Am I the "Weaker Believer"?

I have been preaching through a series at our church that deals with the importance of unity within the church. I recently shared a message with our church that was titled, “Weaker Believer Syndrome.” One of the resources that I’ve used with this series is a book called Church Undivided written by Bob Ingle (a fellow pastor here in Missouri). I got a lot of feedback about this message that I shared, so I thought that I would share it on here as well. Below is a copy of the manuscript from that sermon. I hope that it blesses you as much as it did me.

I invite you to find 1 Corinthians 8 in your bible because once again, we will be there today. Last week, we talked about the fact that within the Body of Christ, we are to help guard and keep the hearts of those in our faith family. The New Testament is clear that we are not saved so that we can go “Lone Ranger” through this life. No, we are placed into the Body of Christ where we come alongside brothers and sisters in the faith so that we can build one another up. As you look at the Body of Christ, it is like any body in that it has both stronger and weaker points. Though we might like it to be easier, identifying the stronger points is not always easy.

One preacher shared the story of a 10-year old boy that proves this point. This young boy lived in Hawaii. He was involved in a horrific car accident that caused him to lose his left arm. After the boy recovered, he told his parents that he wanted to learn Judo. They found an instructor that was willing to work with the boy. The instructor told the boy that he wanted him to learn one move and master it. Once the boy mastered the one move, the instructor wanted to enter the boy in a competition. The boy was reluctant at first thinking that he would be creamed. The boy ended up winning his age division. Afterwards, the boy asked his teacher, “How is this possible? How did I win this tournament with only one move and one arm?” The teacher replied, “It’s easy. The one move you mastered is one of the hardest moves in Judo, and the only defense against it involves your opponent grabbing your left arm.”

Strength is not always so easy to identify. In the Christian life, some think that you are stronger if you read the Bible more, memorize more verses, pray longer, go to church more, or serve on more teams. While these are all good things and should be done, they do not always indicate true strength in the LORD.

Strength in the Christian life is not as much quantity as it is quality.

When the quality of our walk grows stronger, we become more spiritually mature. This is what Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians 8. ​

Conversations Welcomed

As Paul attempts to answer the questions that had been sent to him by the church in Corinth, it is interesting to note what he did not say. He did not condemn the church for having these discussions about areas that did not seem so black and white. Though the conversations were tough, they were causing the church to seek the LORD more deeply.

The church needs to be a place where we can work through the gray areas

Whether we like it or not, some issues in this life are not clear cut. The Bible doesn’t always give us a chapter and verse on every little thing that we face in life. There are gray areas that we encounter. These areas tend to create uneasiness and can easily be breeding grounds for divisions. Discussions around these areas should not lead to division but to growth. There are no neutral grounds when it comes to our muscles.

The muscles in our bodies are either being strengthened or wasting away. I always wanted to have big muscles. For the muscles in our bodies to be strengthened, they have to be torn through exercise (that is why there is a soreness after activity). The muscles tear apart and heal back together bigger and stronger than before. If the muscles are not exercised, they will begin to waste away.

As we grow stronger in the LORD, we have to go through situations that may stretch us. That is not just as individuals but as churches as well. The goal of discussions around things may have people on different sides should be the building of faith for all involved.

“The strongest churches are full of people who refuse to divide over disputable freedoms and instead unite over undeniable truth.”

Bob Ingle, Pastor at Waypoint Church

While the Bible may not address every single issue that a person will encounter specifically, there are plenty of truths that it does present to us plainly. It is in these “undeniable truths” that we are to dig in with. When it comes to matters that aren’t as clear, the giving of grace is most appropriate. In each church, there will be those that are stronger and weaker in the faith. Stronger doesn’t necessarily mean better, and weaker doesn’t mean inferior. Each one of us is called to do his or her part in growing in spiritual maturity. This happens when we learn and live the Word of God.

How do we know if we suffer from “Weaker Believer Syndrome”?

In Church Undivided (the book), Bob Ingle shares four warning signs of those who are struggling with this condition.

1. Easily offended by the actions of others

We live in a day where everyone seems to be offended by the least little thing. There are certainly situations that should offend us, but it is not every little thing. Paul shares with the church in Corinth that we should be careful not to use the freedom that we have in Christ to be a stumbling block to others, especially those weaker in the faith. ​

But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.​

1 Corinthians 8:9 CSB

“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.

1 Corinthians 10:23–24 CSB

We may see this as just a word to those stronger in the faith, but there is also a word for those weaker in the faith: don’t let the freedoms of others in Christ cause you to stumble. ​

One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him.

