Romans 14:23 "...and everything that does not come from faith is sin."
As the Christian church began to grow, Gentiles and Jews had to learn how to live together and how to live as followers of Christ. There was much tension between the two groups. Jews had their customs and traditions. Gentiles were new to the whole deal. Here, Paul addresses the topics of food and special days. Jews abstained from certain food and had special days of celebration according to their traditions. Many Jews expected the Gentiles to also adhere to these customs. Paul makes the case that the kingdom is not about this stuff, but rather about real issues such as joy and peace. He says whatever an individual decides about food and holidays should be done in faith-not out of guilt, peer pressure or doubt. Faith is what matters most.
God wants us to trust him and have faith in him even when we're not sure of the perfectly correct action. We so often want to look at the rules, the customs, the traditions of our past as we decide how to live our lives and we forget to use faith. I think God honors us when we trust him even when we are not sure exactly what is right. He wants us to faithfully make decisions and trust him that he will work through us. God doesn't get caught up in technicalities-although sometimes he seemed to in the Old Testament! He wants us to make up our minds and faithfully move forward and follow him. So bring on the burgers!
Dear Jesus, help me to faithfully follow you.
As the Christian church began to grow, Gentiles and Jews had to learn how to live together and how to live as followers of Christ. There was much tension between the two groups. Jews had their customs and traditions. Gentiles were new to the whole deal. Here, Paul addresses the topics of food and special days. Jews abstained from certain food and had special days of celebration according to their traditions. Many Jews expected the Gentiles to also adhere to these customs. Paul makes the case that the kingdom is not about this stuff, but rather about real issues such as joy and peace. He says whatever an individual decides about food and holidays should be done in faith-not out of guilt, peer pressure or doubt. Faith is what matters most.
God wants us to trust him and have faith in him even when we're not sure of the perfectly correct action. We so often want to look at the rules, the customs, the traditions of our past as we decide how to live our lives and we forget to use faith. I think God honors us when we trust him even when we are not sure exactly what is right. He wants us to faithfully make decisions and trust him that he will work through us. God doesn't get caught up in technicalities-although sometimes he seemed to in the Old Testament! He wants us to make up our minds and faithfully move forward and follow him. So bring on the burgers!
Dear Jesus, help me to faithfully follow you.
