Romans 15:14-16 (NIV)
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
15 I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Paul is beginning to bring his letter to a close. Paul acknowledges that he has written a strong letter. He even says, "I have written you quite boldly on some points..." which, in my opinion, is an understatement (read chapter one again). Paul is wanting them to know that he believes in them, but like anyone else they need to be reminded of God's truth. Paul believes in them so much he says, "...that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another." I think that it would be a good prayer for us that we be full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Even with that as our prayer we will still need to be reminded of God's truth. Paul sees his whole ministry as a gift from God. Paul was a teacher of the law to the Jews, but God made him a missionary to the Gentiles. Listen to how Paul describes himself, "...a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles...". I believe first and foremost we must see ourselves as ministers of Christ Jesus. You cannot imagine how important it is to have the right mindset about who you are. You are a minister of Christ Jesus the Lord. When everything else goes wrong you are to always come back to this identity. A high priority for our church is to help people to see themselves as God sees them. We do not represent ourselves, our church, or our country--we represent Jesus Christ! Paul's goal as Christ's minister was to present Gentiles to God as an acceptable offering. In a way we are a product of Paul's ministry. Pray for yourself and for Crosspoint that those who attend would see themselves as ministers of Christ.
Our greatest need today is not more Christianity but more true Christians. The world can argue against Christianity as an institution, but there is no convincing argument against a person who, through the Spirit of God, has been made Christlike.
Billy Graham (1918– )
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Romans 15:8-13 (NIV)
Romans 15:8-13 (NIV)
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God reached this world by sending His Son to serve the Jews with His eye on the truth. God cannot be a liar. God has to stand by His promises. All the promises that the Lord made to Israel were fulfilled in the person of Christ. However part of those promises were also to the Gentiles and that included the promise that Christ came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. The Gentiles were cut off from the promises of God and yet sprinkled throughout the O.T. were these signs that God was not finished with the Gentiles. Paul quotes three verses from the O.T. to let us see the whole truth. At the end of verse 12 we find these words, "...the Gentiles will hope in him." Paul now turns this phrase to pray that the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace. Who better to fill us with joy and peace than the God of hope. My prayer for you is that you will be filled with His joy and peace. His joy that abounds even in the midst of hard times and His peace that does pass all understanding. What else comes with this delicious prayer? With this peace and joy, we may also overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The key is to understanding hope, joy and peace is that these are powered by the Holy Spirit. We cannot muster up hope, peace and joy on our own, all the time, whatever the circumstances may be. Pray for yourself that you would live out your life in the power of His Holy Spirit. Pray that you would experience real peace, joy and hope.
In the kingdom of hope there is no winter.
Russian Proverb
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God reached this world by sending His Son to serve the Jews with His eye on the truth. God cannot be a liar. God has to stand by His promises. All the promises that the Lord made to Israel were fulfilled in the person of Christ. However part of those promises were also to the Gentiles and that included the promise that Christ came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. The Gentiles were cut off from the promises of God and yet sprinkled throughout the O.T. were these signs that God was not finished with the Gentiles. Paul quotes three verses from the O.T. to let us see the whole truth. At the end of verse 12 we find these words, "...the Gentiles will hope in him." Paul now turns this phrase to pray that the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace. Who better to fill us with joy and peace than the God of hope. My prayer for you is that you will be filled with His joy and peace. His joy that abounds even in the midst of hard times and His peace that does pass all understanding. What else comes with this delicious prayer? With this peace and joy, we may also overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The key is to understanding hope, joy and peace is that these are powered by the Holy Spirit. We cannot muster up hope, peace and joy on our own, all the time, whatever the circumstances may be. Pray for yourself that you would live out your life in the power of His Holy Spirit. Pray that you would experience real peace, joy and hope.
In the kingdom of hope there is no winter.