Romans 14:3 CSB

We must be careful not to respond to certain behaviors that we think are wrong but are not prohibited by Scripture in a sinful manner. If the Bible does not plainly speak out against something, we need to be careful how we address it. True love for others should produce a desire to forgive their sin and help with their growth. This is what God does with us by offering His grace towards us.

2. Every issue is seen as “gospel”

Paul tells the church at Corinth plainly that what a person does with food does not bring them near to God (1 Corinthians 8:8). The truth of the matter was that this was not a big issue in light of eternity. He did give a warning that we should not go out without consideration. When everything is seen as a gospel issue, then the true gospel is weakened in the eyes of others. The Holy Spirit may work certain convictions in our lives to help us in our walk with the LORD that are not for everyone else. For the weaker believer, preferences, personal convictions, and direct biblical commands all run together and carry the same weight. When this happens, it becomes hard to find any church that will make you happy.

What is the true gospel?

The gospel is that we have sinned against a holy God. Out of His grace, God has given His only Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus came to this earth as God in the flesh, lived a perfect life so that He could be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus died on the cross and was raised to life three days later. Anyone who comes to Him by faith can receive forgiveness of sins and a new life in Christ that will last for eternity. When we start making other things as important as that, then the gospel becomes not so important but lost in a sea of convictions. Rights and freedoms in Christ are important, but they are not gospel-sized.

3. Everyone must agree with you 100%

One issue that we see in 1 Corinthians 8 was that those who were weaker in their faith (believing that one couldn’t be a Christian and eat the meat in town) were demanding that everyone live the same way. They said, “If it isn’t right for me, it isn’t right for anyone!”

Dissension occurs when Christians turn their personal preferences into eternal principles for everyone. God has laid the course for each of us in His word.

Romans 14:1-4 speaks to this issue.​

Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters. One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.

Romans 14:1–4 CSB

We have a responsibility to bring people to Jesus, not our personal views. When disputable matters arise, it should lead to edifying dialogue not division. We may debate and even disagree, but division is never the answer when it is a disputable matter. We should model the grace that God has shown towards us with each other. We cannot do this if we demand everyone to see everything the exact same way that we do.

4. External, superficial matters become the focus

For the weaker Christians in Corinth, the external actions of others became the focus – eat or don’t eat. What Paul brings to light in his response in this chapter is so helpful: it is not as much about what as it is why. It is much easier to measure and even control behavior than it is motives.

Motives are an issue of the heart. You cannot see a person’s motives generally. You see the actions, but not the motives. This is a reminder to us that the gospel is not mainly focused on changing our behavior as much as it is our identity. There are a lot of people who do “good things” or “live the right way” but with the wrong motives. They may be trying to earn their way to heaven – can’t be done. They may be trying to impress other people – not good.

The reason that the gospel addresses the heart and not our actions is because if the heart is truly changed, then the actions will genuinely and correctly follow. Rules may be able to change a behavior for a time, but it is the work of God that will change a person’s heart.

What if I’m the weaker believer?

We may see this list, hear the words from the Bible, and wonder what we are to do with ourselves. We all at times have been the weaker believer. Some of us have had times when we thought that we were in the stronger category only to have God reveal that we aren’t as strong as we thought. I would like to say to you who are feeling a little weak at this moment this word: It’s not inherently wrong to be a weaker believer; it’s just wrong if you’re content to stay one.

One thing that will fight against division in a church is when the members of that church seek the LORD with all they have and draw closer to Him. The weaker are to grow in truth, and the stronger are to grow in love, so the whole church grows in unity. It is the responsibility of each one of us to fight for the unity of this church. Unity will not happen on its own. It is a result of God working in and through His children. It demands that we obey the LORD’s leading and His word to love and honor others above ourselves. It is not just about figuring out if I can do certain things or not, but will it help those around me grow closer to Christ?

Charles Spurgeon is known as one of the greatest preachers ever to walk this earth. He was also known to enjoy a good cigar at times. At the height of his fame, he saw a sign which read, “We see the cigar that Charles Spurgeon smokes.” After reading this sign, Spurgeon gave up the habit because he understood that his freedom might cause others to stumble.

Within every church is both stronger and weaker believers. Each of us have a responsibility to the LORD, ourselves, and one another to grow in our faith so that this body can be all that it is intended to be. God is entrusting us with great opportunities. These opportunities call for a strong, healthy, and united church to bring the most glory to God.