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HOW TO LOVE in the Body of Christ Romans 14
Christians have turned more people off to God than atheists have.
Christians can be so hard to love. Judgmental, dogmatic, argumentative, contrary to common sense, self-righteous, prideful……..or…….. guilty and depressed, timid, fearful, sin-conscious (toward self and others), in so much bondage, afraid to have any fun, afraid of making a mistake, afraid of how they will look to others, taking themselves oh, so seriously!
God spells out how we are to love one another in the body of Christ. The examples used here won’t cover every single possibility, but they will clearly paint a picture of the spirit of love which is requested and required by Jesus Christ, especially within his body.
The book of Romans is a doctrinal epistle, laying out the truth of the righteousness of God which is available to anyone in the world today….by faith. (See studies The Need To Be Right.. and The Gift of God’s Righteousness)
The first 8 chapters of Romans are doctrinal in nature, the final 5 practical in nature (chapters 9-11 are parenthetical, speaking about and to those not yet born of the spirit of God).
Romans 13:8 – 15:7 specifically speaks of how to love one another within the body of Christ.
Here we read Romans 14, and see a little bit of the heart of how we can walk in love toward one another.
Verse 1 Him that is weak in the faith receive, not to doubtful disputations (logical arguments).
This can be very difficult for the western man, who grew up on just such logical disputes. We are to love one another, not treat one another like someone to win over by argument to our way of thinking, our belief. If your faith is stronger……use it to love those that are weaker (younger, having less understanding spiritually). Don’t use it to clobber someone with your right-ness. Reason never wins anyone to Christ…..only Christ’s love does.
Verses 2,3 For one believes that he may eat all things; another, who is weak, eats herbs. Let not him who eats despise him who eats not; and let not him who eats not judge him who eats; for God has received him.
This word “judge” means to condemn….to dismiss by a final judgment. This type of judgment does not allow for change, or growth.
“That guy’s an idiot!“…..is this type of dismissive judgment. There is another type of judgment…..a good type.
“What that guy did was not of God.” This type of judgment allows for growth of the individual, yet recognizes sinful, or fruitless behavior. (See study Is it Love to Judge?)
In these 2 verses, God indicates that someone who thinks that some fleshly/mental discipline or behavior can produce spiritual results is “weak” in the faith. We who are strong are not to emphasize that weakness to the one who is weak, but rather we are to receive them…..take them unto ourselves as members of our very own family of God ….. and not in order to “win them over” by argument.
Verse 4 Who are you who judges another man’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls; Yeah, he shall be held up; for God is able to make him stand.
This does not mean we shouldn’t recognize when something is weak, and even specifically what is making them weak; but rather that we should not emphasize that fact in our relationship with the fellow believer. God Himself can bring that weak believer into a stronger faith.
Verses 5-8 One man judges one day above another; another judges every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regards (ascribes importance to thinking about) the day; regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
You can see beginning to emerge in these early verses the important truth of this chapter. Do what you do for God – not man. Thus, God Himself, via the Lord Jesus Christ and his spirit in you that he commands, will be able to cause you to grow in spiritual maturity and understanding.
Verse 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
“that he might” is better translated and understood, “in order to become”
You can avoid that lordship now, but you won’t be able to avoid it forever. It’s going to happen, where the active, established, fully engaged and operational lordship of Jesus Christ over all creation will come into actual, practical being. At that time, I will be so thankful to think and say…..“Hey, I’m with Him!!”
Verses 10-12 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat (bema) of Christ. 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 every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
The bema was the place in the Greek sports games from which the laurels (rewards) were handed out. Like the podium in the Olympic games.
When you’re in a race, you don’t have time to think despitefully of the person you’re passing……he’ll get his rewards, as you will too….for the results of the race will be published for all to see. So it will be with the spiritual maturity/walk you develop and walk in yourself. Besides getting oh so much more out of this life now, we will also be rewarded by that self same Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of everyone. For the day shall declare it….(See I Corinthians 3:13-15)
Verses 13 -18 Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean (in a ceremonial, or religious way) of itself; but to him that logically reasons anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if your brother be grieved with your meat (assuming you’re aware of this fact), now you’re not walking lovingly. Don’t destroy him with your meat, for whom Christ died. Don’t, then, let your good be evil spoken of; For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
This section is quite self-explanatory, but go ahead and read it a few times. It’s not in knowing the right doctrine that we are pleasing to God. Rather, it’s in walking in the right Spirit, that we are pleasing to God.
Verses 19-21 Let us therefore pursue after the things which make for peace, and things with which one may edify (cause to grow stronger) another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offence (stumbling). It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything by which your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.
As we grow more and more spiritually mature, in Christ, we come more and more to realize that all things were created for us to enjoy.
Verses 22, 23 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows (proves, assays, puts to the test). And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
There are, and will always be during this age, those who measure their spirituality by what they do and think; how they perform and behave; even how they compare with other people. For you who know Christ, do not stoop to that level, but rather walk in the Pure Spirit of God toward them. Accept, encourage, seek fellowship, with the spirit of Christ which dwells in them also. In so doing, you magnify that true importance which dwells in each and every member of the body of Christ.
As you read chapter 14, over and over again, allow the rich, loving truths it contains to fill your mind, your heart, your understanding. May God’s love fill you and cause your life to be a blessing to those around you, as you allow your rich, spiritual maturity to be a springboard for those whose lives you touch to come into ever stronger fellowship with God Himself, via the life of our Lord Jesus Christ which manifests itself through you each day.
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The book, Give Me Christ … Revelations of the Glorified Christ is now available on Amazon.
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See studies:
The Mystery of Christ
Aspects of the Mystery of Christ
The Glorified Christ
It Takes All Kinds
On love, forgiveness and being offended.
Agape Love – A Study of I John 3 and 4
Solid =)