Helping or Harming the Weak ?

1. Helpingor Harmingthe Weak? • Sin is sin, and will cause one to lose his soul, 1John 5:17a; 3:4: Jas.2:10. • But, it also appears that some sins are viewed with particular disgust by God, Matt.18:6-7,10. • It seems that those who prey upon the weak are especially disdainful to Him, cf. Matt.23:14 (“devour widows’ houses”); 2Tim.3:6 (“captivate weak women”); 2Pet.2:14 (“enticing unstable souls”). • I assume God’s ire is aroused at these types of sins for two primary reasons: • They manifest such an ungodly attitude, Matt.9:36; • They affect not only the perpetrator’s soul, but also that of the weak and vulnerable, Rom.14:13-15. So, are you…

2. Who are the Weak? Think about “the weak” in physical terms: • The immatureare weak because they are not of sufficient age or maturity to be strong, Mark 10:13-16; 1Cor.14:20. • The sick/diseasedare weak because they are/have been infected with impurity, and thus are neither healthy nor strong, Matt.8:2ff,5ff,14ffet al. • The undisciplinedare weak because they lack sufficient nutrition, rest, and exercise to be strong, 1Pet.2:2. • The handicapped(of mind or body) are weak because they lack, often through no fault of their own, physical or mental completeness sufficient to be strong, John 9:1ff. • The unfortunateare weak because they lack the environmental support necessary for strength, Luke 16:20ff.

3. Who are the Weak? Think about “the weak” in comparable spiritual terms: • The immatureare weak because they are spiritual “babes,” and therefore lack the maturity to be strong, 1Cor.8:7-12. • The sick/diseasedare weak because they are/have been infected with spiritual impurity, or sin, and thus are not strong, 1Cor.3:1-3; 11:30. • The undisciplinedare weak because they lack sufficient spiritual nutrition, rest, and exercise to be strong, Heb.5:12-14; 1Tim.4:7; 1Cor.9:24-27. • The handicapped(of mind or body) are weak because they lack the spiritual sight and understanding sufficient to be strong, 2Cor.4:4; John 12:37-40. • The unfortunateare weak because they lack the spiritual environmental support (in the form of instruction and guidance) necessary for strength, Mark 6:34; Acts 14:23 20:28; Acts 19:1-6.

4. The Strong are supposed to Helpthe Weak… • Acts 20:35, “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” • Rom.15:1, “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.” • 1Thess.5:14, “And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men.” • Heb.5:2, “he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;” 2Tim.2:24-26, “And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition; if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. • Heb.12:12-13, “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.”

5. And surely are not supposed to Harmthe Weak: • By careless example, which is obviously the point of 1Cor.8:7-13. There are a couple of personal examples of which I am most ashamed: • As a young man, I flaunted what was at best questionable behavior (if not out-right sin) to a group of other young Christians- I suppose to show how “wild” or “edgy” I was. While they may have actually been spiritually stronger than I was, the thought of possibly influencing others away from rather than toward God still troubles me. (Yes, confession and apologies were rendered to them.) • Also as a young man, on a specific occasion, I failed to stand up and leave a movie (that a Christian probably should not have attended in the first place!) knowing that there was an older gentleman there who was not a Christian, but knew that I was, and could have benefitted from my example. Fortunately, he eventually obeyed the gospel despite my failure. (Yes, confession and apologies were rendered, publicly in this instance.) • There have been other occasions, unfortunately, in which a sin of mine I fear might have negatively influenced others, or at least have given them an excuse (in their own minds) for not doing what they should. These instances still trouble me, though I have done what I could to correct them.

6. And surely are not supposed to Harmthe Weak: • By careless example, which is obviously the point of 1Cor.8:7-13. • By deliberate taking advantage: • Matt.23:14, “devouring widows’ houses”-Jesus refers to a taking advantage of the weak by those who were supposed to be spiritual leaders; such received some of the strongest language of condemnation used by Jesus. • 2Tim.3:6, “enter into households and captivate weak women…” In this passage, “enter” is alternatively rendered as “creep into”- thus, stealth and underhandedness is implied; “captivate” implies a taking control (of the mind or body, as a captive or prisoner for personal benefit or gain. • 2Pet.2:14, “enticing unstable souls”- having excessive and intense personal desires (“eyes full of adultery”) leads to one being willing to stoop so low as to catch by bait (“entice”) those who are “unstable” (weak or unsteadfast); v.19 says such are slaves of corruption and will be themselves overcome and enslaved.

7. Which will you be: a Helperor Harmerof the Weak? Your soul and theirs may depend on the answer!