Russian Proverb
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Romans 15:4-12 (NIV)
Romans 15:4-12 (NIV)
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
For a moment focus on just verse four. Paul is talking about a controversy over religious holidays and more so what a believer can eat. It is as if Paul knew the people reading these words would need a little encouragement and he sticks these words in about the Word of God. Sometimes, I have wondered, why do we have the Old Testament? It is written here that everything in the O.T. is there to teach us. The result of that teaching is through the endurance and the encouragement of God's Word we can have hope. I believe that the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1 are those who have gone before us. The O.T. is full of stories of people who endured many trials for the sake of their faith in Yahweh. We are part of that story of faith in God. The Lord wants us to be encouraged as you see this in Paul's prayer in verse five. Paul prayed for the Roman believers, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus...". Paul prays for the these believers that this same God who gives endurance and encouragement may now give a spirit of unity in the church at Rome. Our hope is in the Lord to live a life of love, faith and peace. The result of this unity that Paul prays for is that with one heart and mouth they may glorify the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not unity for unity's sake. It is a witness to those around us that we know and can glorify the Lord together. In verse seven we have one of the references to "one another" in God's Word. There are at least 32 different "one another" references found in Scripture. Here we are told to accept one another just as Christ has accepted us. You can tell there are Jewish believers in this church because now Paul goes into how the Gentiles have been brought in on the promise. There are many reasons not to accept people, but there is a grand reason to accept people and that is on the basis of people's faith in Christ. At the center of our unity stands not a truth but a person who is called Jesus Christ. It is Christ who can bring unity to the church. Of course the big question then is, "Who is Jesus?"
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
For a moment focus on just verse four. Paul is talking about a controversy over religious holidays and more so what a believer can eat. It is as if Paul knew the people reading these words would need a little encouragement and he sticks these words in about the Word of God. Sometimes, I have wondered, why do we have the Old Testament? It is written here that everything in the O.T. is there to teach us. The result of that teaching is through the endurance and the encouragement of God's Word we can have hope. I believe that the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1 are those who have gone before us. The O.T. is full of stories of people who endured many trials for the sake of their faith in Yahweh. We are part of that story of faith in God. The Lord wants us to be encouraged as you see this in Paul's prayer in verse five. Paul prayed for the Roman believers, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus...". Paul prays for the these believers that this same God who gives endurance and encouragement may now give a spirit of unity in the church at Rome. Our hope is in the Lord to live a life of love, faith and peace. The result of this unity that Paul prays for is that with one heart and mouth they may glorify the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not unity for unity's sake. It is a witness to those around us that we know and can glorify the Lord together. In verse seven we have one of the references to "one another" in God's Word. There are at least 32 different "one another" references found in Scripture. Here we are told to accept one another just as Christ has accepted us. You can tell there are Jewish believers in this church because now Paul goes into how the Gentiles have been brought in on the promise. There are many reasons not to accept people, but there is a grand reason to accept people and that is on the basis of people's faith in Christ. At the center of our unity stands not a truth but a person who is called Jesus Christ. It is Christ who can bring unity to the church. Of course the big question then is, "Who is Jesus?"
Monday, August 9, 2010
Romans 15:1-6 (NIV)
Romans 15:1-6 (NIV)
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul classifies himself as one of the strong in faith. The people who are weak could be those who are new to their faith in Christ. People who are new to their faith usually have zeal, but lack knowledge. Those who are strong are not to endure the new believer, but encourage them. Can a person who has known the Lord for a good period of time still be weak? Some of the people I have talked with in the past are people who were well schooled in their faith and did not want others around them to have different values than them. These people would not, however, be destroyed if you did something different in front of them that they saw as sin. They may judge you and talk about you, but never would they be destroyed. The discernment that is needed in these circumstances is, who is the weaker brother and who is the stronger? Love must control the circumstances and therefore truth must be spoken in love. At the heart of Paul's concern is the unity of the church. A team that is rowing in the same direction is a powerful force of nature. Paul knew if the church would fight amongst themselves then there would be no hope of giving the Gospel to the world. We must seek unity, but not at all costs. I have seen churches become weak because they never help develop the faith of believers. There are times for awkward conversations. There are times for everyone to examine their hearts as to why they do this or that. Are we motivated by love or by selfishness? I find verse three so convicting as Christ did not please himself! Over the next few days think of ways to please those around you.
