Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another
14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Do Not Cause Another to Stumble
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (ESV)
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
God is the ultimate judge and ruler. Only He has the authority to judge others (and ourselves), so why would we try and do his job? It is so hard not to judge people though. I know for me, I judge people sometimes not even conciously, and then I look back on that time and I realize how I wrongly judged this person. It’s wrong for us to judge anyone, any bit because we are flawed and sinful too. How can the guilty judge the guilty? They can’t. That’s why God can, because he is perfect and holy and NOT flawed or guilty of anything. Praise be to the Ultimate Judge!!!
Maranatha!!!
ELLO… I read
I like verse 6,”The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.”
I like this verse because it says that we are to do everything for the honor of the LORD. If I eat then I am to do it for the LORD I am to do everything for HIM. Some may think that this is wrong and pointless but it is not because it makes perfect sense. GOD made us and died for us we are meant to bring HIM glory in all that we do. I need to make sure that I do everything with a motivation to please GOD and not myself.
CYA
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
This verse is so powerful! Everyday after becoming a Christian, we are solely the Lords. This world and the things in it should not cause us to compromise our faith. The first part of this verse can sometimes be a little hard. Even if we aren’t at church, small groups, or something related to those, we can’t hide our Christianity! There are no alter egos for our faith, but it should always be shining like stars for others to see the Lord and glorify Him! We are being watched and its important not to be hindrances, or stumbling blocks to other people. 2 Corinthians 6:3 describes this perfectly:
“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.”
If we as Christians are taking part in sexual or crude jokes, humor, and behavior; cussing or anything else that is from this world, its putting a thought into people that being a Christian can be just like a normal sin-filled life with the benefit of eternal life! This is so wrong! We need to live above reproach everyday until we die where we will actually be gaining because we will be with the Lord for eternity, worshiping Him forever!!!!!
You’re a good example of this to others Derek! Great job on your Eagle project this weekend!
Ro 14:8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
Always focus on Christ and what He wants and commands! Everything works out that way! Have a great day back at school and pray for God to open a door to share the gospel today!
This chapter really opens my eyes and heart to seeing the emphasis God places on us loving others above ourselves. It is my tendency to pick things apart–I have an analytical brain, which is great…right up until it spills over into me picking PEOPLE apart. Specifically Christians. What a great reminder to stay humble and faithful in subordinating myself to others for Christ’s sake. It’s easier to be in the spotlight and KNOW you’re in the spotlight and being watched. You’re on guard and deliberate in how you execute every thought. But it’s the LITTLE things that reveal our Christian character, the everyday goings-on of life…
:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
I wish I had known this verse before!!!! I remember a conversation the other day with a girl who was “weak in faith” and she was very opinionated on what a sin was. My friends tried nicely to tell her what was right but she just backed away further. Now she claims to have “lost the faith” and she doesn’t go to church anymore. It’s sad and I pray for her. She is starting to go to another church again and she is liking it so hopefully God will open her eyes and she will have a real faith that never leaves her. If you guys could pray with me for this girl that would be great. :D MARANATHA!
I’ll be praying for her Bethany!
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
Paul shows that all that matters to him in life is the Lord, and he commands the same of all other Christians as he writes to the Romans. He is saying that if one lives, he needs to live for God, and if he dies, he dies to God. No matter what someone is doing, whether in life or in death, they need to be doing it for God. Christians belong to God, having been bought from the bondage of slavery to sin, but now being set free to live as slaves of God (ironic, but true.) And so there can’t be part-time Christianity. As Derek said about the campus lunch last week, there are no alter egos for our faith. Christians can’t be hiding their faith because they are scared, but instead they must live full-time for Jesus as they rep his name unashamed! And as the verse was talking about, no mater what we do, as Christians, everything is to the Lord. 1 Cortinthians 10:31 says,”So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”. Because as a Christian my life is a living sacrifice, I must honor and glorify God with every single thing that I do. Even to death, everything that I do I do to the Lord, and so in everything that I do, I need to be striving to glorify God through it! No matter what I do, I am the Lord’s, and no matter what the circumstances are, I need to be honoring him with my life, with everything that I do!
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
I liked this verse a lot personally because; It reminded me that I am always Gods doulos, what a great privilege to be a slave of the creator of everything and the one who knows our every need. God is always good and I need to live like I am ready to die for him at any minute of the day. Because in reality that could happen. I am proud to be a slave of God!
.:MARANATHA:.
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
“Can’t we all just get along…” I’ve heard that before and for the most part I agree with it. When it comes to disputable matters, I shouldn’t pass judgment. And whatever I do I should do it to support peace, and not to put a stumbling block in front of another person. I should live at peace, as far as I can control it (which most of time I can).
No more judging on disputable matters… (:
For God’s glory!
Pray for Mady Adler…she is preaching @ the SC True North Christian Club today during lunch :)
Good Morning!!!!
