1689 London Baptist Confession (part 49)

Father in heaven, we thank you this morning for the Lord Jesus Christ, for his life, for his death on our behalf, for the resurrection, for the truth of the gospel, for the clarity that you have brought to us, not only in your gospel, but through the entirety of your word, that we might know you, the one living and true God, all powerful, all sovereign, all loving.

Father, that you would draw us to yourself is amazing indeed. As we look to your word this morning, as we look at what it says about liberty, about excess, Father, steer us, guide us, lead us, inform our consciences, we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Christian Liberty and Adiaphora in Romans 14

Well, what is an edge liver? That's a person who lives on the edge. That's what my wife was doing this morning when she was getting close to the edge of the building and I was warning her about avalanches coming and consuming her.

So she said, I'm an edge liver. Well, last week we started talking about Christian liberty and I want to open up to Romans 14 and reread the first few verses as we continue talking about that. And we were talking about, I think we'll get to this here in a minute, separation from sin, what that means.

But if somebody would read verses 1 to 3 of chapter 14, please. Romans 14 verses 1 to 3. Now, it's a pretty tough one for me because, you know, talking about vegans and vegetarians, I don't really get it.

But setting that aside, if you recall, R .C. brought up the idea of adiaphora, meaning things that are theologically indifferent, meaning God doesn't command us to either do them or to abstain from them.

And so we talked about or we started getting into this concept of separation last week. We talked about how R .C. was ordained in the United Presbyterian Church, which at that time was, well, I'm sure they still are.

They were ordaining women and his way of staying out of that was to just not participate in the ordination of women. But eventually they forced him to choose. Either you're going to participate in this or you're going to leave the denomination or be driven out of the denomination.

And his choice was to resign from the denomination. So we talked about, you know, that was his way of being separated from what he saw as sinful activity, the sinful activity being the ordination of women, which would be in violation of 1 Timothy 2, 1 Timothy 3, etc., etc.

So he doesn't want to do that. He leaves the denomination. But he's trying to keep his conscience clear to be separated from sin. Then the idea comes up about, well, if I need to be separated from sin, well, how about being separated from those who are not separated from sin?

And if you recall, we mentioned what that concept is, which is, well, I'll give you a hint. There's a game that people like to play. It's called the six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. OK. You know, in other words, you name a celebrity and then you find your way back to Kevin Bacon because Kevin Bacon, I guess, has been in everything.

So the idea that we're talking about, though, is second degree separation. So I'm going to if let me just pick somebody that we know is without very many sins. Bob, you know, Bob, Bob is engaged in some sin that I just find horrific.

So in order to separate myself from that sin, I disengage myself from Bob, you know. Now, more realistically, we see that in let me give you an example. I didn't really actually participate in second degree separation necessarily.

But I recall being outraged when Steve Green went and sang at the Crystal Cathedral. So I sent him an email. You know, I was just like, how could you do that? But what are some other examples of second degree of separation sort of.

Things other than Bob, which, by the way, I'm not separating myself from Bob. What's that? You were OK. Well, you guys can reconcile after the after the class. Second degree of separation. Can you think of any examples target?

But, you know, that's also kind of a safety issue, isn't it? Right. You know, you never know who's going to show up in your restroom. Yes. OK. But I think that's maybe like first degree separation. Right.

OK. So you want to hang out with somebody who does go to a bar, whether they get drunk or not, because you're offended by the fact that they would go to the bar. You think that they're sinning in. Going to a bar.

OK. You think that somebody sinning perhaps when they go to Target. Maybe. Well, you certainly think that Target isn't sin. Then again, Target is a. Christian or a. You know, corporation, I think it's a corporation, you know, Starbucks with their principles concerning.

Equal marriage and other issues, you know, social agenda items. Disney has a pride day, you know, so therefore some people won't go there. They're very. Evolved in some of their social issues. So some people won't do that.

So this is what R .C. says about secondary separation. By the way, secondary separation is not just about corporations. It really is about people. You know, let's say I'm trying to think of a really good example.