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul classifies himself as one of the strong in faith. The people who are weak could be those who are new to their faith in Christ. People who are new to their faith usually have zeal, but lack knowledge. Those who are strong are not to endure the new believer, but encourage them. Can a person who has known the Lord for a good period of time still be weak? Some of the people I have talked with in the past are people who were well schooled in their faith and did not want others around them to have different values than them. These people would not, however, be destroyed if you did something different in front of them that they saw as sin. They may judge you and talk about you, but never would they be destroyed. The discernment that is needed in these circumstances is, who is the weaker brother and who is the stronger? Love must control the circumstances and therefore truth must be spoken in love. At the heart of Paul's concern is the unity of the church. A team that is rowing in the same direction is a powerful force of nature. Paul knew if the church would fight amongst themselves then there would be no hope of giving the Gospel to the world. We must seek unity, but not at all costs. I have seen churches become weak because they never help develop the faith of believers. There are times for awkward conversations. There are times for everyone to examine their hearts as to why they do this or that. Are we motivated by love or by selfishness? I find verse three so convicting as Christ did not please himself! Over the next few days think of ways to please those around you.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Romans 14:19-23 (NIV)
Romans 14:19-23 (NIV)
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
What have you done lately to keep the peace? In verse 19 Paul calls us to a life of peace and mutual edification. It sounds so easy and yet is so hard. It is hard sometimes to keep the peace in the home, let alone with hundreds of people. I like how Paul says, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to...". We can only make the effort and leave the results with God. I must do what I can and then leave it. I think we will read too much into these verses if we do not keep our eyes on Christ. We are not called to be door mats. Truth in love must be spoken and lived out. Verse 21 is, again, on the theme of causing your brother to fall. What does this mean to cause a brother to fall? I would say that it means for you to cause someone to go against their conscience. What you do in front of them causes them to do that thing and it is not what they believe to be good for them. Verses 22 and 23 get into the whole issue of conscience. When you read chapter one of Romans you see that there are people who have no conscience and now we are talking about people who seem to have a very sensitive conscience. The point is that we all have a conscience and we are to listen to it and we are to listen to God. A fun question to raise is one of conscience changing. Can a person change their conscience? If you discover that God approves a certain behavior that you once thought was wrong, then can you at least not be offended if someone does that in front of you? Can you eventually enjoy meat? Have a great day and do what you can to create peace.
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
What have you done lately to keep the peace? In verse 19 Paul calls us to a life of peace and mutual edification. It sounds so easy and yet is so hard. It is hard sometimes to keep the peace in the home, let alone with hundreds of people. I like how Paul says, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to...". We can only make the effort and leave the results with God. I must do what I can and then leave it. I think we will read too much into these verses if we do not keep our eyes on Christ. We are not called to be door mats. Truth in love must be spoken and lived out. Verse 21 is, again, on the theme of causing your brother to fall. What does this mean to cause a brother to fall? I would say that it means for you to cause someone to go against their conscience. What you do in front of them causes them to do that thing and it is not what they believe to be good for them. Verses 22 and 23 get into the whole issue of conscience. When you read chapter one of Romans you see that there are people who have no conscience and now we are talking about people who seem to have a very sensitive conscience. The point is that we all have a conscience and we are to listen to it and we are to listen to God. A fun question to raise is one of conscience changing. Can a person change their conscience? If you discover that God approves a certain behavior that you once thought was wrong, then can you at least not be offended if someone does that in front of you? Can you eventually enjoy meat? Have a great day and do what you can to create peace.
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Romans 14:13-21 (NIV)
Romans 14:13-21 (NIV)
13 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.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.
17 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.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
The words, "If your brother is distressed because of what you eat..." has caused some distress in believer's communities. I went to a school that I believe built it's rule book around those who might get distressed over this or that. These are strong words, "Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died." Distressed and destroy are two words that would make anyone hesitate in doing something that would cause such upheaval. If you for instance felt it was okay to go to church on Saturday night so you could sleep in on Sunday, but a close friend of yours felt it was wrong, should you stop going to church on Saturday nights? Should the church stop having Saturday night services? If the music of the church is causing some believers to have distress and could destroy other believer's faith, should the church stop that music? The list goes on and on. Notice the meat thing keeps coming up. Paul has stopped using the holy days and stuck with the meat-and-eating theme. I believe there is a reason for this and that is the meat that Paul is talking about has been sacrificed to demons. It couldn't have been pork or Paul would of just said the word pork instead of making it so vague ( simply meat). Paul had to take on the same issue in Corinth. It will take a little more time, but let's look into 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (NIV)
23 "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.
28 But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake--
29 the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?