11 “for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Now that is a powerful statement. Just think that Jesus was a simple man (but actually GOD) living in a small town in Bethlehem growing up as a carpenter. And everybody in the world will bow down to HIM in fear and love. And to HIS father everyone will ask for forgiveness from for their sins. How awesome is that. Our LORD is so powerful that everyone in the world will at some point have to bow down and give him homage. And to think that THE FATHER can literally take your sins away, forgive you carry those sins away as far as the east is from the west.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
We need to live everyday like we are going to die the next! The cool thing is no matter where we are- Heaven and Earth- we should be a servant to the Lord!!
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Judging others is the same thing as gossiping. I always think, why do we gossip? We don’t have any right to judge other sinners. We should work on building each other up and not tearing them down. This reminds me of Matthew 7:3 when it talks about looking at the speck in someone else’s eye and not seeing the plank in your own. I need to always remember that no one has the right to judge anyone on this earth except for God.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH I LOVE YOU!!
Thank you, Jenna! You are so sweet! Keep up the great comments on SOTD!
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Notice how Paul is reminding the Romans that EACH one of them will have to stand before God one day to give an account of his life. Yes, even Christians will have to give an account before God. While we will not be condemned and receive a punishment for our sins because Christ paid the penalty for all of them on the cross, we will be held accountable for what we did to serve Christ while we were on earth. This judgement is called the Bema Seat judgement and is discussed in 2 Corinthians 5:9-11. It is not a judgement of a Christian’s sin, but of his service. We must live in light of the truth that one day we will have to stand before God and review all the good and bad things we did since our conversion. God, in His graciousness. will give us a reward for all the good we did for His kingdom while on earth. I was able to hear an incredible teaching about the Bema Seat judgement at the Prophecy Conference last weekend. The pastor, Philip DeCourcy said something that really stood out to me, “God doesn’t judge our life by its cover, but by its fine print.” He meant that we will be stripped down bare to the core, all pretense gone. It won’t only matter what we did for God, but what the sincerity of our actions and motives were. Wow, that really convicted me! My prayer is that I would be constantly focused on the fact that I will stand before God one day and I am striving to do everything for His glory and not for my own!
This verse stood out to me too.
Happy Birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =D
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!<3
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God
I love this verse. It is telling me that if I am a Christian I should be honoring the Lord in everything I do. Whether it is eating or doing schoolwork!! I should be living every second of my life to glorify him!!!
22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
Much of this chapter addresses how we should act towards the non-essentials (i.e. things not specifically or implicitly addressed in Scripture). Paul tells us that we should not be judgemental about what others are doing and think that everybody has to act exactly like us or else they’re in sin. Each of us should act on our convictions and do what we do to the Lord. We should also show grace towards others as they do things differently.
However, just because I feel a certain way on an issue, doesn’t mean that is o.k. If I approve of something that I shouldn’t (because it is addressd in Scripture or I violate my consciouss) I am passing judgement on myself. This means I need to know the Scripture (i.e. read and study the Bible) and how to apply it to everyday situations and faithfully act on my convictions.
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Wow! I feel like this chapter hit me hard. I feel as if I judge others too much. Like when evangelizing, I remember 2 girls asking me if they looked like demons or nonchristians. Of coarse I said no(because thats not at all what I was thinking when we went up to them), but people get offended easily when we ask if they are saved or know Jesus. But I think about it now and realize that when we do go up to people at the spec that we sort of expect people not to know Jesus(well at least I do). I need to stop. Please pray that my judgement is of myself and not others. God is the judge, not me. When I point the finger, I get two pointing back at me.
I need to be more like Christ! :]
***Praise the LORD!!!***
Traveling to cow country tomorrow (Nebraska) GO BIG RED!!! =D
Please pray for safty and that the plane doesn’t have too bad of turbulence :]
Praying for CAMPUS LUNCHES!!! Good Luck you guys!!!
ohhh nice. i hope you have a great time traveling:)
i will be praying!
Definitely praying you have a safe trip Payt!! Love you!!
15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
This is a reminder to always have beneficial speech and actions around everyone, including my fellow servants of God. The only thing I can rebuke them about is sin. Anything else is pointless and is not ‘walking in love’. I want to always be a servant for my brothers and sisters in Christ, not hurt them or make them stumble. Christ died for them- I need to step up my level of service to them as a follower of this same Christ!
Human judgment hinders me from loving people and leads to sin (pride, gossip,etc.) So here it is talking about how judging others will be a stumbling block to others. I shouldn’t let my personal opinion about things like food cause divisions in the body of Christ.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
mhmm. If we live then we live to God. If I die then that’s great because I die to the Lord and get to live with Him forever. Death is just the beginning of eternal life. So Paul is saying that if we live or die, we still belong to God. No matter what I am His only, and want to devote my life to Him. While living my sole purpose is to do His will until the day I fall facedown. I wonder if he is talking about physical death or literal death (being dead to sin).??
Hey jasmine just wanted to say that I could relate to the beginning if you post and that you worded it in a better way I would have =] as far as your question goes I’m unsure but all around good post jasmine!
I love these few verses….
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
It just lays it out for us…. I feel like Romans doesn’t sugar coat anything…. Back in chapter 12 of Romans, I was commenting on the idea of how we deliberately go against the Lords guidelines in order to fulfill our fleshes desire…. We all know that we will have to give an account as this verse tells us for what we have done…and why would we go and sin when we know this idea. I can so easily forget this and I bet if I kept this in the forefront in my mind I not act or say a lot of the things I do….
and continues..
