DId God Really Say…

May 18, 2024

Read Deuteronomy 32, Proverbs 13, Romans 14

Have you ever made a judgment of something or someone that you later took back? Maybe it was a decision that you judged for yourself about how to walk your faith out in a certain area of life. I have done this many times and had to admit when I was wrong or make an apology. Being a Christian does not mean living in a bubble exempt from the world. We must learn to live together as Christians even in our differences. The statement that is often repeated is “In the essentials we have unity, in the non-essentials we have liberty, and in everything have love.”

Romans 14 talks about what we should do when we have disagreements among believers with these non-essential items. First, we need to accept and understand that we will not always agree. We must do this without passing judgment on them. That is the Lord’s job. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters” v. 1.

Second, be set in our own personal convictions. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” v. 5. This is much like taking the plank out of our own eye in the illustration that Jesus taught in Matthew 7.

Third, we are not to look down on other believers even if they have a different view than our own. “The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him” v. 3. And again in verse 10, “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” God will do the judging and not us.

Fourth, we are to focus on the main things and set our priorities in them. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, ¹⁸ because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men” vv. 17-18.

Finally, we should avoid becoming a stumbling block to others. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling-block or obstacle in your brother’s way” v. 13. If we know that some we believe is okay to do offends another person, we should avoid doing it before them or in a way that causes them to stumble.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.