30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God--
33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Make sure you read Paul carefully as he goes over a very delicate issue. I believe some of the same things were happening in Rome. This is why Paul keeps up with the theme of meat. If my assumptions are correct, then that of eating what has been sacrificed to idols could cause distress and destroy someone's faith. Yet think of all the other items that can be put on the list. In Romans 15:1 Paul uses the term the weaker brother. It is my conviction, based upon Scripture and watching the life of Christ, that we cannot let the weaker brother rule in every area of life for fear of causing distress. We would never reach anyone for Christ. We have to be very careful as to how we understand and apply what Paul is saying in Romans and Corinthians. The best part is when Paul says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Let us enjoy what God has purchased for us.
13 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.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.
17 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.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
The words, "If your brother is distressed because of what you eat..." has caused some distress in believer's communities. I went to a school that I believe built it's rule book around those who might get distressed over this or that. These are strong words, "Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died." Distressed and destroy are two words that would make anyone hesitate in doing something that would cause such upheaval. If you for instance felt it was okay to go to church on Saturday night so you could sleep in on Sunday, but a close friend of yours felt it was wrong, should you stop going to church on Saturday nights? Should the church stop having Saturday night services? If the music of the church is causing some believers to have distress and could destroy other believer's faith, should the church stop that music? The list goes on and on. Notice the meat thing keeps coming up. Paul has stopped using the holy days and stuck with the meat-and-eating theme. I believe there is a reason for this and that is the meat that Paul is talking about has been sacrificed to demons. It couldn't have been pork or Paul would of just said the word pork instead of making it so vague ( simply meat). Paul had to take on the same issue in Corinth. It will take a little more time, but let's look into 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (NIV)
23 "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.
28 But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake--
29 the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?
30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God--
33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Make sure you read Paul carefully as he goes over a very delicate issue. I believe some of the same things were happening in Rome. This is why Paul keeps up with the theme of meat. If my assumptions are correct, then that of eating what has been sacrificed to idols could cause distress and destroy someone's faith. Yet think of all the other items that can be put on the list. In Romans 15:1 Paul uses the term the weaker brother. It is my conviction, based upon Scripture and watching the life of Christ, that we cannot let the weaker brother rule in every area of life for fear of causing distress. We would never reach anyone for Christ. We have to be very careful as to how we understand and apply what Paul is saying in Romans and Corinthians. The best part is when Paul says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Let us enjoy what God has purchased for us.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Romans 14:9-14 (NIV)
Romans 14:9-14 (NIV)
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.'"
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 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.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
I have been told that wearing a beard is wrong.
I have been told that wearing short pants is wrong.
I have been told, at one time, that my hair was too long (it was over my ears).
I have been told that music with a beat is wrong.
I have been told that using any other version of the Bible other than the KJV is wrong.
I have been told that eating out on Sunday was wrong.
If you challenged these so-called wrongs you felt judged. In my circumstance I felt it because I was told that I was not pleasing the Lord. There is entirely too much judging going on in the church at large these days. We must remember who the Lord is and that we all report to Him. It is one of the most sobering thoughts that I have and that is I have to give an accounting of my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. What we must do is act out of love and not be a stumbling block to others. This is a very tricky statement. I think in the end we are not to force our views on others when it comes to disputable matters. Then the question comes, "What are the disputable matters?" Once the disputable matters are agreed upon it is still incumbent upon me to show love.
Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.
C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
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.'"
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 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.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
I have been told that wearing a beard is wrong.
I have been told that wearing short pants is wrong.
I have been told, at one time, that my hair was too long (it was over my ears).
I have been told that music with a beat is wrong.
I have been told that using any other version of the Bible other than the KJV is wrong.
I have been told that eating out on Sunday was wrong.
If you challenged these so-called wrongs you felt judged. In my circumstance I felt it because I was told that I was not pleasing the Lord. There is entirely too much judging going on in the church at large these days. We must remember who the Lord is and that we all report to Him. It is one of the most sobering thoughts that I have and that is I have to give an accounting of my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. What we must do is act out of love and not be a stumbling block to others. This is a very tricky statement. I think in the end we are not to force our views on others when it comes to disputable matters. Then the question comes, "What are the disputable matters?" Once the disputable matters are agreed upon it is still incumbent upon me to show love.
Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.
C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
