Romans 14

Romans 14

Someone once said that the Christian army is the only army that shoots its own solders. Well, Romans 14 is here to say, "Don't shoot your own soldiers!"

Romans 14 deals with differences believers may have regarding doubtful things or gray areas--areas which the Bible has not specifically stated as wrong. Does it seem to you that our human tendency is to feel threatened by ideas or customs that may differ from our own? We often consider people who differ from us in some matter to be "off," assuming of course that we are the ones who are "on." When we talk about doctrines that are clearly taught in the Bible, it's relatively easy to determine what is right and wrong. Romans 14 is talking about practices that some people believe are wrong for a believer and other people may believe are perfectly fine.

According to v. 1, the more mature believers are to be considerate of the weaker or immature believers. We each have to answer to the Lord, v. 12, not to one another. As we mature, we are better able to enjoy the liberties we have in the Lord. We must each follow our own conscience, vv. 14-15.

Our job is not be make everyone conform to an arbitrary set of rules, but rather "living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So ten, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up."

Here is a motto for you:

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
― Augustine of Hippo