Sabbaths, Diets, and Jesus as Lord - May 31 Readings: Romans 14

Today’s Readings

Context

This passage may be one of the most important in the New Testament in terms of Christian unity. It may also be among the most ignored and least respected! As Paul addresses the Christian life, he faces down this difficult issues - those matters of conscience in which Christians do not agree. 

Devotional - Sabbaths, Diets, and Jesus as Lord

We tend to want everything spelled out black and white. Right and wrong. Good and bad. Acceptable and unacceptable. But there are not clear biblical mandates for every activity, every decision we have to make. But not in real life, Even for the committed Christian there are gray areas. Paul addresses those in Romans 14.

• Are there dietary laws that a Christian should follow? 
• Ought we to observe Sabbath days? 
• In other passages, Paul discusses whether a Christian ought to eat meat that had been previously sacrificed to an idol god. 

We still argue today over what Christians should eat or drink, whether we should observe a sabbath day and other related questions. We do not struggle with the topic of meat sacrificed to idols, but we face many similar issues - how much can we enjoy things in this world without becoming of this world and falling into sin.

Paul has a very simple set of principles for making decisions on such issues. First, we must remember that every believer already has a Lord. No, that doesn't quite get at the heart of it. Every believer has a Lord who isn't me and isn't you. Jesus is the rightful Lord of all and our decisions about right and wrong must be made to please him. Verses 9 and 10 spell this out.

Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living. But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God.

 Jesus Christ went to the cross to earn the right to be the Lord over those he redeemed. That removes from us the right to sit in judgment on one another in these kinds of disputable issues. It is wrong for us to attempt to assert Lordship over anyone else. That doesn't mean we can do anything we please. We will stand before God's throne to give account of our lives and must lead them carefully. But we must remember who the Lord is and live for him. 

The second key principle is found in verse 5. 

One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.

Each of us, under the Lordship of Christ, must decide these matters according to our redeemed consciences and then allow other believers to make their choices, even if they are different than our own. I must be convinced in my own mind and allow you to be convinced in your mind, even if our decisions are not identical. 

In all things, we must, according to verse 19, "pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another." We must be peacemakers, those who seek unity in all these things. 

Father, help me to be a peacemaker, to let Christ rule in my life and also in others'. 

Think and Pray

Are you willing to live according to your conscience and allow other believers to do the same, or do you try to impose your conscience on others?
Do you understand the Lordship of Christ in your life and accept it in the lives of other believers?