Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters, (Romans 14:1).
We've been doing a devotional study of Romans 14:1-15:13. In this study we tried answering some questions. What does this portion teach us about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? What does it teach us about the Bible? About Man? Are there any promises to claim and any warnings to heed? Now let's consider the final question, Are there any commands to obey?
The one repeated command throughout this portion is this, "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters" (14:1). Paul even put it stronger in verse 13, "Let us stop passing judgment on one another." The implication is that they were passing judgment. Paul said, “Stop it!”
Another command is in 15:1-2, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." Paul put these instructions another way in 14:19-20, "Let us make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food."
We are in this together, the weak and strong, unenlightened and enlightened, new and old, novices and mature. We are commanded to help each other become all God wants us to be. Don't make a big issue of every disputable matter. Do all you can to bring peace in your hearts and in your relationships. If you don't feel as though you can do this then Paul says, "whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God."
Do you feel the tension in responsible freedom? Live with it, guided and empowered by love.