I know there have been times when people have been separated from MacArthur over issues like this. And I'm trying to think of one like that. But let's say, for example, MacArthur went to the Crystal Cathedral and preached.

There would be people who would be outraged that he would do that. His attitude would be what? I got to go there and preach the gospel and all the people there heard it, you know, et cetera, et cetera.

But many people would say you legitimized that whole false system by going there and preaching there. Oh, I remember when. Yeah. Ravi Zacharias went to the tabernacle. Now, I think in one sense, that's a it's a good example in both ways, because he went there and people were upset that he went there.

But I think I was upset with what he said when he was there, you know, as a former Mormon myself, when I think our molar went there. And and and I think what he said was more in keeping with. I mean, he he said that there were differences between us.

I think MacArthur wanted to go there one time and was stopped by his elders. But the idea of secondary separation anyway is when you think that someone else is engaged in sinful activity. And because of that, you will not associate with them.

Not that not that you are going to involve yourself in this sinful activity, but you don't even want to associate with somebody that you think is engaged in shaky activity. I mean, it's it's a gray area that they're engaged in and you want to just separate yourself from them.

Or it could be outright sin either way. The whole idea of that, though, it goes back to fundamentalism. You know, when we so when we're talking about liberty and legalism, these are the kind of issues that fundamentalists thrived on.

And if you study the history of the 20th century church in the United States, what you'll find out is especially in the Presbyterian churches, but also in the Baptist denominations, there were all kinds of feuds and fights going on over secondary issues and whether you should do this or preach with that person.

You know, how could you go and preach at that Presbyterian church? Don't you know, they baptize babies, which, you know, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But denominations in the Presbyterian church split like every 10 or 15 years.

And sometimes they were over good issues and sometimes not. But secondary separation was definitely an issue and still is. So R .C. says this to apply secondary separation from wickedness means to remove oneself from any involvement, whatever with a person or institution.

If we applied that principle across the board, we would have have to leave the planet because there's sin in every company and institution. Certainly with regard to Target, Starbucks. I mean, eventually you would not be able to go anywhere except for, of course.

Chick-fil-A. So which would be great because then you'd be a Sabbatarian, too. Right. And, you know, so you wouldn't have to worry about that. That would no longer be a gray area for you. The same goes with taxation.

Some Christians have suggested the only way to fight abortion is to do what? Stop paying taxes. Do we have that option? Because we are to render under Caesar the things that belong to Caesar. And that's where R .C. says, God does not give us that option.

If the government takes our taxes, taxes or taxes. And then uses them to support abortion clinics. Does that make us guilty? Are we guilty of supporting abortion if the government takes our tax money and then supports abortion with it?

Who does it make guilty? The government. There are differences within the Christian community with respect to certain issues. So how are we to handle them? So back to Romans 14. R .C. says that the weaker brother in Romans 14.

One is the one who has not reached spiritual maturity, has a simplistic understanding of the things of God and is a babe in the faith. He becomes upset if he sees something with which he, listen, disagrees.

And he may become contentious. Paul says we are not to refuse these people, but to receive them. However, the weaker brothers are not allowed to apply pressure and cause conflicts over indifferent things.

What would we call that? Causing conflicts over indifferent things. What's that? Divisiveness. Legalism. Because what are they doing? They're making a preference, a rule. They're elevating it to the level of Scripture and ultimately they're taking the authority of God.

So he goes on in Romans 14. It would be wrong for a church to tolerate a movement that would require vegetarianism of all its members. Like, OK, Lancaster. Hmm. I mean, would it be wrong if we said, listen, from now on, during the season of Lent, you are not to eat meat.

It's fish only on Fridays. Yeah, that would be wrong. We only want to impose. I mean, we say this fairly often. We don't want to impose on anybody any standard other than what Scripture says. We have no authority past what Scripture says.

So if somebody comes in a weaker brother and says, listen, we need to not eat meat at all. Well, that's their opinion. They're welcome to live that way, but they can't push it on everyone else. R .C. goes on to say, whether or not a Christian is a vegetarian is adiaphora, a matter about which God has given no guidance.

