Romans 14-16

Today's passage: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2014-16&version=NIV

We get so stuck in our own ways and beliefs that our convictions cause us to look down on, judge, and condemn other believers. This destroys the unity of the church and can destroy the faith of another believer. Minor disagreements will occur in the church and Paul gives us some advice about how to handle these disagreements:

1. We are not to judge each other. We serve God, He is our judge and only His judgment matters. We recently gave presentations and my students did peer evaluations. Some of the worst presentations were given high marks by the students, but they lacked in technical skill and content. How the students judged each others’ work didn’t matter in the end, because ultimately I graded them based on their use of their technical skills. The peer evaluations really didn’t matter at the end of the day. For the Christian, what matters is the judgment of our Lord. We are to please Him and not each other. Considering He is the only one who truly knows our heart, I’m glad that He is my judge, rather than my peers.

2. We are not to reject another believer because of small disagreements. We are also not to accept them in order to force our own convictions on them. This will just lead to a battle. We can’t force everyone to be identical in their convictions. The Holy Spirit was sent to convict us of our sins and guide us through our faith walk. He knows exactly what to lay on our hearts and when and how to do it.

3. We are not to treat others with contempt. Spiritual pride can make us hateful, something that Paul, as a former persecutor of Christians, was all too familiar with. Jesus is our example in how to treat others. He dined with tax collectors and prostitutes and the lowest of the low. He showed them love and compassion, never contempt. We are to treat each other in the same way.

None of this is to say that we can each pick and choose a series of our own beliefs and ways of worship. The Bible is God’s word and we are to use it as a guide to teach us the ways to live a righteous life and how to worship Him. Also, keep in mind that there are important, life-affecting, eternal truths that we must receive as we embrace our Savior. (The book of Romans does a wonderful job of explaining those truths. I encourage you to read it again!) Other issues need not be nitpicked to death. The disagreement Paul is addressing about what is clean to eat is dividing the church and Paul is just asking them to look at the big picture:

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.” (Romans 14:17)

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5)

It’s all about God’s glory. It’s all about building the population of God’s Kingdom. Contempt, condemnation, quarreling and judgment don’t do anything for God’s glory. Encouragement, love, kindness, & compassion do everything to bring God glory. As Christians, we are to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We can’t sweat the small stuff.

Today's post submitted by Kelly Coxe