Standing before the Judge
Romans 14
Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another
"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 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. 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. 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. 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. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 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. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
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; for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Do Not Cause Another to Stumble
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 know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 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. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 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 is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 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. 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."
Paul is talking to the Roman Church about Freedom and Maturity.
We should not be Judging one another or despising each other for tiny little things. The Roman Church was made up of Jewish Converts and Gentile Converts. The Jewish Converts were still holding fast to the Laws of the Old Testiment, but the Gentile Converts had much more freedom because they didn't come from that system. They clung to what Jesus had said and what Paul was preaching.
And Paul explains it to them; just because a piece of meat has been offered to an idol does not make it unclean. For the Lords people have given thanks to God for it. But, if it does offend the weaker brother (in this case the Jewish Convert), that they should not argue over it, but abstain for the sake of the weaker brother. But, also, the weaker brother is cautioned not to judge the one who does eat.
We must not let Freedom become License!
This goes for many o' thang in today's world:
Alcohol, prescription Drugs, Smoking, TV, Music, Video Games, etc... (all in moderation)
One person could see these as completely off limits, while another may not. Neither are necessarily wrong.
The thing to ask ourselves is, "Do I get God's heart behind these issues?"
I have made the choice not to drink or smoke, but one of my friends believes that it is ok. Now, he doesn't get drunk and he just puffs on cigar's. I have done the same while I was with him, because I do have that Freedom in Christ, but most of the time I wont do such things.
This is a fine line to talk about and it is one that Christ must reveal to each of His Children, but we must be mature enough to not argue with each other, agian, "Do I get God's heart behind this issue?" "Is it helpful or hindering?"
Anyway, the Point here is this: We are the Lord's, if we are In Him, and He is In Us!
I will do all things as unto the Lord! I am His, and I will do everything to Honor Him!
However, if we are living to ourselves, we are not living to the Lord! We are not the Lord's (at least not yet).
"For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 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. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living."
Have you ever been to Court? Do you know someone who has been to Court?
Personally I have never been to Court, but I do know someone who has and I am pretty sure that I would have just about the same reaction that she had.
When the Judge walked into the room a chill ran down her spin. Then she heard "All Rise." She stood up and realized that this was done out of respect for the Judge who was entering the room. She only had a few words that she wanted to say to the Judge, but she knew that the Judge had the power to pardon or to sentence, so she waited for the right moment, she didn't want to set the Judge off. When it was her turn to speak, she could barely talk. She didn't want to say anything wrong out of fear of what the Judge could do.
Now, she was not in trouble in any way, she was only there to testify as a witness for someone else. But she had this reverential fear of the Judge.
How much more will we each have this reverential fear when we stand before the Great Judge, at the Final Judgement?
For we all will have our time of Judgement. We cannot escape it!
Which brings up a good question!
On that Day, when you stand (or fall on your face) before Almighty God, and He asks you, "Why, should I let you into my heaven?" What will be your answer?
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Will it be something like, "I have been a good person. I have kept most of Your Commands and Laws."
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Or something like, "I have always believed in a higher power and tried to live up to a higher standard."
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Or how about, "I have been good and accpted Jesus as Savior but not Lord."
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Or will it be, "You shouldn't let me in. I have not been able to keep a single thing that You have Commanded of me. I am a lier, a cheat, a theif, a murderer, I have lusted after countless women/men, I have not obeyed my parents, I have not kept the Sabbath Holy, and worst of all, I have defiled Your name more times and in more ways than I can count. But, it is by Your Grace that I am here today, by Your Love for me, and through Your Son Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life with You that You have given to all Man Kind if by Your Grace we come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, The Lord and Savior of Our lives."
It's all about Grace!!!
In Christ,
David
Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another
"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 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. 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. 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. 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. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 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. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
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; for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Do Not Cause Another to Stumble
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 know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 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. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 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 is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 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. 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."
Paul is talking to the Roman Church about Freedom and Maturity.
We should not be Judging one another or despising each other for tiny little things. The Roman Church was made up of Jewish Converts and Gentile Converts. The Jewish Converts were still holding fast to the Laws of the Old Testiment, but the Gentile Converts had much more freedom because they didn't come from that system. They clung to what Jesus had said and what Paul was preaching.
And Paul explains it to them; just because a piece of meat has been offered to an idol does not make it unclean. For the Lords people have given thanks to God for it. But, if it does offend the weaker brother (in this case the Jewish Convert), that they should not argue over it, but abstain for the sake of the weaker brother. But, also, the weaker brother is cautioned not to judge the one who does eat.
We must not let Freedom become License!
This goes for many o' thang in today's world:
Alcohol, prescription Drugs, Smoking, TV, Music, Video Games, etc... (all in moderation)
One person could see these as completely off limits, while another may not. Neither are necessarily wrong.
The thing to ask ourselves is, "Do I get God's heart behind these issues?"
I have made the choice not to drink or smoke, but one of my friends believes that it is ok. Now, he doesn't get drunk and he just puffs on cigar's. I have done the same while I was with him, because I do have that Freedom in Christ, but most of the time I wont do such things.
This is a fine line to talk about and it is one that Christ must reveal to each of His Children, but we must be mature enough to not argue with each other, agian, "Do I get God's heart behind this issue?" "Is it helpful or hindering?"
Anyway, the Point here is this: We are the Lord's, if we are In Him, and He is In Us!
I will do all things as unto the Lord! I am His, and I will do everything to Honor Him!
However, if we are living to ourselves, we are not living to the Lord! We are not the Lord's (at least not yet).
"For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 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. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living."
Have you ever been to Court? Do you know someone who has been to Court?
Personally I have never been to Court, but I do know someone who has and I am pretty sure that I would have just about the same reaction that she had.
When the Judge walked into the room a chill ran down her spin. Then she heard "All Rise." She stood up and realized that this was done out of respect for the Judge who was entering the room. She only had a few words that she wanted to say to the Judge, but she knew that the Judge had the power to pardon or to sentence, so she waited for the right moment, she didn't want to set the Judge off. When it was her turn to speak, she could barely talk. She didn't want to say anything wrong out of fear of what the Judge could do.
Now, she was not in trouble in any way, she was only there to testify as a witness for someone else. But she had this reverential fear of the Judge.
How much more will we each have this reverential fear when we stand before the Great Judge, at the Final Judgement?
For we all will have our time of Judgement. We cannot escape it!
Which brings up a good question!
On that Day, when you stand (or fall on your face) before Almighty God, and He asks you, "Why, should I let you into my heaven?" What will be your answer?
<
<
<
<
<
<
<
<
Will it be something like, "I have been a good person. I have kept most of Your Commands and Laws."
<
<
<
<
<
<
Or something like, "I have always believed in a higher power and tried to live up to a higher standard."
<
<
<
<
<
<
Or how about, "I have been good and accpted Jesus as Savior but not Lord."
<
<
<
<
<
<
<
Or will it be, "You shouldn't let me in. I have not been able to keep a single thing that You have Commanded of me. I am a lier, a cheat, a theif, a murderer, I have lusted after countless women/men, I have not obeyed my parents, I have not kept the Sabbath Holy, and worst of all, I have defiled Your name more times and in more ways than I can count. But, it is by Your Grace that I am here today, by Your Love for me, and through Your Son Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life with You that You have given to all Man Kind if by Your Grace we come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, The Lord and Savior of Our lives."
It's all about Grace!!!
In Christ,
David
posted by Mark 1:17 at 1:14 PM
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