One of the appointed readings for today is taken from chapter 14 of Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Paul writes:
Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Paul reminds us that how we act really matters, and he admonishes us not to hurt others within the Christian community by what we do, especially to those whose faith may be new or fragile. We should encourage others in the faith and not be a scandal to them by what we do. The same holds true to how we relate to others outside our church community. How do we act in our day to day lives with those whom we come into contact with at school, work, grocery shopping, driving on Houston’s mad roads? How many times have we shaken an angry fist at someone who has cut us off in traffic while the bumper sticker on our car says “God Listens”? Paul is right: “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification.”
Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Paul reminds us that how we act really matters, and he admonishes us not to hurt others within the Christian community by what we do, especially to those whose faith may be new or fragile. We should encourage others in the faith and not be a scandal to them by what we do. The same holds true to how we relate to others outside our church community. How do we act in our day to day lives with those whom we come into contact with at school, work, grocery shopping, driving on Houston’s mad roads? How many times have we shaken an angry fist at someone who has cut us off in traffic while the bumper sticker on our car says “God Listens”? Paul is right: “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification.”
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