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Love this too! Great reminder that we must never do anything that might “stumble” someone else…..We must always, as Christians, resembling Christ!! Always being a good example!!
Thank you Lord for your Word!!:D
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
Whatever my actions, they need to serve Christ and bring glory to God’s name. That means making sure I don’t send other Christians wrong messages by doing something (even if it’s not sinful according to the Bible and doesn’t violate my own conscience) that may prove a stumbling block to them. Romans is such a strong reminder that my conduct sends out messages to those around me; my behavior shouldn’t prevent others from drawing closer to Christ–it should help pull them in. I pray that my life will increasingly leave no doubt for others who my Lord and savior is.
“12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. God will separate those who lived lives of sin, and those who lived lives who through Christ’s redemption strived to glorify Him in all things (Matt. 25:33). I need to keep this truth in mind at all times, that I will face God one day and give an account for each of my sins. I’m going to eliminate any sin in my life that constantly tries to bring me down because I fear the dreadful thing of being in the hands of God (Hebrews 10:31).
Maranatha!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
These verses are so important and they really apply to me right now. I feel like Ive been so concerned about someone else and their walk with the Lord that it could be construed as judging them and what they do..which is completely wrong. I need to leave the situation up to God and worry about how my walk with the Lord is doing. And i loveeee verse 11!It gets me stoked out of my mind- I literally cannot wait until everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord- everyone will know the Truth! As for now, i will not judge others and i will focus more on fully glorifying God in all i do!
Maranatha!
i’ll be praying for you and her! ;) <3
thanks girl!it means a lot to me
i want my shirt now!!! jk take ur time. Can you bring it tom. for campus lunch?
21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
We as Christians should always be on our guard. Beware of non-Christians. The more you are around sin the more that you will get use to it and have the desire or instinct to sin. If we continually listen to other people cuss and say things that do not honor God it will be for us to do things that are not God-honoring. When you listen to music with foul lyrics you should remember, what goes in must come out. We must also be on our guard against sinning ourselves. If we sin infront of other Christians it discourages them and makes them sin more. We should always be setting a good example, while being quick to rebuke. If someone were to see you at a secular party then they will automaticly percieve that you are doing what everyone else is doing, with may consist of anything from drinking to drugs.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
MMMMM this is convicting!! Clearly, we have no say in our brothers and sisters spiritual place before God, and we cannot judge. This verse was a magnificent reminder that God is the ultimate judge for all of mankind. All creation will one day recognize him as the only powerful, righteous God. It puts us in our humble places here on this earth to focus on defeating our own sin, and not looking at those of others before ours. My God of creation continues to take my breath away!! Thank you Lord for saving me from the horrible judgement I would have received if I never knew you!!
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God
I think what really stood out in this verse is despising your brother. It convicts me because I don’t like everyone or get along with everyone who is a Christian always. It’s sad to say but some people from church has been telling their friends (who are also friends of my sister) that I’m not that good of a leader. I’m not gonna mention your names.
Another chapter in reguards to judging. This chapter it says if they have weak faith, don’t judge them. Don’t judge someone when they say they’re a Christian and you don’t think so or say you’re not. If I judge or we judge then the non-Christians are gonna think we’re hypocritical.
Hey Brother KJ
What is of real importance is what God thinks of your leadership. He is the only one we need to worry about impressing. Stand Firm brother and keep serving and leading for the Glory of Christ.
Dan
13… but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
we learn from this verse that we are to decide to never put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother in Christ. in fact, these words are reminiscent of Jesus’ words in Luke 17:2: “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” Jesus is telling us here that it would be better for us to be thrown into the sea with a weight on our neck rather than cause any of God’s children to stumble. this is very important because we may be doing something that causes an other Christian to stumble. it may be the things we watch, or the way we act; whatever the case, we need to make sure that we are not sinning, but ALSO making sure that our actions dont cause others to sin. i pray that God would help me apply this verse to my life. i need to be mindful of my thoughts and my actions, and recognize that even if they dont hurt me, they can hurt others. i need to be not just thinking of myself, but putting the body of Christ before me and looking out for them. please help Lord to be more considerate and thoughtful of those around me!
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
What a great verse to be a reminder for us humans! Being in high school im constantly being surrounded by people who do and say awful things! Because im constantly around people like that they have an influence on me. Therefore i need to constantly surround myself with christians; so i will be influenced the right way instead of the wrong way. By doing this i will sin less and therefore i can represent Christ and not be put to shame when i see Him! :)
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
This verse stood out to me because I know I tend to have a problem with judging people, especially in faith.
Which is most definitely not my place to be judging, but I sometimes do fall into that temptation.
But instead of judging others, I should be encouraging them and leading them into the right direction.
Some of my friends claim to be Christians, but don’t lead Christian life styles.
So I try and help them by shining my light for God even more when I’m around them.
And, thankfully, I think I’m helping them realize more of who God is and that Christianity is more than just believing in God.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
Amen!!
I love this verse!
Let us rejoice because we are always the Lords, no matter what!
