NO MORE PRIDE: HELP YOUR BROTHER IN WEAKNESS
April 8, 2009
By: Taisha Hallman, New Castle, PA. USA. Age: 21
First and foremost I would like to thank MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST for everything he has done within me and through me. The LORD has done so much throughout the past two years; He has truly made Himself manifest to me, Amen! I just want to share what the LORD has put upon my heart about letting pride go and being a true help to the brethren.
1 Corinthians 8:9
9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
Many people of the Way knew the spiritual significance of eating unclean things. Those who knew by the spirit understood that foods that were sacrificed to idols were symbolic in the spirit of false words. However, they urged the brethren to be mindful of those who had no deeper revelation of the word, for their liberty could become a stumbling block to those without understanding.
First, let’s establish what this liberty is. We understand that liberty is freedom, but Paul was urging the people to be careful less their liberty or freedom becomes a stumbling block to others that were not free, others that had not the deeper revelation. One might ask what Paul is trying to get across. Let us continue on and take a look at this word weak to get a better understanding.
This word Weak in the Greek is the word
asthenes 772 and its meaning is as of one who is impotent or sick. Asthenes comes from a base sthenoo 4599 which means to strengthen one in spiritual knowledge or power!
These who are weak are a people that need to be strengthened in spiritual knowledge and power. They are a people who cannot reproduce because they are impotent, or unable to perform sexual intercourse. Jesus said the seed was the word in Luke 8:11. The seed word of God is the means of impregnation.
However, Paul says that we have liberty or freedom. This is a liberty or a freedom of not only having the seed word, but also having the potent power to release the seed into others, but we have to be careful about how we give the seed word to those who are sick and weak and without knowledge. It is the Word that will set them free. We must release the Word out of an obedience to the Spirit of God. God has given us the ability to strengthen the week!
Isaiah 35:3-4
3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; he will
1 Corinthians 8:11-12
11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for who Christ died?
12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(NKJ)
You may have heard and at least read these scriptures here in 1 Corinthians 13 at one time or another, but let’s look at what Paul is saying in a greater way.
In verse 4 Paul says that love is not puffed up nor does it parade itself. Something I realize about pride is that it can also speak of making things natural. For example…
2 Peter 2:12
12 But these, like NATURAL brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,
(NKJ)
The natural is the fleshly nature that is corrupt and must die. Our earthly understanding has to become heavenly or spiritual.
1 Corinthians 13:5 also states that it Love is not provoked and does not seek its own… but love according to verse 6 rejoices in truth!
1 Corinthians 10:24
24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.
This word for seeks has a meaning of worshiping God. Those who do not seek their own seek the well being of others. These are a people that will die to their beastly ways so that they can be used to lead a people into the true worship of God.
The Pharisees and the Scribes were a type of people that were worried about themselves and drawing people to them. They read the Torah day and night but they did not have any understanding of Jesus. They had no love; they did not rejoice in truth, they were not true spiritual Jews or true worshippers of God. Worship is to lay down your life for another, but if you seek your own then you are not laying down your life for someone else!
Again, I just wanted to share a few things that Dad (Abba) has been showing me lately. I pray that you received something and that you will be encouraged. Remember, Jesus said do not put your light under a bushel. Spread the word!
Amen and God bless you
With love, Taisha!
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