If you are familiar with Paul’s teaching in Romans, you know that one of the issues was the boundary marker of food laws. Paul addresses the practical implications of that in Chapter 14.
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.
Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables.
Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.
Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand (Romans 14.1-4).
How do we respond to controversy? Do we try to prove that we’re right and that others are wrong? Paul’s answer is clear: no, that’s not how we should respond.
Instead, we are to welcome others without engaging in arguments or quarrels.
Paul emphasizes that we are not to pass judgment on fellow believers, for they are servants of the Lord, not ours. It is God who judges, not us.
Sabbath Observance
There were four key boundary markers that identified the people of God: circumcision, food laws, the Sabbath, and their overall approach to the law. In this passage, Paul specifically addresses the Sabbath.
Just as with food laws, Paul teaches that we should not judge or argue over how others observe the Sabbath.
Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.
Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.
We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.
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, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living (Romans 14.5-9).
Some believers may treat one day as more sacred, while others may see all days as equal. The important thing is that whatever they choose, they do so in a way that honors the Lord.
Paul’s message is clear: our focus should not be on passing judgment over these differences, but on honoring God in our actions and respecting the convictions of others.
Paul focused on what truly mattered: not the judgment of others, but the judgment of the Lord. His desire was to live fully for the Lord, with all his heart.
Paul understood that he belonged to the Lord, and he called the church, both then and now, to do the same.
Instead of focusing on differences or passing judgment, Paul urged believers to live in a way that honors God, knowing that ultimately, it is God’s judgment that matters.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? 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 give praise to God.”
So then, each of us will be accountable to God (Romans 14.10-12).
Reflecting God
The church is called to reflect God’s character. Instead of arguing over issues that divide us, we should focus on living wholeheartedly for the Lord and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.
As we embody this love and unity, the world will see God’s character more clearly through us.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 