He is so good to us, and sometimes it’s easy to forget that.
But when we think, “God is good”, your entire situation seems to turn around as you remember how you belong to the Lord and all the promises He will fulfill for you and all the love He has for you.
It’s all in His hands, and for that, I am so thankful :)
11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
I love this verse!!! It is amazing to think that every single person will bow down and realize Jesus is Lord. This just makes me want to spread the word around more because God is not coming back until everyone He has chosen to be saved is saved.
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
This is so important that we do not cause others to stumble in their faith, especially if they are new to the LORD’s children. We must make the effort to be looked upon as blameless before others. Obviously we cannot be perfect but that does not mean we shouldn’t try our hardest. It is imperative that we are above reproach so that we are not all look at as hypocrites.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
This is a great verse because it helps reaffirm the fact that no matter what happens to us we are the LORDS. If we live we are under the LORD’S blessing, and if we die we are under the LORD’S salvation through CHRIST.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
This stuck out to me because so often we judge others and their actions but we should really be judgeing them by their character and faith. The Lord is the lord of all, so we should not look down upon another because of their physical appearance.
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
It is so important that we do not make others fall in faith or discourage them. But that we build them up in the Lord. We might confuse others by the way we act sometimes, but it is so important that we follow the Lord any try to be perfect, even though that is impossible, we still need to be trying to be more like God.
15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
These verses are so relevant to the things I witness in life–it’s so important to not eat what can be harmful to your spiritual relationship with Christ. By obeying God’s commandments, we walk in love…and it hurts to see others who choose to hang out with the wrong crowd, make bad decisions, and fill their minds with anything but Christian love. This verse also implies the idea that our bodies are temples for God, and therefore we should not be harming them (like smoking, doing drugs, gorging, etc.). In order to make sure that what I regard as good is the same as what God regards as good, I will remain in his word and listen to Christian advice before the world’s.
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
We are NOT to judge those who are not “ours” in a sense. It is for God to judge, not us. And though this comment may sound like a broken record compared to everything that we’ve been taught throughout the years, it’s true… :)
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Two things really stood out to me from this verse. One, as a Christian, I need to be doing whatever it takes to live at peace with everyone. Petty arguments and disputes are completely futile and many times, can be avoided. Sometimes I just need to swallow up my pride and not be stubborn, just to keep the peace. I don’t want people to think I am a hypocrite if I’m arguable and not in accord with others. This includes my parents!!! Second thing, ‘mutual upbilding.’ ENCOURAGEMENT! Like Pastor Bobby said in the ‘fervor’ sermon, that when my fervor and fire for Christ shows, I can encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ more. I am so thankful for my True North family and I’m praying that we can all encourage each other to stay in God’s word everyday and to be tending our heart’s fire for Christ!!!
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
I need to live for the Lord seven days a week! There is no room in this verse to check out and live for the world, but in everything I do I need to bring honor to the Lord. No exceptions. At work, I need to bring honor to the Lord, living as an example to my unsaved coworkers. As a friend, I need to bring honor to the Lord, remembering to show them sacrificial love. In my entertainment choices, I need to bring honor to the Lord, remembering that I represent Jesus Christ. In everything I do, I need to bring honor to the Lord!
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
I live in the Lord and He lives in me. If I die I will die and go to Heaven to be with my Lord. No matter what I am the Lords and He will always live in me.
HEY EVERYONE PLEASE PRAY FOR THE BEBOUT FAMILY! THEIR 20 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DIED LAST NIGHT AROUND 8:00 P.M.. tHE DEATHS CAUSE IS UNKNOWN BUT WE NEED TO KEEP THIS FAMILY IN OUR PRAYERS IN THIS VERY HARD HARD TIME. THANKS
i will be praying!<3
yes thanks rebekah! please please please pray for the bebouts!
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
This is a cool verse. It shows me to make sure that I am not doing any thing that do will make a brother or sister stumble in there walk with God. I also should not be judging others because I am not the judge God is and will judge all.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
We are all at fault for believing that things are unjust, and unfair. We judge people and say things about them when the truth is that we don’t know the person. We like to pass our faults, and wrong doing onto those that we envy. If anything it will come back to haunt us in the long run when the day comes that we are in the judgment seat… wouldn’t we rather be able to say that i committed some wrong doing, but i took the credit, and ask for forgiveness, and my sins were then cleared? I would like to be that person. I want to bring honor, and nothing but goodness to the Lord; just as Katie Slusher says, we represent the Lord in everything we do.
That very good Amanda! Yes I think you can be that person anytime. REMEMBER that you cant say hey
i know it is wrong to steal but ill do it anyway and just pray for forgiveness later. I beleive in you and cant
wait for winter revival.
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Just yesterday I was talking to a friend about this very thing. After we die, we will stand before our Holy God and give account for everything that we have done here on earth. When I get there, I want God to be able to say well done, good and faithful servant, because of my obedience to him. It’ll be hard to give an explanation for why I didn’t share the gospel when I had the chance, or stand up for Christ in class, or respect my mother and father daily. I would have NO excuse for it. Because God will ALWAYS provide a way for obedience. He will never make it impossible for us to make the right decision. I love our father so much and I want to pursue holiness daily! I want to honor our father and stand up for him always, even if it’s uncomfortable or if it’s not the “cool” thing to do! Temporary pain is eternal gain! Let’s do it for the Giver of life, who deserves all of our praises!
