Have you ever heard the term “Friendly Fire”? What do you think it means? How do you think it applies to the church and believers today? Have you ever heard someone say that Christians shoot their wounded? What do you think that means and how do you think it relates to friendly fire? I believe that all too often in the church today there is a judgmental attitude drifting about that says if you don’t do and see things the way I do or you are struggling with a sin in your life, then you are wrong and condemned for it. Condemned by one another and treated as outcasts amongst others in the church. We tend to shoot those who could use our love, understanding and help the most, making them feel like they are worthless and causing them to drift away from the Lord and relationship to Him and other believers. This should not be so. There should be no friendly fire in the church. ave entered into the practical section of Romans where Paul is teaching about how to put into practice all he has taught in the doctrinal section of his letter. Doctrinal meaning the teaching or principles of what believers in Christ should understand.
He started out in chapter 12 with the practical of what our life should be now that we have been saved by grace through the blood of Christ shed on the cross for us, bringing us into relationship with God. Out of gratitude to God we should offer our lives up to Him as living sacrifices on a daily basis. Paul then goes on to tell us how that should work out in our lives in relation to God, other believers, others in general and even to the governing forces out there. He then moves on to encourage, by command, that we as believers should not despise or condemn one another nor should we hinder the walk of another believer in Christ by being a stumbling block or obstacle in their lives by our actions or words. Now as we come to chapter 15 Paul moves onto another principle we need to put to work in our lives as living sacrifices to God. This principle has to do with dealing with other believers. What is the greatest form of flattery? Imitation. Kids who imitate their siblings because they admire them. Every one of us is to follow the example of Christ. Jesus is the one person who lived His life to minister to others and not for Himself. So, it is only fitting that all who take on His name should imitate Him. Be like Him. Eph. 5:1–2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Benefit of the doubt. I will assume you are all strong in faith. Vs 1-4 Paul begins here summarizing what he has just finished speaking of in chapter 14, that the strong in faith, that is those who have strong convictions and good conscience before God, ought to be able to put up with the shortcomings of the weak in faith, those less mature. The word ought is more of a command then a term referring to something we should do. Mark 3:17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Luke 9:51-54 Jesus didn’t kick them out of fellowship with Him or the others but taught them what they should be doing, loving others even if they don’t get it. He put up with the shortcomings of the less mature. Read 1 John to see if they got the message. The strong in faith should not despise the weak by looking down on them but should bear with them patiently. The strong of faith should not do anything to please their own desires in these situations. Who are we seeking approval from? God alone, not our own selfish desires.
All who are mature in Christ should always be concerned about the spiritual welfare of others, as Jesus was. Gal. 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. We do not do this just to please them but to benefit them by doing what is best for them from God’s point of view, to build them up in the faith. 4:19 Again Jesus is the greatest example of this because He lived His life not to please Himself but to please the Father by doing His will. John 4:34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 5:30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. 8:29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Vs 3 To support his statement about living not to please ourselves Paul quotes Ps. 69:9b a Messianic Psalm. Jesus was insulted and scorned by many because of His association with God the Father, should we if we are following Christ expect anything different? 1 Peter 4:12-19
Paul now moves on in vs 4 to show us a significant principle concerning the ministry of the scriptures, “everything written….” All scripture is given to us to learn from and grow in. 2 Tim. 3:16–17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The result of our studying the scriptures is that they will give us endurance, a steadfastness in the Lord, an anchor for our souls to keep us from falling because of the actions of others and the adversities that come our way in life. The scriptures will also give us encouragement so we will not loose our hope in Christ but hold fast to it. Rom. 5:3–5 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. As we learn how the people in the scriptures who lived in the past lived, not to please themselves but to please God. From their experiences we can be motivated to endure and persevere through our trials, whether they come from other people, friendly fire, or from life’s circumstances. Their experiences will also comfort us as we go through our own. Moses, Naomi, Ruth, David and so on. These will all help us hold onto our hope, our confidence, in who God is and how He can carry us through to better days, even in the midst of friendly fire. Vs 5-6 Ultimately where does our endurance come from? Yes it comes from the scriptures but it ultimately comes from God the author of the scriptures. 2 Pet. 1:20-21 So, Paul prays here that God would give the believers the strength to endure and the encouragement needed for all believers to have a spirit of unity, to be like minded, thinking alike and to live in harmony with one another. Why? Because it is Jesus we are following and imitating. Luke 9:23–26 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. If we can take up our cross everyday enduring the shortcomings of others, their friendly fire upon us, living for the Lord in all we do, say and act out, we will glorify God above all else. If our faith really means anything to us we must practice it through patient endurance and receive from God through the scriptures the encouragement we need. Then we will be less likely to have wounded from friendly fire because we all will be growing in faith and encouraging each other to do likewise, even when we are bearing up with the short comings of others around us. This will build unity in the body and bring glory to God because we are living out His desire that we be living sacrifices to Him.
Benediction: 2 Thess. 1:11–12 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
