Romans 14

[rl69]

Romans 14:1-23 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 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. 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. 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. 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. For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 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. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. 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. 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.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 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. 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. 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. Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. 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. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. 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. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. 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. 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.

[Boaz]

Thank you rl69 . Much said here , I like the conviction part .

[buckwheatpaul]

Easy to read yet hard to put into action. Thanks

[Pine Baron]

Thanks, rl. This will be on my mind all day.

[Preacher Jim]

RL everybody needs to practice that verse. and Phippians 2: 14-15

[Blackwater]

Wow! What a pregnant passage! It reminds me of something a friend once said. I was invited to a family reunion up in the mountains of north Ga. once, really more as a friend of a friend, but came to be friends with these guys in my own right. Anyway, a fellow named Ronnie Bright up there said something in that "mountain boy" simplicity that's so common up there, that I've always remembered. He said, "You can break anybody's rules but your own." Those mountain folk are looked down upon for their simple, direct way of dealing with life and all in it. Many take that as a sign of low intelligence, but nothing could be further from the truth. They're mostly just humble and driven by purpose and goals. They've pretty much had to be, for a number of reasons. Mountain life was always tough, and they had to be tough-minded to prosper there. And most did, indeed, prosper! But a haughty attitude towards these folks will forever mask the true content of their faith and lives. They're simple and direct, which is probably the best way for people everywhere to be, really. And their wisdom is won from long experience and trial and error.

I've found nowhere else on earth where I truly feel "at home" like I do up there with those folks. Their genuineness flows from them like water from an Artesian spring. Their general good will is easily won simply by being whatever you are, without any pretensions, and by being just as genuine as they are. Yeah, they're not all like that, and there are those who are sometimes referred to as "mountain mean," and those CAN be very dangerous. But they're the type that'd be renegades no matter where they happened to be. The urbanization up there that has come from their proximity to Atlanta has helped them prosper, but they still have their own culture, and aren't too tickled by interlopers who settle there for "vacation" and "weekend" homes. Whenever I'm up there, my wife wants to go to the shops and get glittery stuff, while all I want to do is simply walk out in those wonderful wooded hills and communicate with the spirits that so permeate the whole area. A sunrise up in the Smokies is an awe inspiring and very spiritual experience, and they get that every single day! No wonder they seem to walk so closely with God!

Thanks for a great verse, RL, and one that inspires many offshoots, like mine. When I come back and read it again, I'll be reminded of something else. That's one of the reasons that the Bible, and most of the words in it, can be so awesomely filling and illustrative of so many things, even in one short passage like this. Thanks. Things like this matter.