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
whether we think so or not, we are not our own, we are either slaves of sin, doing the work of the devil, or slaves to God, doing his will. if we are christians then we need to live for the Lord and do what he wants us to do
c u all later
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
I need to humble myself and realize that I am no better than anyone else because we all sin. So we are all equal in the eyes of God in that respect. So, instead of judging them myself, I need to let God do the judging when they see Him. I should also be thinking about the judgement and what I want to be able to tell God about how I lived my life. Maranatha!!
Nicely said, Dominic. So many people are quick to quote “do not judge,” but we are constantly called to “judge” in a non-condemning way. The context in which we are not to judge is one where we are often hypocritical & judge those who commit the same sins we do. In this respect, Dominic, you’re humility is appropriate–we do all sin & should be careful to hypocritically point out others’ faults; but when necessary, we are called to confront lovingly.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
It’s not my job to judge other people. And it’s not ok for me to despise anyone. Judging someone else is just hypocritical, because i’m not perfect either. We all stand before God’s judgement, me included, so i have no right to think i’m better than anyone else. And i should not hate or despise anyone else. I should focus on my flaws and fixing them, instead of pointing out other’s.
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
even though we may not think it will ever happen..every single knee WILL bow before the Lord. we will all be before God one day and it is convicting for me because ive thought about this before, but it seems like it wont ever happen..even though i know it will. its just gunna be a very very amazing moment before God.
The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. we need to bring glory to God in everything we do even eating food. i need to work on glorifying God
11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
This verse is so awesome. One day every knee shall bow down to the Lord no matter what their beliefs on this earth were. One day everybody will know that there is a God. This verse just gets me so excited for the day that I will get to see the Lord and bow down before Him. I pray Marantha so that I may see the Lord as soon as I possibly can.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
God amde us all and we are all his. We need to livee for him always and devote our lives to himmm becausee he has givenn uss the giftt of life and the oppourtunity of eternal life.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
God amde us all and we are all his. We need to livee for him always and devote our lives to himmm becausee he has givenn uss the giftt of life and the oppourtunity of eternal life. :D
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
God is the potter and I am the clay! He created me, therefore, I am his and he is in control of my life. Because of what God went through on the cross, I want to live my life glorifying the Lord and obeying his commands! No matter what, I am god’s and it is his will to do whatever he pleases to do. It amazes me how huge God is and all the things he can do! He is just so good ALL the time, and I am so thankful for that! This verse is so motivating to me, because it encourages me to do everything for God since I am his! I know the things he wants me to do, and I want to make sure I am on track and carrying his will! All glory be to God!!!! Be glory and honor and praise!!!!
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
I like this verse because it reminds me to do everything–even little things like eat or drink–in honor of the Lord. I need to be thinking about Him in every single thing I do.
Yeah we definitely don’t want another brother or sister in Christ to stumble because of what we did. We need a spiritual fervor that reflects Christ in our lives so it will encourage our brothers and sisters.
i love your first sentence! its sooo true! :)
uterly amazing!! AMEN! (:
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
I really like this verse. It is so great because it reminds me that we are not here to judge our brothers or sisters in Christ, but to help and encourage them. It is God’s job to judge them. We should hold our fellow Christian”s accountable, but we should not judge them. This verse reminds me that there is a difference between the two. It reminds me that when I am looking for someone to hold me accountable, I should choose someone who will not judge me but will keep me accountable with a just mind.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
This verse really stood out to me because no matter if we are here living on earth or if we are in Heaven face to face with Him, we belong to the Lord. He died and rose again just so that our sins would be forgotten. That is amazing!!
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
I love this verse!!! It reminds me that we shall not judge anyone, no matter who it is. It is so easy for us to compromise and to live like the world. Its the easy way out. But we need to be strong in the Lord and love our brothers as well as our enimies.
AMEN!!! it is so encouraging to see you on here summmmmmmm (:
Verse eight is amazing. Knowing that we belong to someone on earth and in heaven, and that someone is the Lord!! ahhhh amazing (:
awesome comment <3 i agree with Jordan! love you both
praise the Lord for his Word!
16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
some people get offended when the words “Jesus Christ” is heard within their vicinity. others get offensive talking about Christ to other people. desipte situations like that, I need to stay “hard with a soft shell” when evangelizing; cuz usually I get all shy or I tend to go all out, habits that I need to control.
The more I think about this the more I feel convicted about my sin. I often notice the way people from another church act and I judge them and think they are wrong because they believe in different things than Compass or practice other things, but Paul says this is not good! We are to love each other and be unified under Christ, not our own denominations! In the end all that will really mater is where we stand with Christ and not little doctrinal issues that denominations sometimes bicker over. God the perfect Judge will judge…but in the mean time I am going to love other Christians and refrain from giving them an opportunity to stumble.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
I love this verse! No matter what I am God’s because my life is devoted to Him, and if I die i go to live with Him for eternity! Nothing can separate me from my Lord and Redeemer, and it’s all because of Jesus!
