with them runs very thin.
Paul says that what our fellow-Christian needs is our help, our love, and our acceptance, not our criticism. It is very easy for the particular person to feel ignored or rejected. That is not the Spirit of Christ.
No doubt Christ could have avoided some of the people who questioned Him or those who could be called “problem people”. But He had gone out of His way to help the poor, the needy, the blind, the leper, the deaf, and the demon-possessed.
How patient He was with those whose faith was weak. His own twelve disciples must have been almost a disappointment at times, but He kept faith with them all. If you read His prayer in John 17, you will be surprised how warmly He spoke of those men. He thinks of us in the same way.
What is everyone looking for? What does a school child want? Acceptance. (v.7) What does an adolescent look for? Acceptance. What do newcomers long for when they come to your church? Acceptance. What does each of us want most of all on the human level? Acceptance.
Look at verse 7 again and begin practicing acceptance of those whom you know or meet. What is the standard in all of this? Verse 7 “Open your hearts to one another as Christ opened His heart to you.” (Philippians)
A VERSE FOR TODAY: Can you complete this verse? “By this shall all men know...”

