Romans 14
“1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
I would encourage everyone receiving this devotion to not only read Romans 14 but to diligently study Romans 14. It has become apparent the past few years, there are those who want to claim this chapter as their rallying cry to what they call “Christian Liberty”. However, after much consideration of what is written here and after a little study, one should clearly see the Apostle Paul was not giving liberty to sin or to observe false holy days, but rather this was another teaching on the difference in Grace and following the Law.
In most of Paul's writings he taught much on the issue of the Jews trying to force the Old Testament holy days God had given them in the Law on the Gentile believers in the early churches. A careful study of the Apostle Paul's ministry will bring out this very issue. Paul wrote multiple times on how the Jewish believers in the churches were trying to force physical circumcision as a requirement for salvation and church membership on the Gentiles who had never been under the Law. Paul wrote multiple times on how the Jews believed the churches should be observing the feast days taught in the Law and that is what he was addressing in Romans 14.
The Gentile members of the early churches did not see a necessity to observe the feast days of the Law because of two reasons 1. Those feast days did not apply to any peoples outside of the Nation of Israel. 2. The Gentiles understood Jesus had come and fulfilled those feast days during His Earthly Ministry and with His death, burial, and resurrection.
The Jewish members understood the Gospel of Jesus Christ but remember, they had been taught in the Law those feast were to be observed for ever by the Nation of Israel. The problem was they were no longer members of the Nation of Israel but were now full fledged members of the Bride of Christ. So according to Paul this made the Jewish members weaker in the faith and this was the reason Paul taught so much on the differences in the Law and in Grace. The Jews were seeking after a sign but the Gentiles understood by faith.
At the same time Paul never tells the Jews not to observe the former holy days of the Law but rather tells them to stop trying to force those days on the Gentile members. Also, Paul was teaching both sides to show grace and mercy to each other in the matter.
The whole jest of what I am writing of today is this; Paul never approved of observing holy days from the Gentiles' former religions. Remember, the Gentiles had been steeped in paganism and false god worship before the Lord saved them by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, there are those today who will proclaim every year at this time we have “liberty” as Christians to observe that which God clearly teaches against from Genesis to Revelation. There is so much false doctrine surrounding the so called “Christian” holidays God cannot be honored nor pleased with His people following after such.
In closing, please remember to be like the Bereans. Study what men say is from the Word of God. Is it really there? Is that what it really says? Is that what God really meant? There are those who proclaim we should always preach in context yet, they refuse to preach in context themselves when it comes to what they want to call “Christian Liberty”.
Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Galatians 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
Galatians 5:16-17 “16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment