Pray Thru the Bible

God Speaks

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. ² For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. ³ Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. ⁴ Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

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.

¹⁴ I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. ¹⁵ And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. ¹⁷ For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. ¹⁹ So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

²⁰ Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. ²¹ It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. 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.

Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com

We Respond

Reflection: The Apostle Paul has moved on to discussing how to handle differences of opinion between believers in Christ. These principles do not directly apply to unbelievers because they do not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them. They have only their human consciences and reasoning, which may or may not lead them into right living.  We believers are to be open and welcoming to each other. Those on each side of a disagreement are not to condemn or force their views on the other. We are to accept each other as individuals, not necessarily their opinions. We should each turn to God and let Him correct and direct us. This applies not just to food, but to religious observances as well. “We are not our own bosses to live or die as we ourselves might choose. [Neither should we try to force other people to think or behave as we consider best.] Living or dying we [should] follow the Lord. Either way we are His. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that He can be our Lord both while we live and when we die.” (Romans 14:7-9 TLB) Let’s stop criticizing each other and look for ways to help each other avoid doing something we think is wrong. If there is something we know (between us and the Lord) is all right, but it causes confusion or stumbling for a brother or sister in Christ, we should voluntarily abstain (at least in their presence) for the sake of harmony in the body of Christ. Let’s seek to build others up, not tear them down. If we think something is wrong but go ahead and do it anyway, that is sin. So is not doing what we know is right.

Consider the following questions regarding Romans 14:

1. What does this chapter tell me about God?

2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?    

Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.  

1. God is the only one who has the right to pass judgment on people because only He knows the individual hearts and circumstances involved.

2. People who have experienced the LORD’s mercy and grace should extend it to others.

Prayer:

3. How might I pray regarding Romans 14?  

Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for loving all people especially those You have adopted as Your children because of their faith in Your Son. Please help us (Your adopted children) to accept and live in harmony with each other. Help us to handle conflicting viewpoints graciously. Only You know our private thoughts, motivations, and circumstances. Help us to extend Your mercy and grace to each other and to those not yet in the family by faith in Jesus. Please help us lean on You for the strength of character to set aside our personal preferences for the sake of others and the courage to stand up for what we know is right, when necessary and appropriate. AMEN

Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)

4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Romans 14? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:

• I will ask the Lord to show me where I need to yield to the opinions of another believer, then do it.
• I will quietly discuss a controversial issue with a fellow believer seeking clarity over agreement.
• I will ask a fellow believer with whom I disagree how I could help or serve them, then do it.
• I will use bible reference materials to compile a personal report on where I stand on five controversial issues in the news this week. 

Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.