Doctrine and Discernment (Part Four): Stewarding Truth and Love in Ministry

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Four): Stewarding Truth and Love in Ministry

There’s a quiet danger in mistaking method for maturity. We often lean on formulas to help us communicate spiritual truths, and rightly so—they offer clarity, structure, and consistency. But the formula is not the substance. It’s a scaffold, not a sanctuary. True spiritual discernment comes not by rigid application, but by yielding to the Spirit’s wisdom. We study, we rightly divide, we prepare—but then we walk.

To help us walk wisely, we’ll explore a five-point framework—people, matter, fruit, motive, and method. This is not a checklist for performance, but a compass for understanding. It’s a way to receive knowledge and begin discerning how to minister God’s Word with balance—avoiding the extremes of Berean rigidity and Romans 14 leniency, and instead walking the Spirit-led middle path of truth and love.

PEOPLE — Who Are You Speaking To?

Not every believer is in the same place spiritually, and the Spirit calls us to discern that difference with care. Some are strong in faith, able to receive correction, digest meatier truths, and engage in doctrinal clarity without stumbling. Others are still growing—needing gentleness, patience, and protection from overload. To minister wisely is to recognise this spectrum and respond accordingly. A hard truth spoken to a soft heart can wound more than it heals. Likewise, withholding clarity from a mature believer can hinder growth. The Spirit leads us to match tone and depth to the hearer’s capacity, not out of compromise, but out of love.

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Three): The Spiritual Summary of Romans 14

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Three): The Spiritual Summary of Romans 14

In this series, we’ve been tracing the spectrum of how believers steward scripture. Part 1 began with the Bereans—those noble searchers who examined the Word daily with precision and care. They represent the extreme left: doctrinal accuracy, scriptural testing, and intellectual rigour. Part 2 took us to the opposite end—Romans 14, where Paul speaks of accommodation, leniency, and the grace required in disputable matters. Now, in part 3, we remain in Romans 14, but we shift from the practical to the spiritual. This is the summary of the chapter. This is the heart of the matter.

The body of Christ is not a physical institution—it is a spiritual entity. Our walk is not defined by meat or holy days, nor by outward rituals or religious customs. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. These are the spiritual markers of a believer. These are the things that matter. Our focus must be heavenward. Our minds are to be set on things above, not on the disputable matters below. True service to God is not found in external observance, but in yielding to His Word and walking in the Spirit. That is what pleases Him.

Yet Paul does not leave us in the clouds. He brings us back to the ground—to our horizontal relationship with our brother. The middle portion of this passage reminds us that liberty must be tempered by love. We are to accommodate the weaker brother, not by diluting truth, but by sacrificing our freedoms for his sake. We do not flaunt our convictions. We do not provoke offence. We seek peace. We pursue edification. We lay down our rights so that he might stand. This is not compromise—it is compassion. It is the quiet strength of spiritual maturity.

Pleasing God in the Right Dispensation: A Contrast of Hebrews and Romans

Pleasing God in the Right Dispensation: A Contrast of Hebrews and Romans

Many Christians today are sincere but sincerely confused. They read Hebrews and Romans as if they’re saying the same thing to the same people. But they’re not. These two epistles are foundational—but for different audiences, in different dispensations, with different instructions for how to walk in a way that pleases God. Before we get into comparing 'what pleases God' between the two letters, let me start with a generalisation of Hebrews versus Romans. 

Hebrews is written to Israel, specifically to Jewish believers preparing to endure the coming tribulation. It speaks from the framework of law and prophecy, calling them to hold fast, to resist apostasy, and to demonstrate their faith through visible obedience. It warns against returning to temple sacrifices—especially when the Antichrist reinstates them—and speaks of “the world to come” (Hebrews 2:5) and “the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25), pointing clearly to prophetic fulfilment. Christ is presented as the true High Priest, replacing the Levitical system, and Israel is called to come “without the camp” (Hebrews 13:13), echoing the flight from Jerusalem in Matthew 24:15. This is not Church doctrine—it is tribulation instruction for Israel under law and prophecy.

Romans, by contrast, is written to the Body of Christ, and it operates under grace and mystery. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13), lays out the believer’s spiritual identity in Christ, centred on justification by faith, sanctification, and the renewing of the mind. Romans reveals the mystery that was hidden in ages past (Romans 16:25), and though it addresses both Jews and Gentiles, it does so within the context of the Church—not national Israel. It teaches us to walk in the Spirit, not striving for acceptance through performance, but resting in the finished work of Christ. Our salvation is not dependent on the law but is entirely under grace (Romans 6:14).

