Headship of Jesus Christ (George Mueller)

One point has struck me particularly, as to the Headship of our adorable Lord Jesus. It is the will of that blessed One that His disciples should love one another, and be united together in heart and affection. If it is, then, the will of Him, without whom we must perish eternally, who poured out His soul unto death for our life, and stooped so low that we might share His throne, that we should love one another, and be united as His disciples, does it not become us in love and gratitude to obey?

What are the great hindrances to brotherly love and unity? Self-complacency, high-mindedness, pride, and thinking that we know more than others; but if, by God's grace, we are enabled to subdue these evil tendencies, and to love our fellow-believer, and be united to him, we shall see, perhaps, that if in one thing we have more grace or knowledge than he, yet in four, or five, or ten points he has more than we. Who am I that I should despise my brother? What have I that I have not received ? If I have more grace (though that is yet to be questioned), I received it from my Lord. If I have more knowledge (though that is yet questionable), am I indebted for it to my own mind? How does it come? It is by the grace of God that I know more than my fellow-believer.

If we are, then, what we are by the grace of God, so that every particle of power over sin, of heavenly-mindedness, of desire to act according to the Holy Scriptures, becomes ours, because it pleased God, in the riches of His grace, thus to bless us, who are we, that we should look down upon a brother, because there are degrees of ignorance or spiritual weakness in a fellow-disciple? Jesus is our head. It is His will that we should love one another. In gratitude to that blessed One, who laid down His life that I might be saved, let me obey; and if I find pride keeps me from it, let me seek grace to subdue it. We who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. When we meet with a weak brother, as to grace or knowledge, our natural tendency is to say, Oh, he is a weak one. The carnal mind says, Put him aside. But the Word of the blessed Lord says, Bear the infirmities of the weak. If I am strong, let me prove my strength by putting my shoulder to the burden. If I cannot bear with the weakness of my brother it is a plain proof that I am a weak one myself. Why have we received grace? That we may help on our weaker or less instructed brother: that in helping others we may bring glory to God.

Lest I Make My Brother to Offend (I Cor 8)

“Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world stands, lest I make my brother to offend” (vs13)

We must CONSIDER brethren. We are not saved to hate or saved to care less about others. We are SAVED to love God, love sinners, and LIVE for their salvation, which is their good (Phil 1:16-17). We do this in RESPONSE to God’s love, that He predestined us to life, gave us salvation, and BARES patient with us still. Having been SAVED, we have a heart saying, “Lord, what will you have me do”, and He says, “Feed my sheep”, so we SERVE God by loving men (John 21:17).

The EVIDENCE of truth is love. Without love, the TRUTH is not believed.

First, charity makes us love OTHER people and build them up in Christ, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (I Cor 8:1-2). Love makes us do sinner’s good, sacrificing our own freedom for theirs. The mother WILLINGLY lays down her life daily for the children, the father for the family, the pastor for the church, and the CHILD of God FOR the child of God.

If we don’t have LOVE, then knowledge is vain. If it doesn’t make us holy, then we haven’t learned. And, obedience is the way to SEE the fruit of faith, and there is no other way. Everything I believe will work out in my life.

Secondly, loving God BY loving men is the key, "But if any man love God, the same is known of him” (I Cor 8:3). I cannot serve God WITHOUT loving my neighbor, for God says, “If you love me, keep my commandments”. Start with faith, add to your faith, and work out your salvation with fear and trembling, obeying by the grace that He gives, “for if you do these things, you shall never fall” (II Pet 1:5-10).

Love God. Love men. Love what God loves, and you have made WISE use of wisdom, because learning without obedience is painfully sinful and ridiculous. It PROFITS us not.

Thirdly, we don’t want people to perish, so we serve God ourselves, “when you sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ” (I Cor 8:11-13). You see how, “He should know better” is NOT the response? The response is always, I should love better.

I should always GROW in grace, when I see sinners, ignorant saints, and the like. I shouldn’t say, “I’m ok, so everyone else is on their own”, because survival of the fittest isn’t the gospel.

I should say, “Let me help my weak brother”. I will not compromise my freedom in Christ, and I will not make my freedom into an excuse to sin against my brethren and lead them astray. With the WEAK, we must be weak, and with the strong, we must LEARN to be followers of God, as they are (I Cor 9:21).

Paul says nothing against meat and drink; it is the purpose that it is being used for. I’m not bound by man’s opinion of where I should go, but I worship the Lord Jesus and give no indication of loving another. Every believer is FAITHFUL to Christ, and we live that way.