Romans 14:5-6: One Person Esteems One Day As Better Than Another

Romans 14:5–6
[5] 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. [6] 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. (ESV)

Christians have very different ideas when it comes to their freedom as believers. The context of these verses is the Christians who had a Jewish background and now were free from the obligations of the ceremonial law which had requirements regarding Sabbaths and Feasts. The Gentiles did not want to fall back into special days and festivities related to his previous way of life.

For the Christians who had a Jewish background it was important that they be careful how they observed days. If they felt obligation to celebrate feasts and Sabbaths they were forgetting the wonderful grace of God that set them free. If they chose to celebrate those same days as a way of freely honoring the Lord it would have been fine. They were to be convinced in their own mind.

For the Gentiles who came to the Lord after living a life of pagan idolatry it was important for them to realize that they were able to set aside days of worship and fellowship that were not the same as the previous pagan attachments. Just like the Christians of Jewish background it was important for them to observe days as unto the Lord. It was between them and the Lord to decide.

The big problem where Christians get into trouble is that they try to make up someone else's mind instead of making up their own mind as to what days ought to be honored. We can come to a different conclusion than our brother or sister without destroying them. If we are being thankful and honoring the Lord we will not be unloving toward our brother or sister in the Lord.

Do you find yourself constantly arguing with other Christians who disagree with you on minor points of theology? Are you fixated on changing people's opinions on non-important issues? Ask God to help you to mind your own business!

Comments

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

Search This Blog