[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. - P44
[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. - P45
Paul tells believers to accept those whose faith is weak without passing judg-ment on them. Some eat everything, others eat only vegetables, but Godaccepts both. Each person should be fully convinced in their own mind.
Whether living or dying, they belong to the Lord. Each will give an accountof themselves to God. - P45
Paul addresses two groups-the weak and the strong. He instructs thestrong to accept and not quarrel with those who continue to observe tradi-tional Jewish rules and refrain from eating certain foods. As for the weak,
Paul urges them not to show contempt or judge others for eating whateverfood they want. People may live out their faith differently, but those whoare sincerely trying to honor God are offering their worship and thanks toHim. - P46
We may not always agree with one another, but in God‘s wisdom, wecan respect everyone in the body of Christ and live up to our calling to loveone another, letting our commonality in Christ be our foundational bond. - P46
Ultimately, Christians belong to the Lord, and we are to live and die formay beHim. We are not to judge our fellow brothers and sisters. Theretimes when it is necessary to confront fellow Christians for their sins, butwe are not to treat them with contempt. - P46
We are to love and encourage oneanother as we live for the Lord because, one day, we will all stand beforethe judgment seat of God. He will act as judge as we give an account ofhow we lived. - P46
We can remain secure about what we will say to God whenwe continue to remain focused on loving others and living for His glory. - P46
Dear God, You are the true Judge. When I give an account before You, I want it to showhow much I loved Your people and lived for Your glory. Help me to demonstrate Yourlove and grace. In Jesus‘ name I pray, amen. - P47
15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of whatyou eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by youreating destroy someone for whom Christ died.
15 And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love ifyou eat it. Don‘t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. - P48
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leadsto peace and to mutual edification.
19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. - P49
Paul tells believers not to judge one another and to avoid putting stumblingblocks in others‘ way. Nothing is unclean in itself, but if someone regardssomething as unclean, then it is unclean for them. Believers are to act inlove, pursue peace, and not destroy God‘s work over food. Whatever is notfrom faith is sin. - P49
There are some believers in the Roman church who think that certain foods are unclean. Paul knows that no food is unclean in itself, but he instructs those who are stronger in their faith to still be considerate and not cause distress by eating whatever they like in front of those who are careful in their eating habits. - P50
Sometimes, we may be strong in our faith and knowledgeable about Scripture yet still put a stumbling block in the way of other Christians by causing them distress through our words or actions. Let us remember that acting in love, especially in front of less knowledgeable Christians, is what is most important; it fosters the righteousness, peace, and joy of the kingdom of God. - P50
Paul encourages the believers to pursue peace and edification and to notdestroy the work of God by causing others to stumble. If they know thatall food is clean, they should keep it between themselves and God and noteat or drink in the presence of those who do not share that belief. If theyhave doubts about whether certain foods are unclean, then partaking ofsuch foods would be sinful because they are not acting in accordance withtheir faith. - P50
We are called to make every effort to do what leads to peace andmutual edification. May we become wiser in knowledge and love deeper aswe participate in the work of our Lord. - P50
In today‘s passage, Paul exhorts the believers in the Roman church to stopjudging others and, instead, act in love. They are encouraged to extendgrace to one another and avoid causing distress to their fellow Christianswith their words and actions. This is not only Paul‘s desire but also God‘s.
His design is for His people to walk together in harmony, acting in love,
grace, and forgiveness toward one another.
- P51
As I meditated on this passage, I felt a sting in my own heart. I rememberedthat I was holding a grudge. I had been judging someone and measuringtheir actions against my own standards. Though I knew this was sinful,
it was not easy for me to change. When I finally surrendered to God andconfessed my sin, He opened my eyes to see that this person was actuallyhelpful for me. The other person‘s perspective was helping me grow. Now,
my attitude has completely changed. I do not focus on judging the otherperson, and I have learned to embrace our differences. - P51
Dear God, I confess that I sometimes judge others for holding beliefs that are different from mine. Help me know what truly matters to You. May I pursue peace and act in love to build up the community and bring honor to You. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P54
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