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Romans 14 English Standard Version (ESV)

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

¹ As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. ² One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. ³ Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.⁴ Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

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. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. ⁸ For 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.⁹ For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

¹⁰ Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; ¹¹ for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”

¹² So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

REFLECTION

• The Bible contains many clear commands. But it is also silent or ambiguous about many moral issues. These “gray” areas have always been a source of dispute and conflict among Christians. What principles should guide us when our actions are criticized by others or when we feel critical toward them?
• Paul launched into the very heart of the issue. “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions”. Paul reminds us that the church of Jesus Christ is God’s family. Here every child of God is to experience welcome, and so feel the great value God places on him or her. The church of Jesus is home; it’s where we can relax and be ourselves, knowing that here we belong. And here we are loved.
• Therefore, acceptance is one of the most important gifts you can give another person. And one of the most valuable gifts you will ever receive.
• However we may differ from others about issues the Bible does not label as “sin”, and however passionately our convictions are held, our brother or sister in Christ has been accepted by God. And we are to welcome him or her too.
• Thank God for His gift of acceptance to you. And ask God to help you give freely and gladly the gift of Acceptance to someone this week.

PRAYER

Lord, I thank and praise You! Though I am a wretched sinner, You still love me and accept me. You sacrificed Yourself on the cross for me while I was still a sinner, to demonstrate God’s great love for all humanity. Today, by faith, I have become Your disciple and a child of God, and I must strive to live a life that aligns with the faith I have received. I desire to emulate Your sacrificial love, living a life of humility, gentleness, holiness, and selflessness. I desire to imitate Your acceptance of me by accepting those around me, including the unbelieving, disobedient, and weak in faith. As I interact with my brothers and sisters in the church, we may have differing opinions on many matters, but through Your love, we can learn to be patient, tolerant, and supportive of one another. Grant us a spirit of unity, breaking down the walls that divide us, so that we may learn to love one another in the sacrificial love You have shown us. Amen!

HYMN

House of the Lord – youtu.be/IqfV0zeEvT8