1Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.” 4For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

These four verses are directed to the “strong”, which we know from the previous chapter means those who can eat food sacrificed to idols without feeling like they have done something wrong. Paul encourages the strong in conscience  to bear with those who are weak in conscience. Paul then cites Jesus as an example of how the strong are to live selflessly toward those who are weaker.

I suspect most people who read these verses consider themselves part of the “strong” group to whom this is addressed. I doubt people read this passage and think, “I am weak in conscience, so I am glad the Bible commands the stronger to defer to my weakness and not cause me to stumble.” But those with weaker consciences must be a sizable group of people; otherwise the Holy Spirit would not have seen the need to inspire this passage and preserve it as part of the New Testament.

So, I’m going to flip this passage around and ask you to consider whether you might be one who is weak in conscience. Do you submit yourself to self-made rules such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” and other such “matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement. . . but are of no value against fleshly indulgence”? Colossians 2:18-20. I’m not talking about things the Bible says are wrong, such as getting drunk, immorality, or engaging in crude sexual jokes but self-made rules created feel like holiness that have no real spiritual value.

I can identify with self-made rules with no spiritual value. For a long time after I became a Christian I did not drink. Looking back now, I realize I abstained because it made me feel like I was Christian. Really, I was just being religious. Two things changed my mind. The first was when an atheist I had befriended in law school told me he had concluded I must be a Christian because I didn’t drink. It angered me that stereotype had become the test for whether I was a Christian rather than my love for Jesus or for others. I determined not to play to type any longer. The second thing that happened was that I got baptized in the Holy Spirit, which brought a power and spiritual maturity in my life. My wife now jokingly tells others that she will know if I ever backslide because I will go back to not drinking.

What I’ve written here should not be considered a suggestion you should start drinking if you currently do not. That is not the point. This is just an example from my life. And, I can also honestly tell you that in 30 years of drinking I have never been drunk, which should not surprise anyone. Freedom is for those who are responsible and self-governing, and Christians should be the most responsible and most self-governing of people.

So, here is the point. We should not take pride in non-Biblical rules we create as a substitute for a deeper relationship with Jesus, and we shouldn’t seek to impose those rules on others or judge them for not regarding them. Instead we should see them as evidence of a weak conscience and press on toward a stronger conscience and a more mature relationship with Jesus.