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
This is such a great reminder of what is important. We are not to be concerned with others and what they do, but to pursue peace with all men and I love this.. a mutual upbuilding. If I was to focus on this as a goal each day, instead of myself i know the kingdom of God would be advanced. Christ is the greatest example of this. I pray that I will stop dwelling on myself and my issues and concentrate on building others up in the Lord.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s
This reminds me of a great verse, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.”(Philippians 1:21) Christ should be our lives and if he is not, we need to repent of that and make him the stronghold of our life. God should always be our first love, and if we have lost our first love, we need to make ourselves right with God and repent. I pray that we all would have our first love with God and not the things of this world; and that we all would live our lives according to Philippians 1:21!!
I am loving reading the book of Romans, it is teaching me so much, and reminding me of so much. I am really putting things into perspective. 12 As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.” THis is such an encouraging verse, to know that the entire world will be bowing down to my lord and savior. that is awesome!!!!!!!
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
I need to be living a life above reproach, so that noone can boast. I want to be building others up and encouraging them, not judging and stumbling my brother.
After talking at the campus lunch today on having no excuse, that the Lord is evident in creation, it really got me thinking how amazingly glorious and wonderful the Lord is. His creation, everything he has given us, the beach waves sand, moon rain sun, all of it works together so perfectly, and i am so thankful that he given me this wonderful earth to live on while i serve him! (:
I read…
Verse 11… “for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.’”
As a Christian, we should be awaiting this moment with anticipation; we will see God face to face and be able to praise Him while seeing Him. I cannot wait for this day because I will never sin again and I will be with God and always be glorifying to Him. In anticipation of this moment, I want to prepare myself by working for the Lord in this life, in whatever circumstance He presents to me.
I was kind of confused with this chapter, but Im pretty sure I got the main point out of it. God is the ONLY judge, and no one else! None of us here on earth have the right to judge, but only to be judged! I need to remember this when I make rash judgements on people, or if I dont like what they are doing. God will judge everyone one day, and he did not place me here on earth to do so! I need to continue to serve him, and striving for holiness because I know one day I will be judged too
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
I love the last sentence of this verse. One day we will all stand before God and have to give an account of everything we have done…man that scares me! There has lately been a specific sin I have been struggling with, and it is so convicting to me knowing God is one day gunna be like “gurrl paaleeze?? what was going on here?” and I am going to have to answer! The sin in my life is gotta stop, and I need to replace it with things that God is going to be proud of me for!
I will keep you in prayer, Morg. Thanks for your honesty about this…
For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
These verses stuck out to me because I know that whatever I do needs to be done for the Lord. In the way I live my life, in what I do each day and night, in how I talk to others, in how I do my homeword, ect., I know that I am the Lord’s and need to live my life for Him. 24/7. God is my Lord and I need to be in his word and in prayer to him and striving toward the goal. I can’t wait till I will be with my Lord! MARANATHA!!
This chapter really caused me to reflect on how my behaviors and actions may or may not be causing other people to drift or become closer to GOd. Not only do my actions harm my reltionship with god but they may cause others to fall away from his as well. This choter just made me think that I shoul pay extra attention to what I am doing, if it is a “good (or godly) decision, and if it will either benefit or harm others in some aspect
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
If everyone knew the power of the Lord and were scared of judgement day. Though we are all born sinners there is no reason that we can all at least try to be truthful. I know that ive been working on it and most of you guys out there are too. We are some day going to face God and go over our sins that we have done in our life. But, there is a bright side that we have been forgiven and that our gift of enternal life will be greater than anything that has happen to us on earth. I cant wait for winter revival.
3 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
We should never be the cause of someone else’s sin. God takes sin so seriously that we should never be ones to distance others in their relationship with God by causing them to sin. I need to always make sure that this is not the case with my life. We need to be uplifting each other, not causing one another to stumble.
like Rebekah said, please pray for Kelsey Bebout and their family!!! shes a really close friend of mine and her older sister died yesterday, and their family is having a really hard time and need prayers!
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.—These verses remind me that whatever I do I need to do for the LORD!! God is good all the time, all the time God is good! He has blessed me with so much that I need to give everything to him and do everything serving him. All of my work and accomplishments need to be done in honor and glory of him. If I am on God’s team that means I am no longer working for myself, I have clocked in to working full-time for Jesus! I need to make sure that my main focus and motivation is on the LORD!! I need to be thinking that even though I do not like school work or going to school I need to be doing it for the glory of the LORD. God has given me the ability to learn and I should use it because it is a great gift and I can use my school to evangelize especially because a lot of kids there do not know the LORD!! Thank you LORD for everything you have given me and I pray that I can use it all to bring praise to you!!1
MARANATHA!!!!
stoked for REVIVAL WINTER EDITION!!!
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Great Scripture!
I like this verse, it really brings home the point that as a Christian I need to glorify God and have peace with others. It also explains and reinstates the “love your neighbor” commandment from yesterdays scripture. That we need to love the people that we hate in order to bring them to God!
