STAYING IN OUR LANE
SEPTEMBER
27, 2023
Romans 14:1-13
14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for 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 sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? 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 acknowledge God.’”
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves 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 the way of a brother or sister.
You see, I believe that when we get those roles mixed up is when we as the community of Jesus lose our way. When human agents try to take on the role of God, or the Holy Spirit, is when the message of Jesus and the plan of God can become very distorted. God has said to us “Judge not”, Jesus taught us that an aspect of the Holy Spirit's work was to convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. (John 14:16) I have never witnessed a person judged into the Kingdom of God. Someone who, after being shamed or put in their place for a choice that decided to take a step of faith or to repent. Fact is I have heard many stories of people who embraced Jesus and became a devoted follower, but I have never heard or read of an individual who repented or turned toward Jesus, because some human agent tried to convict them on their own. Yes, I have witnessed people being convicted THROUGH the power of God’s Word, after the Holy Spirit had been moving in their hearts, their response was not the result of the power of some human effort.
The reality is, however, I have witnessed lives changed through the power of love. I believe that is the greatest power Jesus has given us as his followers. LOVE to share.
In Romans 14:1, Paul writes, "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters." Now, acceptance isn’t saying the other person doesn’t have room to grow. Instead, it shows a level of humility, an understanding that God chose to accept you with all your flaws and weaknesses, just as he will accept all people who come to him. Think of it like this, if you were being confronted or challenged, how would you want someone to address you? Time and time again, story after story, testimonies abound of how our acts of love and acceptance of family members, friends, neighbors, and strangers have softened even the hardest heart.
In our interactions with others, Paul challenges us to ask the question “God, Where have you called me to speak the truth in love today? Who would benefit from knowing they are seen, heard, and accepted?”
Where can we let go, and let God and the Holy Spirit do what they do best?
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