Romans 14:9-16 - Faith of the faithful
Romans 14:9-13 Clear the Way for your brother
All are equal before God. We are not given any authority to judge anyone based on their faith and practices. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord. All of us have to stand before God to give an account of ourselves to this Christ, the Judge. An account related to our words, deeds, and life on the earth. Every single action will be brought before God for accountability. The unforgiven sins and rebellious acts will be naked before God. Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another. Also, decide not to put any stumbling block in the way of a believer to destroy his faith and eternal life. Remember the death and resurrection of Christ which is for the sake of others. His sacrifice and his eternal plans are for the benefit of others. Hence, we need to adopt the life of Christ rather than human examples. So, clear the way for your brethren to enter into God’s kingdom.
Romans 14: 14-16 In Christ Life and Relationship with others
The in Christ (En-Christo) experience is unique. Paul says that those who are in Christ are clean, therefore no food is unclean. However, a believer can’t hurt another believer because of the food habits, because love prevails over the taste buds of a person. The love of Christ prevails against all odds including the food. Paul moves on to justify that all food is clean and nothing is unclean for a person who is in Christ. The inter-religious communities’ living is encouraged. The arguments over food items and habits are dealt with intelligently and theologically with more clarity by Paul in this passage. The good and bad in the area of eating are dependent upon your faith in Christ. We can’t destroy anyone in the name of the cultures and customs of an individual or the practices of a community. Respecting one another is important. Esteeming others higher than self comes out of the commitment to Christ and living in Christ.
Discussion:
1. How do people justify their judgmental attitude against a believer?
2. Explain your understanding of the ‘In-Christ’ life related to daily activities.
(For further studies on Romans by me, please refer to this cite)