When Grace Is Not Enough

When Grace Is Not Enough

We speak often of grace. We sing of it, preach it, post it. But if we’re honest, many of us treat grace like a soft cushion—something to fall back on when we stumble, rather than a foundation to stand on and build from. We receive it, yes. But do we respect it? Do we respond?

Paul’s letters are not shy on this point. Grace is not just a theological comfort—it’s a spiritual responsibility. And if we mishandle it, we don’t lose salvation, but we do lose clarity, fruitfulness, and the joy of walking in step with the Spirit.

Let’s walk slowly through three ways Scripture warns us not to mishandle grace. Not to condemn, but to awaken.

1. Frustrating Grace: When We Try to Help God Out

There’s a quiet danger in trying to help grace along. We don’t mean to, of course. But somewhere between our zeal for holiness and our fear of falling short, we start adding scaffolding to the cross. A little law here, a little self-effort there. Before long, we’re measuring our spiritual health by how well we perform, not how deeply we trust. Paul saw this tendency and wrote plainly: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21). That’s not just a doctrinal correction—it’s a relational one. When we try to earn what was freely given, we’re not just miscalculating; we’re dishonouring the very heart of the gospel. Grace doesn’t need our help. It needs our surrender.

From Carnal to Spiritual (Part 6): Liberty and Responsibility

From Carnal to Spiritual (Part 6): Liberty and Responsibility

We’ve come a long way in this series, and it’s worth pausing to take it in. Each part has been a step—not just in understanding, but in spiritual posture. We began by recognising the carnal mind for what it is: natural, unrenewed, and unable to receive the things of God. That was Part 1. Then we saw that renewal isn’t just about adding truth—it’s about forsaking what shaped us before. That was Part 2. In Part 3, we were reminded that growth is measured by movement, not by flawlessness. The spiritual mind is formed gradually, and every step matters. Then came Part 4, where we saw that doctrine isn’t dry—it’s the very substance that renews the mind. Truth rightly divided gives structure to our thinking. And in Part 5, we brought that renewal into daily life. Walking in the Spirit isn’t mystical—it’s practical. It’s how we respond, how we think, how we live.

Now we arrive at a quiet turning point. Not a new lesson, but a reminder. A moment to breathe and consider what all of this means—not just inwardly, but outwardly. Because the renewed mind doesn’t exist in isolation. It begins to shape how we carry ourselves, how we speak, how we serve. And that’s where liberty comes in—not as a concept to admire, but as a reality to steward.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). That verse doesn’t come with pressure—it comes with perspective. Liberty in Christ is a gift, but it’s also a trust. It frees us from the weight of law, yes—but it also frees us to walk with purpose. The spiritual mind doesn’t treat liberty as a personal escape. It sees it as an open door to serve, to build, to edify.

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Two): The Romans 14 Posture – Grace in the Grey

Doctrine and Discernment (Part Two): The Romans 14 Posture – Grace in the Grey

In Part One, we looked at the Bereans—those noble truth-seekers who searched the scriptures daily to test what they heard. They modelled doctrinal vigilance, spiritual hunger, and a deep commitment to clarity. But Romans 14 offers a different lens. Not contradictory, but complementary. Where the Bereans leaned into precision, Romans 14 leans into patience. Where Acts 17 highlights the pursuit of truth, Romans 14 highlights the protection of peace.

This chapter unfolds in two distinct halves—each with its own rhythm and focus.

Verses 1–12: The Vertical Posture – Conscience Before God

Here, Paul speaks to the individual believer’s relationship with the Lord. The topic isn’t doctrinal error—it’s personal conviction in disputable matters. Things like diet, holy days, dress, alcohol, and lifestyle choices. These are not gospel issues, but they do matter. Why? Because they touch the conscience.

"Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." (Romans 14:5)

This is not permission to drift into relativism. It’s a call to live with integrity before God. Each believer stands or falls to his own Master—not to tradition, peer pressure, or popular opinion. The risk here is judgement. We must not despise those who abstain, nor mock those who partake. The Lord is able to make both stand.

This vertical posture is deeply personal. It’s about honouring God in your choices, even when those choices differ from others. It’s about being persuaded—not pressured.