Page 8 - September 2025 - Truth & Tidings

Pleasing God the possibility of pleasing God outside
Unregenerate people have not begun the normal routine of Christian living, in
particular, in situations where there has
to please God, for “they that are in the been conflict, unpleasantness and ill will.
flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:8). Sadly, It is anticipated that disagreements can be
1
even God’s people can displease Him, as resolved, but if no end to a dispute is in
illustrated in the experience of ancient sight, can the behavior and the attitudes
Israel: “With many of them God was not exhibited conceivably afford pleasure to
well pleased” (1Co 10:5), a challenging God? In particular, we will try to find
thought. guidelines in Romans chapter 14.
Happily, as we are empowered by the
Holy Spirit, we do have the potential to Conflict
please Him. Paul expressed a major ambi- There was tension among the saints at
tion of his life like this: “We make it our Rome. It was the result of believers from
aim to please him” (2Co 5:9 ESV). There diverse backgrounds adopting a differing
are various areas in which this can be outlook on the dietary and ceremonial
done. We can please Him by our worship: laws of the Old Testament. Those from
“With such sacrifices God is well pleased,” a Jewish tradition were strict about what
including “the sacrifice of praise” (Heb they ate, and they were keen to celebrate
13:15-16). We can please Him by our wit- the special days that had featured in their
ness: “So we speak; not as pleasing men, old religion. Believers who were saved out
but God” (1Th 2:4). We can please Him by of heathendom regarded that to be of no
our walk: “Walk[ing] worthy of the Lord consequence in that Christian era. Paul
unto all pleasing” (Col 1:10). We can please labeled the first group “weak” and the sec-
Him by our warfare: “Pleas[ing] him who ond “strong.” The weak were judging the
hath chosen [us] to be a soldier” (2Ti 2:4). strong. Had they never read their Bibles?
Is our Father deriving any pleasure from Did they not know that pig meat is abhor-
our lives? Is the spiritual equivalent of the rent to God? And so the muttering went
sweet savor of Old Testament sacrifices on. The strong were despising the weak,
ascending to heaven daily? In attempt- maybe mocking their slavery to outdated
ing to fulfill his ambition, Paul had as his legislation. Did they know nothing about
stimulus the fact that “we must all appear Christian liberty? The temperature rose,
before the judgment seat of Christ” (2Co with great potential for full-scale conflict.
5:10); the coming day of review was big Remedies
in his thinking.
The purpose of this article is to explore Paul gave clear instructions about
resolving the conflict. First, both groups
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV had an attitude problem that had to be
unless otherwise noted. addressed; the despising and the judging

264 TRUTH kTidings September 2025