When Christians disagree, both parties must understand that the principle that both belong to Christ or that the principle is that both belong to Christ, that each of us is trying to serve the same master to whom we are accountable.

Christ will judge us. But in the meantime, we are not to judge each other. That's a pretty tough one, right? I mean, do you ever struggle not to judge somebody based on what they do, even though you know it's not sinful?

It can be really tough. He cites alcohol. He says, if I decide not to be a total abstainer, that is to say. Occasionally drink and you see me inebriated. What do you think he says? What does it mean to be inebriated?

Drunk. OK, so he says, if I say that I'm not going to totally abstain and you happen to see me drunk, then what says that's a different matter. God has spoken about drunkenness. So therefore, you should confront him.

Of course, if you see R .C. drunk, let me know. He won't be doing that. Let's let's read verses four to 13 in Romans 14. I'm going to I'm going to read that 10 verses in Romans. So I'm going to have a drink for it.

It's only water. It's OK. Yeah, I'm positive. Just open it. Verse four, who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls and he will be upheld for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One person esteems one day is better than another. While another esteems all days alike, each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. In other words, it's fine to convince yourself of your own standards as long as they're not.

As long as you're not imposing them on someone else or six, the one who observes the day observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats eats in honor of the Lord since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God for none of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself.

For if we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die, we die to the Lord. So then whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's for this end. Christ died and lived again that he might be both lord of the dead and of the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or you? Why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment scene of God. For it is written as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God.

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in any way of a brother makes a few points here.

The stumbling block is put in the way most frequently when the weaker brother tries to legislate his position for others. Paul says, if my my eating meat causes you to stumble, I'll stop eating meat because the basic principle is for me to show love and consideration for my brother.

This is often a fine line. If a person does something that he mistakenly believes is wrong, then he sins because he's violated his conscience. So, in other words, if you think if you're convinced in your mind that is wrong to eat meat, sacrifice idols or anything else, if you're convinced that it's wrong to abstain from meat, if you're convinced that it's wrong to abstain from vegetables, I don't know.

And then and then you do it, then you're sinning because you're sinning against your conscience. You're violating your conscience. That alarm bell is going off in your head and you reach over and hit the snooze button, which none of you did this morning, thankfully.

OK, moving on in Romans 14, and we'll have some discussion here in a moment. For if your brother, verse 15, for if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 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 or 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.

In other words, keeps his conscience clear. Now, a few obvious points. If somebody thinks it's a sin to eat meat, does that mean that I am under obligation for the rest of my life not to eat meat? No.

What would it mean? Yeah. Let's say I know that Flo is just dead set on not eating meat. And she's over at our house. Well, we're probably not going to serve meat if that's going to be a big issue for her.

Why would you not be an allegiance to your conscience? I mean, seriously, if if we understand that God has given us a conscience, right? Yes or no. OK. OK. Well, I mean, I think there's I think there is a line here.

Right. We know that our hearts are deceitful and wicked above all else. Jeremiah 17 9. But we also know that we have the law of God within us. So here's here's the and here we are back on the razor's edge, because what we don't want to do is we don't want to live in such a way that everything we do we think is sin.

Right. You know, it's it's a sin to eat meat. It's a sin. It's a sin to go to a movie. It's a sin to do all these things because that's not necessarily true. It would be a sin, though, to go to a movie where I know that I'm going to be where I'm going with the purpose or even with the understanding that I might be sexually motivated to go see this, where I might have a sensual motivation to do something.

I ought not to do it because I'm violating my conscience. I ought not to do things that would cause me to to have that alarm bell going off in my head. In other words, I would say, Andrew. Yeah, I think that's well said.

I think I think just a minute, if we kind of look at. Our conscience as a spiritual muscle, we train it with scripture, we train it by various, you know, intaking of godly thinking, godly teaching and all these kind of things.

So when things come along that we think are sinful, whether or not they are, we ought not to do them. Why? Because if we do them, we're violating our conscience and we're really weakening ourselves, which is what Andrew is saying.

