Devotional : *LIVING IN HARMONY UNDER GOD’S LORDSHIP*

-



We bless God for another beautiful day. Yesterday, we learnt about the topic "Awake, Arise, and Shine For Christ".

As we proceed in the word of God today, may we be blessed in Jesus' name. Amen.


Scripture for Today: *Romans 14:1-12 NIV‬* 

 _‭Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 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. 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. 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.

_ 


 *DISCUSSION* 


In this passage, Paul addresses an important issue in the church.This is, how believers should treat one another when they differ on personal convictions. Some believers felt free to eat anything, while others, out of conscience, restricted themselves. Believers in this age of grace may eat anything. They are not under any kind of dietary laws. But some believers have not yet understood this, and think they must not eat certain foods. They may base this opinion on the dietary laws of the Old Testament (Leviticus chapter 11) which are no longer in force. Instead of allowing such differences to divide, Paul urges believers to welcome one another without passing judgment.




Believers must judge evil behavior, but not condemn fellow believers who disagree with them about comparatively unimportant matters. Separation from other believers over such matters is utterly wrong. Of course there are fundamental truths of the faith which must be preached and defended even at the cost of separation from other Christians who reject them. But Paul is not speaking of these matters here in this chapter.


The core truth is that each believer ultimately belongs to the Lord. We do not live for ourselves nor die for ourselves, but for the One who died and rose again (Jesus). This shifts our perspective. Our lives are accountable to God, not to human opinions. Therefore, judging or despising a fellow believer over disputable matters is out of place, since every person will give an account to God (v. 10–12). God alone is the Judge.


This calls us to humility, love, and unity. Differences in non-essential matters should not break fellowship. Instead, we are to focus on what unites us (our common Lord), Jesus Christ. Every believer should welcome fellow believers, even when their convictions differ from theirs. We should remember daily that our lives are not our own. We live and die for the Lord. Let's live with eternity in mind: one day, we will stand before God’s judgment seat.


As we strive to live in harmony with others, let our actions be guided by a desire to honor God and to build up others in the faith. Each believer is a servant of God and is answerable to God alone. He belongs to the Lord. Each one must walk in the light he has here on earth and each must stand before the judge in heaven. No one else has any right to control the lives of believers or condemn them. 

May the lord help us to accommodate others.

    


 *PRAYER* 


* Heavenly Father, help me to live in harmony with others, even when we have differing opinions.

*Keep me from a judgmental spirit, and remind me that both my life and others belong to You. 

*Help me to live every day mindful that I will give account to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotional: When God Spoke – And How He Speaks Now (Hebrews 1:1-3)

-
Image
Our Scripture for Today: Hebrews 1:1-3 - "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. DISCUSSION  You know, when you read through the Old Testament, it's fascinating to see all the different ways God chose to speak to His people. Imagine Moses, face-to-face with a burning bush (Exodus 3) that wouldn't burn up – a dramatic, fiery encounter! Or Elijah, in a moment of deep despair, hearing God not in the loud wind or earthquake, but in a quiet, still, small voice (1 Kings 19). Then there's Isaiah, caught up in a heavenly vision (Isaiah 6) that must have been breathtaking. But God i...
Read more

Devotional: Glimpses of Glory – The Gentle Drift, and Why We Must Stay Alert (Hebrews 2:1-4)

-
Image
Happy Saturday 😊✨! It’s incredible how quickly the week flies by. We’ve spent the last couple of days just soaking in the sheer majesty of Jesus – how He’s God’s final, perfect word, and how He’s absolutely supreme, far above any angel. Knowing that truth is powerful, and today, the book of Hebrews gives us a really important, though gentle, warning. Let’s open our hearts to it. Our Scripture for Today: Hebrews 2:1-18 - "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?" DISCUSSION : So, after hearing about Jesus' unmatched ...
Read more

Devotional: Glimpses of Glory - knowing the Superiority of Jesus (Hebrews 1:4-14)

-
Image
 Yesterday, we marvelled at how Jesus is God's ultimate Word, the clearest revelation of who God is. Today, we're going to dive even deeper into His incredible supremacy, especially when we compare Him to powerful beings like angels. Get ready to be blessed ! Our Scripture for Today: Hebrews 1:4-14 - "having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You'? And again: 'I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son'? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: 'Let all the angels of God worship Him.' And of the angels He says: 'Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.' But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.'" (Verses 5-8 are quoted here, but the entire...
Read more