Romans 14
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, hat all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21NIV
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV
“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.” Romans 14:14 NIV
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” Romans 14:1 NIV
- Disputable matters: An issue that the Bible doesn’t give a clear principle on or is silent on
How Do We Pursue Unity in Spite of Our Differences?
- Keep the right attitudetowards each other
- Don’t forget we are family(Vs. 15)
“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.”
- Don’t judge, label, or name call
“…but another, whose faith is weak…” (Vs.2)
“Weak”= In faith, knowledge, conscience, will power
“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.’” (Vs 10-11)
- Don’t try and change people
“Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.” (Vs. 4)
- Walk in the right actionswith each other
- Pursue what promotes peace and builds others up
“So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.” (Vs. 19)
- Put a high valueon every person
“For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died.” (Vs. 15)
- Keep the main thingthe main thing
“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.” (Vs. 16-18)
- Sometimes I need to limit my libertyout of love
“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.” (Vs. 20-21)
- Don’t force your freedom or opinion on others
“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.” (Vs. 22)
- Walk in faith
“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.” (Vs. 23)