Written ~ 11-22-2023
Romans 14:5-13
5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.
7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.
10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.
13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
These verses give us some very valid points for the church today… it may be that I worship a little differently than you… Or I may choose to have the Lord’s Day on a different day than you… We all may have different convictions, which day to call Holy, what foods we consider honorable… But we all love and serve one Lord and that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and because of that love, we should never cast a judgmental glance at another believer. Condemning another believer for the way they live out their walk with the Lord is not for us to judge. Verses 14:12 and 13 say,
12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.
13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
If our convictions are different from another believer’s, we shouldn’t fault them and cause them to rethink their walk with the Lord which could lead them to stumble and fall. Not for things like which day to keep Holy and what foods can or cannot be eaten. Jesus is our final authority (verse 14:14). If you and I are giving thanks to the Lord and honoring the Lord in everything we do, then we are doing those things to please the Almighty God, not each other.
The Bible is our instruction manual, right? Some may perceive some of the instructions a little differently for their own lives, and that’s ok. The point is that our hearts have been given over completely to the Lord Jesus Christ and when we have accepted Him, given our faith and trust to Him alone, that’s the heart of any issue believer’s try to debate. Our sins have been forgiven and we will one day stand before God and because of what Jesus did on the cross, we will not be condemned.
Verse 14:8 sums up this thought…
8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
We need to be sensitive to another believer’s convictions, sensitive being the key word here. If you are not honoring the way another believer worships the Lord, if you cause distress to another believer because you are not being sensitive to their convictions, it’s not them who are wrong. We are to live in harmony and build each other up, not tear apart what the Lord is doing in someone else’s life (Verses 14:19-20).
We live to honor the Lord. We die to honor the Lord. We belong to the Lord. Period.
So let’s stop unnecessary bickering about things that the Lord truly isn’t concerned with and stick to our own convictions.
I think verses 14:22 and 23 are very important to add here…
22 You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23 But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
Verse 14:12, “…each of us will give a personal account to God…” Each one of us need to keep our hearts holy and pure before the Lord. Keeping our own convictions is what we are accountable for, not another believer’s convictions with whom we differ.
Honor the Lord in all you do. Giving thanks for what He has given to us! We have so much to be grateful for… Praise God for His loving generosity and live your life fully for Him!
Father God, I pray that my life will honor you. In the things I do, in the things I say. In the day I keep holy for You, in the foods I eat. Father I pray that I will never cast a judgmental glance over at my fellow believer if our convictions differ. I live to honor You. I die to honor You. I belong to You.
~AMEN~
- I am adding The Message Version of Romans chapter 14 here, I think it’s pretty awesome, it helps bring this subject matter a little closer to home… I want to encourage you to make time to read it. It’s really good!
Romans 14
1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.
2-4 For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
5 Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
6-9 What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that He could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
10-12 So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:
“As I live and breathe,” God says,
“every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God.”
So mind your own business. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
13-14 Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I’m convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.
15-16 If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don’t eat, you’re no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don’t you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!
17-18 God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.
19-21 So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you? I said it before and I’ll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.
22-23 Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you’re out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.