A verse that few can live up to these days I dare say. The most interesting part I find is that Paul doesn't deny the fact that there are disputable matters. Yet still wants us to respond in love, instead of our natural emotional response of jumping all over anyone who thinks feels, or values anything differently than we do. Many want everyone in the church to be on the same spiritual page. Lending little time for people to grow and develop at a beneficial pace. The inevitable result is a hostile environment for its members. An environment that is more likely to discourage than build people up. So their faith often dies out before they even have a chance to find wholeness. Yet, another example of how skipping ahead to the end result of holiness actually sabotages our efforts.
Now consider the rest of the passage, which gives specific examples.
One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. -Romans 14:2-9
While these examples may not seem as relevant today as they did then, but I still think they can teach us something. Notice how in the first example Paul specifically tags one side of the issue as the weak one. But, I can pretty much guarantee you that the weak side probably thought they were the spiritually superior one. Now consider the fact that you may be that person. That your so-called moral high ground is not based on truth. That your understanding of the subject is very one-dimensional. If you spent less time criticizing people, you might just actually expand your understanding.
A truly spiritually superior person would be a humble person, not a prideful one. They seek to help, not hurt. They know that there is more to holiness than surface behavior. That it takes a nurturing and relational environment to grow strong disciples. That environment will naturally have many different maturity levels coexisting with one another. Only those who put their comfort and convenience above God will object to any of this. That's why they are the ones responsible for this hostile environment that impedes wholeness and are in no position to condemn anyone.
Growth can be a lengthy process, if you think you can criticize people into it, then you probably need to concern yourself with your own wholeness, instead of the righteousness of others. The only reason people haven't called you out on it is that they can live up to the opening verse better than you can.
One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. -Romans 14:2-9
While these examples may not seem as relevant today as they did then, but I still think they can teach us something. Notice how in the first example Paul specifically tags one side of the issue as the weak one. But, I can pretty much guarantee you that the weak side probably thought they were the spiritually superior one. Now consider the fact that you may be that person. That your so-called moral high ground is not based on truth. That your understanding of the subject is very one-dimensional. If you spent less time criticizing people, you might just actually expand your understanding.
A truly spiritually superior person would be a humble person, not a prideful one. They seek to help, not hurt. They know that there is more to holiness than surface behavior. That it takes a nurturing and relational environment to grow strong disciples. That environment will naturally have many different maturity levels coexisting with one another. Only those who put their comfort and convenience above God will object to any of this. That's why they are the ones responsible for this hostile environment that impedes wholeness and are in no position to condemn anyone.
Growth can be a lengthy process, if you think you can criticize people into it, then you probably need to concern yourself with your own wholeness, instead of the righteousness of others. The only reason people haven't called you out on it is that they can live up to the opening verse better than you can.
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