“Hast thou faith? have [it] to thyself before God.”
Many use the old adage, “My life is an open book.” If that be so, I am sure it is an incredibly thin autobiography. Upon inspecting its pages, I think we’d find someone had taken a pen-knife and removed at least one-third of it. A weak believer might use this little quip in all honesty, and mean it, but never a strong believer. For the latter knows, some things in the Christian life are to be kept between themselves and God alone.
Let no one misunderstand me, the context of the above scripture is not referring to the fundamentals of the faith, but to the shady areas, those questionable things that arise in the Christian’s life. You know, whether “to do or not to do?” The mature saint can do certain things with a clear conscience before God, but, should keep it there; before God. They’re not to flagrantly flaunt their liberty before their immature or unenlightened brother or sister.
It is possible to influence weaker brethren to sin by going against their conscience in something that is perfectly legitimate for you to do. And to attempt to impose your liberty as a rule for others to follow, who are not at your stage of growth in the Lord, does not liberate them, but to the contrary, it brings them into bondage.
Mathew Henry says, “Enjoy (your liberty) in the comfort of your own bosom before God.” Notice, “before God,” you need not worry about offending Him! He sees what you do and approves, if not sin. But let the free man or woman beware not to parade their freedom before those who do not yet fully understand one’s “glorious liberty in Christ; for this can bring upon the advanced believer either scandal or contention among the brethren.
“A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”
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