Am I Strong, Weak, or What?

Last Sunday I preached a sermon entitled Help the Weak, based on Romans 15:1-7.  As I explained near the outset of the sermon, the immediate context dealt with the matter of Christian liberty, but the broader principle was that stronger Christians should befriend and build up weaker Christians.

No doubt some believers left the worship service thinking, "Am I a strong Christian or a weak Christian?" To answer that question correctly, you must understand the terms "weak" and "strong." To gain a correct understanding, we must keep in mind the context. Paul began the discussion at the outset of Romans 14, where he refers to those who are "weak in the faith" (v. 1). "The faith" refers to the body of truth God has revealed to us through the Scriptures, particularly the gospel (see Col. 1:23; Jude 3).

So a "strong" Christian, in the context of Romans 14-15, is a believer who is well-grounded in Bible doctrine, particularly the gospel and the freedom it brings. A "weak" Christian is one who is not as well-grounded when it comes to understanding and living out their faith in Jesus Christ. Their weakness has nothing to do with their faithfulness to the Lord or their commitment to righteous living. It's important to remember that in the context of Romans 14-15, both the weak Christian and the strong Christian have a desire to please God.

Looking at this issue of weakness and strength in a broader and experiential sense, we can see that a couple of things are true:

1. Strong Christians can be weak in some areas (e.g. fragile emotions), and weak Christians can be strong in some areas (e.g. compassion, generosity).
2. Strong Christians can become weak in a given moment (e.g. when succumbing to temptation), and a weak Christian can demonstrate tremendous strength and resiliency (e.g. power in witnessing).

So spiritual weakness and strength can be demonstrated in certain areas and at certain times or seasons of our lives. For this reason Christians, whether weak or strong in terms of their doctrinal understanding, are to "welcome one another," "encourage one another," and "build up one another" to the glory of God. 

Certainly there is no room for pride on anyone's part. "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God as dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3). "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are doing" (1 Thess. 5:11).