Let Kingdom Values Guide Your Actions
We live in a time of judgment and intolerance of one another. From road rage to armed insurrection, from mistreatment of the poor and oppressed to passing of laws that take away freedoms, there is an attitude that we should make everyone else do things our way… because our way is right. Right? Paul exhorted his readers in Romans 14:10-23, to let kingdom values like love, peace, joy and righteousness guide their interactions with one another, so that they would not cause one another to stumble and so their own actions would not condemn them on judgment day. I pray that the spirit of peace, love, joy and righteousness would prevail (instead of judgement and condemnation) in your life this week. Amen
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. (Romans 14:10–12) Paul told his readers that they were not to look down upon their brothers and sisters in condemnation of them. Their attitude of judgment, caused them to treat their Christian brothers and sisters with contempt because they judged their actions as not being up to their standard of righteousness. Paul warned them that Jesus will judge every person’s righteousness on the day of judgment. So as Christians, each of us needs to be focused on our own lives before God, not judging one another.
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. (Romans 14:13–21) Paul went back to expound upon a discussion that he began earlier regarding disagreements over something as simple as food and drink (Rom 14:2-3,6). His position was that for him no food was unclean. This position harkens back to God telling Peter that He had made no unclean thing (Acts 10:15). Paul‘s position here in these verses is that while for him, there was no unclean food, for a person of Jewish heritage, certain foods might be considered off limits. Therefore the more important principle is not what Paul had the freedom in Christ to do, but that he wouldn’t indulge his freedom in ways that would cause his brother or sister to fall. Paul exhorted Christians to love our brothers and sisters, being sensitive to their convictions so that we do not cause them to stumble. And so the message here is, just because you’re free to do something, do not exercise your freedom in ways that cause your brother or sister to stumble and fall away from their faith.
So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. (Romans 14:22–23) Paul’s conclusion is that ultimately, we need to be answerable to God, not to each other, for our actions. If we have doubts about the actions that we’re taking, that is a sign that we may be out of alignment with God’s desire for us. Actions that may not be bad in and of themselves, become sinful if they go against what God is calling us to do at that moment in faithfulness to Him.
Paul warned Christians against a spirit of rules and judgment in our relationships with one another. Instead we should let kingdom values like love, joy, peace and righteousness guide our actions toward one another. We are free from the bondage of sin and trying to keep the Law perfectly. But that freedom doesn’t give us license to turn around and condemn others who may not be comfortable in those same freedoms. Nor should we exercise the freedom we have in Christ in ways that cause our brothers and sisters to stumble and fall away from their faith. Out of love and a desire for peace and joy, we should be committed to building up those who may be weaker in their faith. As citizens of the kingdom of God we are called to act with kingdom values so that we may grow to be more like Christ and we build up the body of Christ in unity. The bottom line is this, when in doubt about how to treat your brothers and sisters…. Let kingdom values guide your actions!
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