14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
In a way all the divisions of Christianity make me sad… it seems like people who felt their convictions so strongly that they came to the point of saying all others were wrong… and that’s exactly what this chapter says not to do! It also says that we need to be conscientious and considerate about others and what tempts them- let’s be thinking ahead and making the walk easier for our brothers and sisters in Christ!
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
We must live for God and do as he every day so we can DIE for the God because we are rightfully his and he created us. He put us in this world he can take us out.
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
The things that we choose to do have huge consequences. Not only will we one day stand before the Throne and give an account of everything we have ever done or thought, but we will also be held responsible for the example we set for others. This chapter is how about as Christians, we cannot let small issues get in the way of our fellowship as believers, but the second half is more specific as to how we are to avoid activities that may stumble other Christians. Even if we are not in sin, we may cause fellow believers to go against what they feel is right; this should not be. Rather, we need to help and encourage them in what they believe, so that we can mutually encourage one another as we grow in the Lord. And if we cause them to stumble due to sin in our lives, we will certainly have to stand before Christ and give an account of that. This promise of coming judgement is a motivation for me to make sure that I am doing everything I can to live a holy life and to encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, rather than stumbling them.
\8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
THis verse is rather legit i must say!!! Whether we live or die we need to be living and dieng for God! This verse just really encompasses our whole lives!! When we are liveing we need to be doing so for God. And if we are dying do it for God too!!! That just puts a really good mindset into my mind personally, that whatever i do i need to make sure that i am doing it for God and His glory alone!!!
16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
I see and hear many people put down Christianity and Jesus Christ everyday. When i see this happen i muster the courage to confront the person ask why they beilieve that. I belive as Christians that we need to stand up for what we believe in. I hope and pray that God gives me the strength to be strong and not sit idle as people put down Jesus and he also gives me the strength to convert them to followers of Jesus Christ
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God
This verse is convicting to me personally, because sometimes I struggle with judging my fellow men. In reality, we are all–every one–equally under sin and thus, deserving of God’s justice. It is God’s place to judge men, not mine. Instead of examining, pointing out, and magnifying the faults and differences of others, God wants me to humbly serve, realizing that I am a sinner myself. God, please give me the humility to realize my own sinfulness and weakness (rather than that of other people), recognize your amazing mercy towards me (and my incredible need for it), and to respond by being a servant with a humble heart (first to You, then to others).
This chapter of Romans made me think of bringing people to God in another way because if they feel judged on it may push them away because they feel uncomfortable in the situation. That is why I picked this verse
19) So then let us persue what makes for peace and for mutual upbringing.
I feel if you are always kind to someone regardless of belief they would be more likely to want to follow you and join you in the peace of joy that God can bring. So just continue to not pass judgement on one another because we want to strive for spiritual peace :)
14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
This is so important and something I struggle with! I like to argue about opinions…but that is not a good thing and most of the time causes problems. Of course I think I’m right…everyone thinks they are right…but something I need to ask myself is what they think contrary to the gospel? Will their opinion keep them from being saved? That is what is important. There are some hills to die on and there are other hills where it is either opinion or a matter of preference. I pray that God gives me wisdom so I can distinguish the two.
13… but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Every person is special…we have learned that ever since the good ol’ Barney days… People like different types of food, music (even though I still don’t understand how people listen to country), books, and entertainment. This obviously leads us to the realization that not everyone struggles with the same sin. That means I might not struggle with the same stuff that my friend is struggleing with so when I say hey lets go do something that might tempt you to sin but not me…that would be a mistake on my part. As much as we do not want to sin ourselves, we should not want others to sin…especially our Christian brothers. So we should pay attention to the areas that our friends struggle with and be sensitive to them and work to keep our friends away from sin…
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
A lot of what this chapter talks about really boils down to selfishness. I need to realize that my life is no longer about me; it’s about the Lord! This concept gets serious when I think about what it says in verse 20. If we are selfish and insist on having things our own way, we can destroy the work of the Lord.
I do not want to hinder the work of the Lord with my selfishness!
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Accountability. This is an important concept in the Christian life. We will be held accountable by Jesus Christ for what we have done at the end of our lives. This is why it is great to have other Christians who can hold us accountable now. It reminds us not to sin so that we won’t have to give an account for what we have done. This is why it is so important that we encourage one another!
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Too many times have I been caught looking down at a non Christian. It is not my place to judge, that job rest alone on my Holy Father. My place is given by that judge, to be used as a tool, to save those who are condemned, to show them the compassion of the Lord so that they needn’t feel His judgement.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
These are some of the most convicting verses in the bible. We have gotten soo used to judging people that we think its okay! I always feel like I’m getting caught red-handed doing something wrong, because I am! To try and hide something from God is impossible, yet I try so hard to hide things from my parents. I need to keep myself loyal to God and make sure that I hide nothing from anyone and keep an increasing pattern of Godliness!!
____________________________________________________________________________________
Unashamed. It’s that simple.
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
It’s interesting how many ways people can disagree with things. Just our eating could make others view us as evil! We need to be a shining light to all the world, building other Christians up with our actions not tearing them down. If a christian finds our character disrespectful, we should be loving enough to change it while we are around them, even if we know that there is nothing wrong with our actions.