We're weakening ourselves against other temptation and we don't want to do that. So it's important to. Right. Right. It is. Yeah. As we're more sanctified, I think our conscience would be more informed.

Bob, are we slaves to our conscience? Right. Our allegiance and our slavery is to God. Our conscience is an alarm system. And I want to just say something about what you said. If we think about, you know, a fire alarm.

Well, that warns us of the danger of fire. So what does our conscience alarm, so to speak? What does that warn us of? It warns us maybe of sin, but at least at the very least of what? Temptation. Right.

There's something coming our way that is going to possibly make us sin. So when we hear that, you know, here are our choices. We can ignore it. We can shut it off or we can heat it. And what Luther said, and I think what Scripture teaches.

Is that it's neither right nor safe to ignore it or to shut it off, but to heat it. Right. And then over time, you know, perhaps we'll change our mind. But in that moment, I think it's right to heat it.

Charlie. Excellent point. I mean, that's what we want. Right. Is our conscience and the will of God to to merge. Right. And that's why it's important that we inform it with Scripture and other godly influence.

There was something else that you said that. Oh, well, just if if God had to lay out, you know, if then else statements for everything, you know, if this temptation comes along, then do this. And, you know, et cetera, et cetera.

I mean, the Bible would be, as you said, larger than the national budget. And I'd say probably, you know, as opposed to like when John at the end of his gospel, he says, you know, if everything that Jesus did would be written down, you know, all the books in the world can contain it.

And I'd suggest that if we had to have a case for every possible violation of conscience, all the books in the world couldn't contain it. And that's the value of a conscience or one of the values of a conscience.

Besides the fact that we would I mean, I cannot even imagine what church would look like. You know, it would be worse than Congress. Janet. Yes. Yeah. They tried to legislate, you know, and so they got law upon law upon law.

And I've mentioned this one before and mostly because it just sticks in my mind. There are markers around Jerusalem, you know, up in the air that designate how far you may walk on a Sabbath day. You know, if you go past that, you violated the Sabbath.

It's equal in the world. Where do they come up with these things? Because, you know, thou shalt you're supposed to honor the Sabbath and they're going to determine what that means to honor the Sabbath.

So I saw another hand. Well, but I think I think he was talking about sanctification, you know. OK, I like that. We we interpret scripture in light of our present age, not to know what's true or not, but to inform our conscience about what we can and what we cannot do, what we should and should not do.

Other comments. It's just amazing that a person. Well, yeah, he he was a redeemed Pharisee. Yeah. Yeah. There are a lot of things that are illegal but not helpful. And, you know, ultimately, we're talking about stumbling blocks and all this.

Paul's point was always none of these things matter as much as my ability to preach the gospel and to not me personally be a stumbling block. You know, I expect people to be offended by me. You know, that's what I do.

It's a gift. What what what we don't want to do is be so offensive that the gospel is inhibited, you know, so whether it's in small things, you know, if if Paul's sitting with somebody who's not a believer and he knows ahead of time that that person believes that eating meat offered idols is a sin, that he's not going to do it.

Why? Because he doesn't want to stop this person from hearing everything else, because in that person's mind, it would disqualify him from being a spiritual advisor, from presenting the truth. And so he doesn't want that to be a stumbling block.

And that's that's his whole point. Right. Yeah. We don't want to be separate from unbelievers, just separate from the world system, not influenced by it. OK, so where were we? OK. And Paul's not saying that we can, brother, we must.

OK, there we go. Paul's not saying for the sake of the weaker brother, we must give up our liberty. Liberty, if that were the case, our ethic would be determined by the weaker brother, not by the word of God.

Paul says that if we can eat and drink in faith, we do should do so before the Lord. But we are not to flaunt our liberty in front of our neighbors. If a person drinks wine and is going out with others who are known to be troubled by that, then he should not have wine that night.

Have it at home before the Lord who will not who will not stumble. I like that. You know, can you cause the Lord to stumble? The answer is no. Somebody will say, well, wait a minute. If you're willing to have an alcoholic beverage at home, but not in public, then you're a hypocrite.

