The Grace Responsibilities of Believers

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The Christian's reasonable service of worship is to become a disciple of Christ, living in a manner worthy of his high calling in Christ. It is the obligation and privilege of every believer to witness by life and by word to the truths of Scripture and to seek to promote the Gospel in all the world. It is the responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the Lord in prayer and to support it with their financial resources as the Lord has prospered them (Acts 1:8; Romans 12:1–2; 14:13; 1 Corinthians 5:9–13; 16:2; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 6:14–7:1; 9:7; Philippians 2:1–11; 1 John 2:6).

We believe the following principles are to be followed for proper conduct where doubtful things, that is, things not specifically addressed in the Bible, exist:

1. One must recognize that Christ gives the believer liberty to participate in what the Scripture does not prohibit (Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23; Galatians 5:1; Titus 2:15).
2. One must understand that personal liberty is not the highest principle of conduct—love is (1 Corinthians 8:1, cf. 9–11)! Consequently, if using one's liberty to participate in a doubtful thing causes a weaker Christian to stumble, then out of love, the stronger Christian should not participate. To cause a weaker believer to stumble is to influence him or her to take part in something against his weaker conscience. This becomes an act of personal sin for both people (Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 8:10, 12). Accordingly, to cause another to stumble does not mean merely to perturb or irritate him, but rather to entice him to participate in something contrary to the dictates of his weaker conscience (cf. Romans 14:23).
3. When fellow Christians disagree on their management of doubtful things, they should live and let live! They should not attempt to pass judgment on the opinions of others in the area of doubtful things (Romans 14:1), but rather let each man be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:5). This is dealing with one another in grace!

The ultimate goal of the Holy Spirit's work in the believer's life is to produce spiritual maturity reflected in consistent Christlike attitudes and behavior that glorify God (Galatians 5:22–25; Colossians 1:23–29). Obedience to the Word of God, therefore, while not necessary for obtaining eternal salvation from Hell, is the essential responsibility of each Christian (Romans 6:12–23; 1 Corinthians 2:14–3:4; Hebrews 5:13–14). The Bible does not teach that obedience will be manifested to the same degree in all believers. If a believer does not yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in his or her experience, failure will result. This will be evidenced by sinful acts or even prolonged disobedience (1 Corinthians 10:1–13; Galatians 5:16–21). The Bible labels this failure carnality, or living that is characterized by the control of the flesh, during which the believer looks no different than the unbeliever (1 Corinthians 3:1–4). God responds to carnal behavior with divine discipline (Hebrews 12:4–13), which may come in degrees, even to physical death (1 Corinthians 11:30).