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
As Christians we will not get judged for our sin, but we will be judged for our service or our works. I pray that God will allow me to have the right motives when I am serving him. I pray that I would want to obey and follow Jesus Christ out of love and gratitude. Not duty and obligation. Lord please give me this desire 24/7.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
I love these verses!! I am a girl and i am a sinner, so i gossip and sometimes judge others. I have gotten much better at not judging others because i mean what is the point of judging people and making fun of them? It is a sin, and judgement is a job that should ONLY be for God! Everyone will sit in the judgement seat before entering Heaven, so why should i judge people? It is pointless and i will make it my goal to completely stop the gossip and judgement! I love verse 11! Every knee will bow down to the Lord and every tongue will confess to God! That will be awesome and i cannot wait. In that judgement seat, i pray that it will be the shortest conversation between me and God! He knows every single thought, action, word out of your mouth, HE KNOWS EVERYTHING and i will have to go through the judgement of God but hopefully it will be short. I will also make that my goal, that i will follow the commandments and laws of the Lord and not be hypocritical!
21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
This verse is super important. Everything I do should be glorifying, God for one, but when I am interacting with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I need to make sure everything I do is building them up, that I am helping them grow in their faith as well. Christ says we need to show love to everyone, and that of course includes fellow believers. 1 John 1:5 says that if I love the father, I then love everyone who is saved as well, so I need to make sure I am never not showing love to fellow believers, as well as love to everyone, even non-believers. It should be that much simpler to always show to love to the people on the same team as me! If I ever find myself doing this, I need to make sure I get rid of it immediately!
MARANATHA!!!
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
This verse really stood out to me and got me thinking about what it means to honor someone, to give them respect, to worship them. I want my life to honor the Lord in even the little things like eating and this verse is a great reminder of that. Even using the word “Lord” instead of saying God is indicative of showing the position that God should have in our lives; He is Lord of our lives. It is interesting too that the phrase “and gives thanks to God” is tagged on the end. It is almost like Paul is reminding the readers that part of showing honor is thanksgiving. In all that we do, may we honor the Lord.
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Peace in the church is so important, how confusing if the world sees Christians arguing and working against one another. I can see how elevating my own opinions or tearing others down instead of building them up is not seeking peace. Romans 12:18 comes to mind, it says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” I definitely want to do all I can to be at peace and building up my brothers and sisters in Christ, a few ways I can do that better is by praying more specifically for others and also being patient and bearing with them in love.
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
God is the only one that should judge people!!!! Because he is perfect!!!! The LORD is the only one who can judge with a guilt free consience and not worrying about any sins he committed!!! To many times I find myself pointing out some little faults in people, whether big or small, however I cannot and should not judge others, for I am also a sinner!!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
“For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
We must drop our old desires and hopes, and instead put our faith in Jesus Christ for our satisfaction. We have to stop living in the way of sin, and instead live in righteousness, so that instead of living for ourselves we can live for God, who will eventually see us and say, “well done, my good and faithful servant.” :- )
23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
I just thought that the last line of this verse was pretty impacting. It makes me think over the motives of my actions – if they are not from faith they are sin. Are all the deeds I do out of a purpose to bring God praise. If I eat or do school work or whatever else, is it something that I do to the LORD. Or instead do I do things to please myself and relax a bit, thinking I can get back to serving the LORD after a break. This is what 24/7 Christianity is all about – doing everything out of a motive to serve the LORD. LORD, I know that there are a lot of actions in my day that aren’t necessarily praying or reading the Bible (like eating) – but, LORD, please help none of my actions ever to be purposed in self-pleasure or anything else. No matter what I am doing, please help me always be looking to serve and rejoice for you. For even though you have blessed me with enjoyable things, please help me not to use them for self-pleasure but rather in all things seek to bring you glory.
Romans 14
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Christians can often become prideful and judgmental of fellow believers.
Matt 7:3-5 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
This is a very subtle sin that affects so many who profess to be followers of Christ. Judging other believers can quickly turn into gossiping about that person. The only benefit to judging others is to boost one’s self esteem. We know that gossip is a sin against God but so many Christians try to legitimize it thinking that there talking to others about it is somehow helping the person being gossiped about. If we do these things we are conforming to the ways of the world. In High School gossip and judgment are a norm. We will all stand before the judgment seat of God and give account to the things that we said and did. Students are constantly breaking each other down due to their lack of self esteem. I pray that True North is a place that is free from such sin and focuses on building each other up in the love of Christ.
BRING THE FIRE!!! REVIVAL WINTER EDITION 2010
23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
This is a really intense verse. It’s saying that if I do something and I’m not sure whether it is sin or not, it *is* sin! Sometimes I observe this occurring in my life and I need to make sure that it stops right now!
For a lot of people, a complaint about Christianity is that we have so many different perspectives in the theology, and we all claim ours is the right one. But we know that the correct perspective is God’s perspective. And we need to humble ourselves enough and get over some of the minor conflicts people have over the faith. This chapter is a great reminder for that. What matters is the gospel and how we get saved. The rest of our questions will be answered by God in heaven.