Is that true? You're considerate. OK, what makes you a hypocrite? Yeah. If you if you proclaim that drinking in and of itself is sinful and then, you know. You're sipping a little on the side at home, you know, making your moonshine.

I mean, what about that? You know, I think I think alcohol is sinful, but I sell moonshine to my neighbors. Yeah, that would be that'd be sin. In fact, that would be pretty wicked because you would then knowingly be causing other people to sin in your mind.

That would be probably about the worst. And there's no there's no you know, and I don't want to make I mean, he he uses alcohol as an example. But I think alcohol is dangerous. You know, it's like I'll exaggerate.

TNT is a wonderful substance. You can do a lot of good things with it, but it's also dangerous. Alcohol is not really a wonderful substance, but it's not a sinful substance, but you can certainly sin with it and it can lead to sin.

And I don't really I don't really think I talked to me. Maybe I have talked about this, but I'm just I think it did mention it last week. I was just kind of struck by when I was talking to my my aunt here a couple weeks ago on the phone.

Just how many people in my family were consumed by alcohol. My one of my grandfather's actually dying in the gutter, you know, as a result of his drinking over many years. So. Alcohol is no laughing matter whatsoever, something that should be handled very carefully.

Christian Liberty, Modern Applications, and Homeschooling

OK. Right, right, right. OK, so liberty. This is about Christian liberty, liberty that's given to us in Christ. We are to practice a love that covers a multitude of sins and we are to be patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

And we need to know the difference between serious matters or sinful matters or matters about which God has spoken and matters about which he has not. Now, we talked about I because I brought a list of.

Of things here, I guess I won't do the Sinclair Ferguson thing, but. Everybody wants to know or when they have an issue that they want an official position on, they go to Fred Malone. I just thought about that last night.

It made me laugh. It's not making you guys laugh, but it made me laugh. Good old Fred Malone, whoever he is. No, it's reformer. He says this, he says, modern day issues concerning Christian liberty include alcohol drinking.

Listen, women's dress, education of children. I mean, over and over again, I'm told. And I understand why people, especially today, are saying, you know, you must homeschool. I get it. The question is whether people are and and this is what people do.

And I see even guys that I really respect saying this, that if you don't homeschool, you are doing what? Sitting like, can we really say that? If you don't homeschool your kids, you might as well just put them on the altar and offer them to bail.

Can we really say that? I did. I OK. Is that OK? Let's edit that. That's another tape. Let's see. How about this one? Is it is it wrong to have? I mean, there are people who say it's wrong to have insurance.

There are people who say it's wrong. Well, women's head coverings are an issue. Contraception. I remember once I was sitting in our premarital class at Grace Community Church and there was a kid. I'm not.

He was actually I think he was 18 and he worked at a CVS. They asked if there were any questions. He raised his hand and the guy says yes. He says, I have a question. What does the church teach? I mean, it's a four week premarital class.

What does the church teach on contraception? And the pastor looked at him and said, we teach exactly what the Bible teaches. Silence. And guess what? You know, and then he went on to say, you know, we teach nothing.

You know, it's a matter of conscience. And, you know, and he said, you know, you should inform your conscience and everything else. But that 18 year old kid who was engaged to get married didn't show up for week two.

That was it. You know, it was just like, wait a minute. I have to inform like this is too much for me. What about, he says, use of TV. Can that be an issue? I mean, it was for me growing up. We weren't allowed to watch TV on Sundays.

No TV on Sundays. Let's see, the Internet, electronic devices, music choices. Happy to agree that rap music is of the devil, but sorry, I am the weaker brother in that case. Sunday school. Why don't we mandate it?

That's my question. Youth camps, political views. I mean, how can anybody vote socialist? That's what I want to know. Libertarian. How can they do it? There are all kinds of issues that people want to make a primary when I think the number one, if we were to be candid, the number one thing that I think people just, especially in our camp, tend to just lean on is homeschooling.

And I think there are really good arguments in favor of homeschooling. And I think they become more pronounced every day. We did not homeschool, by the way. True confessions. Are there reasons say why people don't homeschool?

