Living in Faith

  

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

LIVING IN FAITH

Rom 14:19-23

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. 22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

NIV

We first should understand this is the peace that is harmony between individuals which we are to make every effort to do that leads to that peace, that harmony. If we did that there would be no judgment, no dissensions, no divisions, no jealousy, no envy, and certainly, there would be no pride or thinking more highly of ourselves for then we could actually make every effort to mutual edification. What would the body of Christ look like if we all built each other up? Paul is making this about the difference we all have regarding food and wine, and that if we cause another to stumble we are not living in harmony, or peace and are not building them up, but tearing them down. However, on the other hand, if we feel the need to abstain from certain foods or from wine, then it is also incumbent on us to make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. This would mean those who feel the need to abstain should not try to hold all others to their standards, for that would be, first, judgmental on our part, and second, we would be thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. Yet, it is a requirement for those who have the freedom to eat and drink in accordance with their faith to not rub it in the faces of those whose faith requires them to abstain. What is the answer then, so that those who have freedom and those who need to abstain can live in peace and harmony, building each other up. Paul gives us the answer. This would or should apply to both those with the freedom to eat and drink according to their faith and those who must abstain according to their faith, to live in that manner between ourselves and the Lord. Therefore, those whose faith allows them to eat certain foods and drink wine should keep it between themselves and the Lord. This would also apply to those whose faith requires them to abstain to also keep that between themselves and the Lord. In this way, no one would stumble, and no one would be judgmental. In this way, both members of the body of Christ would be making every effort to live in peace and build each other up. Neither would try to make the other live outside their amount of faith, or their exercising of their faith. This would make the most sense because each needs to live in accordance with their faith, for not doing so would be a sin.