Bible references: Romans 4:1-23
This passage is about accepting our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we can learn to do this, there would be a lot less fighting. Different opinions should not prevent Fellowship. In this passage, the writer wants to make us think.
We should be growing and learning all the time. Aren't we fortunate that Jesus is Lord.
Forcing people to accept 'our' doctrine, is not what God wants. Jesus never forced people into a tied down doctrine. Christian Fellowship is not to be disturbed with words. Jesus looks into our heart and sees us. God dealt with our sin. When we deal with our sin, we can't, depression sets in. Dealing with another person's sin is not what we can do. Only God can deal with our sin. In Church, we should build each up, edification. Reference: Book of Ephesians.
Some are weak, some are strong, but all are to build each other up. We should live to please God, not ourselves.
Our validation comes from God. I am righteous, acceptable in Christ.
We all belong to the Lord. We look and serve, approving ourselves to the Lord. I want to please Jesus.
As a Christian, people will talk about you, make stories about you. We are too blessed to be distressed. Jesus is Lord of the living and the dead. We're not here to despise one another, but to love one another. Take heed of what we do so that our brothers and sisters do not stumble.
Edify, build each other up. We do not do something in front of our brothers and sisters that would cause them to stumble.
Romans 14: 13-23
It's better to decide to act in love, not knowledge. We live in the age of knowledge, information. Christ deals gently with those who show true grace. We all have sin in our lives, but God loves a person whose heart is for God.
We all value the reputation of being good and no I'll practice. If evil is spoken of us, then its God who deals and judges those who have done so.
God is at work in every life that is his. The Lord wants us to live at peace and show charity (love) to all around us. Jesus showed grace to us, he kept his focus even when people were condemning him to death. Our focus is heaven. Our nature should be the nature of Christ.
Christ life was hammered out on the day he was judged and died. He had defeated the powers of darkness. We give regard to Christ in the things we do. The opinions of any other person is not to be regarded. We don't want to be a stumbling block but a building block. Everything we do should be to build people. Don't give people an opportunity to use our good for evil.
Jesus has dealt with our sin. Now go on with Christ, letting him transform you. Live, walk in faith. Everything that does not come from faith is sin. Abraham fulfilled the Law by faith, and he didn't have the law.
God wants us to have unity, but not uniformity. God wants us to build each other up. God wants us to accept each other, love one another. Jesus brings us all with our differences, showing us the facets of God.
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