Romans 14:5-11 (NIV)
5 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.
6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
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.
11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
Evidently there were those in Rome who saw one day as more sacred than another and Paul allows that as long as there is freedom. Freedom of conscience is what Paul is basing his argument on in this passage. It is a great line when the apostle says, "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." Once you search the Scriptures and are convinced either way about eating meat or that some days are special or are not special, then you can hold to that conviction. However, you cannot hold others to that same conviction. I have noticed that once a person makes up their mind they usually want others to follow suit. I would guess that is the herd mentality. It is hard for many to believe that we as followers of Christ can have differences and still worship and work together. The ones that have a hard time with this unity in diversity are usually the followers of Christ. The genius of the church is that it is an organism that is organized around the person of Jesus Christ. The church is not organized around a philosophy, a set of beliefs, or even truth. The church is totally and absolutely wrapped around Jesus Christ. We can still be interested in philosophy, beliefs, and truth, but our primary objective is to walk with the Savior. This is why Paul now interjects Jesus into the argument when he says, "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord." We are all going to have to answer to the Lord so stop the judging and get on with living for the Lord! I sometimes think we are more of a busybody than we care to admit. All of us need to mind our own business because that is what we are going to have to answer for in the end. I cannot answer for your life nor you about my life. I think that is a good thing, don't you? Here is what Chuck Swindoll has to say about this subject.
Remind the religious phony that the splinter within your eye is between you and your Lord, and to pay attention to the tree trunk in his own eye.
Charles R. Swindoll (1934– )
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Romans 14:1-14 (NIV)
Romans 14:1-4 (NIV)
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3 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.
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
It is sure easier to have unity when everyone knows the rules to play by. In the Scriptures we have God clearly condemning some behavior and commanding us to do other things. We can have unity around those items, but it is when Scripture isn't clear that problems can really develop. The gray areas of life can really test our love for one another. People will say I have a strong conviction about this or that, but a strong conviction does not equal a verse of Scripture. Paul lays down some principles that are useful in those type of disputes. Paul tells us to accept those whose faith is weak. We are to accept them without passing judgment on them about those disputable matters. In this case Paul uses the issue of food. You have one person who can eat anything and another who can only eat vegetables. The person who can eat anything must not look down on those who are restricted in their diet. The person who cannot eat everything is accepted by God. Paul takes us back to the bigger issue as to how to use freedom. Do we use freedom to get our way or do we use freedom to serve others? There are many disputable matters and both sides need to learn not to judge the other side. This is easier said than done. At my church in Charlotte, some people thought it was wrong to eat food or even have coffee in the church on Sunday. We had to have meetings with these people and walk them through Scripture on this issue. They who thought it was wrong to eat in the church also thought they had a Bible verse to back up their claim. They were taking the Bible verse way out of context. They finally agreed that they didn't have to eat on Sunday at the church or even have coffee if that bothered them. We also agreed that there were those people who felt free to eat on Sunday and have coffee and they wouldn't judge them for doing so. These were not easy meetings. People get really attached to their convictions and their ways of doing things. We must be careful with disputable matters and when dealing with each other on those matters.
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3 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.
