Romans 14
-Chapter 14 appears to be a call for mutual acceptance
between the strong (who rightly don’t see the need to follow prescribed dietary
laws and observance of days) and the weak (who may stumble over not doing
things outlined particularly in the Law) (For more on this see 1 Corinthians
10:19-33). The key verse in this passage comes in verse 19, “So then let us
pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding (ESV).” *Application*
Passing judgment on someone for what they do in the Name of the Lord is to be
condemned as we see here if it does not violate Scriptural principles.
Observance of days (Christmas, Passover, Yom Kippur, Easter, etc.) and
following specific dietary rules need not be a matter of our consternation in
the brotherhood of Christ and His Kingdom. The Kingdom is about righteousness, peace,
and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). We will all give an account of ourselves
to God and come under His just jurisdiction for everything we do in this life (Romans
14:10-11). If we have Christ as our advocate we will stand (Romans 14:4, 18). Each
person must be convinced in his own mind concerning the right thing to do for whatever
does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:5, 23). The principle is also this:
Don’t ever be a stumbling block to a person and discourage their faith (Romans 14:13,
21). In every decision consider your fellow man as to how your action, attitudes,
and comments may hinder them from becoming all God wants them to be. Let us build
each other up for the glory of God!
Verses to Memorize-
Romans 14:19, 23
No comments:
Post a Comment