Romans 14:20-23 My Confession

Romans 14:20-23 “Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.  Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.  It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.  The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.  Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.  But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith.  For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”.  (NASB)

Ok – I have to confess I blew it last night.  I have been at a company meeting here in Minneapolis all stinking week and we had a big dinner with about 180 managers.  It was a big deal.  When it all finally broke up some of us from our unit thought it would be a good idea to go somewhere alone.  We did.  Around the block was a place we had actually found the night before, “Ike’s”.  And, like the night before we each ordered a drink.  ONE!  “Last call” the waiter said and out we went back to the hotel.  There we found the group that had left the restaurant had reassembled in the lobby lounge adjacent to the elevators and there was no escaping the gravity.  So, we joined back in the social revelry of the company banter over another beverage.  “Last call” there was indicated when the lights went up and we all scattered back to our rooms.

So what’s wrong Dale?

Here’s what is wrong.  After my reminding all to “Shoot Straight or Don’t Shoot” very recently I managed to come back to the room and give the glamorous FaceBook rendition of the evening.  “Closed two pubs tonight, haven’t done that in awhile”, I wrote.

Yep!  I blew it with that post because it violated the Scripture shown above.  I had not behaved in violation of my conscience and understanding of Biblical standards of conduct for myself for the evening.  But, I may have led others to believe that I had with that post.  And, I have to confess I thought it was kind of cool that a just turned 53 year old guy that barely can stay up past 10 could actually stay up late enough to close not one but two establishments.  Of course “Pub” was a stretch too in reference to the hotel lobby lounge.  So, I was off the reservation with my comments.

No excuses, I blew it and someone may have read that and wondered, “What the heck” I thought this Dale Nicol was the guy that wrote all this stuff about the Bible and here he is out getting drunk and closing down pubs all over Minneapolis.  Although that isn't what happened someone might have thought so, and then taken liberty they believed wrong but since Dale did it ...  That's causing, "Your brother to stumble".   

The key violation was not my behavior but allowing it to be viewed or misconstrued or even twisted by my own hand into something it was not that could have tripped someone up.  
“Do not for the sake of food, destroy the work of God”.

Well, here’s maybe the biggest lesson.  We all blow it, and I did.  You will too.  If so, suck it up and admit it. It's not so easy but here's my confession in black and white. And ... don’t do what I did.  It's easier to avoid the problem than have to explain and confess it!  AMEN!

Job 6:24-28 Shoot Straight or Don't Shoot

Job 6:24-28  "Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred.  "How painful are honest words! But what does your argument prove?  "Do you intend to reprove my words, When the words of one in despair belong to the wind?   "You would even cast lots for the orphans And barter over your friend.  "Now please look at me, And see if I lie to your face”. (NASB)

I have been challenged recently with thoughts from shall we say, “A different perspective”.  The thoughts though are just that, thoughts; dreams of a human nature not based on truth.  Not even based on logic or a position that might be articulated clearly.  Ideas and opinions of fools in my view, but what does Scripture have to say.

Job is where I found this passage.  I found it searching on the key word “Honest” or “Honesty”.  Oddly, that word appears very few times in Scripture – just 7 times by my count.  Most references were in Genesis and had to do with fair dealings.  This reference hits home on the topic.

The passage starts out with the simple declarative and open view of the listener, “Teach me” and (if you do)”I will be silent”.  So, in other words, if you are able to lay out your position clearly, teaching me, then I will be silent.  Crudely, you might say, “I’ll shut up and listen”.  The premise though is that you have the capacity to, “Teach me”.  “Teach me, and I will be silent”.  And as you teach me … “Show me how I have erred”.  So not only am I open to your teaching but I am open to the possibility that I have had it wrong previously.  Bottom line – I am teachable if you are capable of teaching.

“How painful are honest words”!  Paraphrased again – the truth hurts sometimes.   This isn’t Job speaking about being hurt himself.  He’s talking about the other guy.  Make a legitimate case and convince me!  But instead, “What does your argument prove”?  There is nothing to the argument that has been made.  The painful truth is your argument is hollow at best and most likely foolish.

Matthew Henry sums up the situation this way:

“If, instead of invidious reflections and uncharitable insinuations, you will give me plain instructions and solid arguments, which shall carry their own evidence along with them, I am ready to acknowledge my error and own myself in a fault: Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; for I have often found, with pleasure and wonder, how forcible right words are. But the method you take will never make proselytes: What doth your arguing reprove? Your hypothesis is false, your surmises are groundless, your management is weak, and your application peevish and uncharitable.” 

Now you may not like the Old English but he got right to the point.

Personally, I am open to legitimate challenges to my weaknesses.  I admit I am a sinner saved by grace and I continue to make mistakes every day.  In my weakness, I may bow up and argue at first but I will admit my error when confronted with real truth.  But, I stand on the truth of God’s Word and the principles derived from that place alone.  Try to make an argument from another position and you will find yourself in the bucket of fools referenced above.  2Timothy 3:16-17  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work”.

Those confronting Job were not coming from a righteous place.  How do we know for sure?  Check out verse 27 … “You would even cast lots for the orphans And barter over your friend”.  Now Job may have gotten a little personal in verse 27 with, “Casting lots for orphans” but it does speak to the character of the guy he is dealing with.  Fortunately I don’t think the ones’ I have encountered are in that league so we’ll let this verse go for now.

The section closes with, “Now please look at me, And see if I lie to your face “.  I wanted to include that because it is important that as we enter into these situations that we are completely honest with ourselves and the other individuals.  If we are going to say the other party isn’t being clear and speaking the truth even being honest with themselves then we had better not be guilty of the same thing.  So, “Please look at me, And see if I lie to your face”  AMEN!