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
It is sure easier to have unity when everyone knows the rules to play by. In the Scriptures we have God clearly condemning some behavior and commanding us to do other things. We can have unity around those items, but it is when Scripture isn't clear that problems can really develop. The gray areas of life can really test our love for one another. People will say I have a strong conviction about this or that, but a strong conviction does not equal a verse of Scripture. Paul lays down some principles that are useful in those type of disputes. Paul tells us to accept those whose faith is weak. We are to accept them without passing judgment on them about those disputable matters. In this case Paul uses the issue of food. You have one person who can eat anything and another who can only eat vegetables. The person who can eat anything must not look down on those who are restricted in their diet. The person who cannot eat everything is accepted by God. Paul takes us back to the bigger issue as to how to use freedom. Do we use freedom to get our way or do we use freedom to serve others? There are many disputable matters and both sides need to learn not to judge the other side. This is easier said than done. At my church in Charlotte, some people thought it was wrong to eat food or even have coffee in the church on Sunday. We had to have meetings with these people and walk them through Scripture on this issue. They who thought it was wrong to eat in the church also thought they had a Bible verse to back up their claim. They were taking the Bible verse way out of context. They finally agreed that they didn't have to eat on Sunday at the church or even have coffee if that bothered them. We also agreed that there were those people who felt free to eat on Sunday and have coffee and they wouldn't judge them for doing so. These were not easy meetings. People get really attached to their convictions and their ways of doing things. We must be careful with disputable matters and when dealing with each other on those matters.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Romans 13:11-14 (NIV)
Romans 13:11-14 (NIV)
11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
When Paul says, "And do this..." we have to ask is he referring to the "...Love your neighbor as yourself." (verse 9) or is it from the top of the chapter? In this instance I believe it goes back to verses 8-10, because of Paul's insistence to lay aside the deeds of darkness which have to do with the commandments of do not covet and so forth, which is about loving others. Do you feel a chill in the room when Paul says, "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber..."? Evidently Paul had heard that the church in Rome had become a little careless. Paul explains that the hour of our salvation is nearer now than when they had first believed. This is a reference to the second coming of Christ. One of the themes in the New Testament is that the disciples believed Jesus was coming back real soon. It was Ben Johnson who said, "There is nothing like a hanging to focus the mind." These disciples where extremely focused and some of that had to do with meeting Jesus either by death or by His coming back. Paul is pleading with them as he continues to argue his case that the night in nearly over and the day is almost here, which is another reference to Christ's return. If this be the case then put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. If the darkness is going to lose and it is wrong, then go with the light which is the right way and is the winner. In context the armor of light, in part, is doing the deeds of light i.e. "behave decently." The deeds of darkness is the opposite of the deeds of light. Look what he names in those deeds. When we look at the list that includes orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality and debauchery as things of darkness. We get those as sins. However, what about dissension and jealousy? Do we really get that these are sins as well? Dissension and jealousy can almost parade itself as righteous acts. I am speaking the truth that no one seems willing to speak or their ministry is really not of God or that wouldn't have happened, etc. Doesn't that sound holy? Notice how Paul places dissension and jealousy in a list that includes orgies! Real transformation has to do with everyday choices. It has to do with clothing ourselves with Christ so we do not allow our sinful selves to rise up and make bad choices. This is about obedience. Listen to what author Jerry Bridges has to say about this: "It is time for us Christians, to face up to our responsibility for holiness." Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms obedience and disobedience.
11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
When Paul says, "And do this..." we have to ask is he referring to the "...Love your neighbor as yourself." (verse 9) or is it from the top of the chapter? In this instance I believe it goes back to verses 8-10, because of Paul's insistence to lay aside the deeds of darkness which have to do with the commandments of do not covet and so forth, which is about loving others. Do you feel a chill in the room when Paul says, "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber..."? Evidently Paul had heard that the church in Rome had become a little careless. Paul explains that the hour of our salvation is nearer now than when they had first believed. This is a reference to the second coming of Christ. One of the themes in the New Testament is that the disciples believed Jesus was coming back real soon. It was Ben Johnson who said, "There is nothing like a hanging to focus the mind." These disciples where extremely focused and some of that had to do with meeting Jesus either by death or by His coming back. Paul is pleading with them as he continues to argue his case that the night in nearly over and the day is almost here, which is another reference to Christ's return. If this be the case then put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. If the darkness is going to lose and it is wrong, then go with the light which is the right way and is the winner. In context the armor of light, in part, is doing the deeds of light i.e. "behave decently." The deeds of darkness is the opposite of the deeds of light. Look what he names in those deeds. When we look at the list that includes orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality and debauchery as things of darkness. We get those as sins. However, what about dissension and jealousy? Do we really get that these are sins as well? Dissension and jealousy can almost parade itself as righteous acts. I am speaking the truth that no one seems willing to speak or their ministry is really not of God or that wouldn't have happened, etc. Doesn't that sound holy? Notice how Paul places dissension and jealousy in a list that includes orgies! Real transformation has to do with everyday choices. It has to do with clothing ourselves with Christ so we do not allow our sinful selves to rise up and make bad choices. This is about obedience. Listen to what author Jerry Bridges has to say about this: "It is time for us Christians, to face up to our responsibility for holiness." Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms obedience and disobedience.
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