In Romans 14-15, Paul is giving us principles for unity in the church

• What this means: Guidelines for operating in relationship with others in the church who may have different convictions that you do, are at different levels in their spiritual journey, and come from different backgrounds, with different personalities, abilities, and passions.
• What we saw:

// Commit to love
// Resist the urge to judge over nonessentials
// We’re not fearful of conflict over the right things. We’re not eager for conflict over anything.
// Christians have liberty to follow the Spirit in areas that are not forbidden by biblical truth, wisdom, or application.

• So, you must know yourself. Be honest about your weaknesses and hold those convictions firmly. Listen to wisdom and live in community with others. Enjoy your freedom, but recognize your freedom has limitations, or rather obligations.
• What obligations?

Romans 15:1–3 | We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

• Recap strong and weak >> being strong has to do with those who sense freedom and liberty in an area that is nonessential. Those who are weak feel limited in that area.
• The last sentence in Romans 14 puts the point of emphasis where it needs to be: whatever is not from faith is sin. Our primary relationship is with God through the Word and the Spirit. We respond in faith and trust to His leadership regardless of the opinions, preferences, and convictions of others. I walk my own spiritual walk.
• Spurgeon >> If any course of action which would be safe to us would be dangerous to weaker brethren, we must consider their infirmity and deny ourselves for their sakes.
• So, for Paul, the strong have three obligations:

Obligation 1 >> Bear with the failings of the weak

• Bear does not mean putting up with and forbearing with an attitude of begrudging. It means to bear the weak along, to support them, to carry them along as a father or mother would carry a child—in love and tenderness, understanding and care.
• New Living Translation >> We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves.
• What does this look like? Don’t get angry with them, don’t defy them, don’t cut them off from your love and concern, but try to please them, patiently instruct them, and edify them to their own good. They don’t need criticism, they need instruction. They don’t need neglect, they need attention.

Obligation 2 >> Be ready to sacrifice

• Not to please ourselves >> Notice the repetition of “please” that reveals our sacrifice, our obligation, and our example.The idea is that “we should not do just what we ourselves want to do” or “we should not do just what is going to make us happy.”
• Wuest >> When an informed believer foregoes an action which he knows is right, but which a weaker Christian thinks to be wrong, and does it for the sake of not offending that weaker Christian, he curtails his own freedom of action, denies himself something that is legitimately his, and this is a burden to him.
• Similar to Philippians 2:3-8 | Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
• Paul roots our response to our brothers and sisters in the example of Christ’s humility, service, and sacrifice.

Obligation 3 >> Build up the weaker brother or sister

• We sacrifice to build up the weaker brother or sister.
• Edification >> refers literally to the building of a house but here refers to that which results in the other’s spiritual profit or advancement.
• Ray Stedman >> [In this passage, the] first rule is: Choose to please your neighbor rather than yourself. Do not insist on your way of doing things; be quick to give in. After all, this is what love does. Love does not insist on its own rights, Paul tells us in First Corinthians 13. Therefore, if you are loving in your approach, love will adjust and adapt to others….The second rule, however, says to be careful that your giving in does not allow your neighbor to be confirmed in his weakness, that you do not leave him without encouragement to grow, or to re-think his position.

Did you know that geese fly at speeds of 40 to 50 miles per hour. They travel in formation because as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an updraft for the bird behind it. They can go 70 percent farther in a group than they could if they flew alone.

• Preacher Haddon Robinson considers these principles and reflect, “Christians are like that in a way. When we have a common purpose, we are propelled by the thrust of others who share those same goals. We can get a lot further together than we can alone.”
• But he went on: Geese also honk at one another. They are not critics but encouragers. Those in the rear sound off to exhort those up front to stay on course and maintain their speed. We too move ahead much more easily if there is someone behind us encouraging us to stay on track and keep going.
• So let’s fly together and let’s honk at each other often!