Are they valid? What are some reasons that people don't homeschool? Single parent. I mean, every time I every time I read this, you know, you're sinning if you don't homeschool. And I'm like, what is a single mom supposed to do there?

You know, you just condemned all these women. How do you how do you know? Yeah. You've you never heard the idea that you have to homeschool. It was good enough for Moses. See, I don't know if it's really prominent.

I think they're like sub prominence, but so prominent. Well, I know a guy who's about to release his second book and I like him. I think he's super smart. I won't I won't say. I mean, he causes me to stumble in a number of ways.

But one one of the things I just think is, is nuts is he really does go on kind of a jihad about homeschooling. And what he says is, and I think there's truth to it. I mean, if we look at the way things listen, the way things have changed in the many years since I've been in school, you know, from where school was really there was a lot of discipline when I went to school.

In fact, I like to tell people, I go, I don't even remember how many swats I got while I was in junior high. Right. Public school. I Mr. Schlenz and I were on a first name basis, you know, we were like the the chicken and the hound in those old cartoons, you know, where we'd punch in and, you know, it was time for me to get my swat in time for him to give it to me.

I mean, I'm getting the rap sign, but let's let's just let's just put it this way. People say, look, schools today are true or false. They're indoctrinating kids with regard to sexuality. True. I mean, kids, second grade and younger, you know, hearing, you know, so and so has two mommies or two daddies or, you know, and this is fine.

This is normal and natural. This is the way things are supposed to be. No, it's not normal. No, it's not natural. No, this is not the way things are supposed to be. And so you have to like deprogram your kids.

And so here's another argument they'll make in favor of homeschooling. You have your kids X number of hours a week. The school has them. This number of, you know, who has the most influence message? The school does, you know, and all these different.

Go ahead, Andrew. And this is the root of it. And we'll close here. This is the thing. Listen, if you are convinced in your own mind that homeschooling is good and right and holy and everything else and public schooling is sinful.

Well, you just have to tolerate your weaker brothers. You have to. Why? Because they still love the Lord. Just like you do. Their consciences are letting them or their circumstances or maybe even forcing them into public school that doesn't invalidate their salvation.

So rather than play the role of, you know, the Pharisee and heaping upon them rules and regulations that the Lord never chose to put in Scripture, come alongside them and encourage them in what they're doing.

Try to be understanding. Don't shun them. Don't, you know, do the whole second degree of separation. And, you know, I mean, it's not something I think, again, you know, here's a question that we need to ask ourselves as we close with regard to homeschooling.

Am I, Steve, on Judgment Day going to stand before the Lord and give an answer for what Andrew did with his kids? That's the issue, right? Steve, how could you let Andrew not homeschool his child? That's not my responsibility.

It's his responsibility. It's his accountability. It's his conscience. He's the one who's going to give an answer. And there are, you know, it it it goes for a number of situations, not just homeschooling, but many, many situations where we think we know better.

Well, maybe we do. But that's Romans 14 is not about us knowing better, right? It's about us. Nevertheless, thinking, OK, I'm convinced in my own mind that this is good and right. And he or she is not.

But but they're still my brother or sister in Christ. We still need to get along. And I can't let this secondary issue separate us. I need to love them. Right. I need to put aside these other issues and just think this is my brother.

I mean, it's like family only even more so, because these aren't genetic constructs. These are supernatural constructs. The Lord has brought us together and we need to honor him by loving each other. We need to pray.

Love One Another and Preserve Unity in the Church

Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the challenges that it even presents us in terms of, you know, being convinced that that. We are doing the right thing and having others convinced that they are doing the right thing.

And nevertheless, on these secondary issues needing to come together because of the primary issue, the Lord Jesus Christ and his honor. And when we see commandments from our Lord that we need to love one another, why?

So the world will see how much we love one another. We can't be divided over secondary tertiary issues. Father, in all these things, I pray that you would grant us great. Grace for one another. Great love for one another.

And Lord, just a desire. To glorify and honor you and everything that we do and say with regard to one another. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.