2. Romans 14 1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. There will always be matters of disagreement among Christian brothers and sisters; They must not divide us through pride and strife.
3. "Receive ye" One of the greatest desires of the human heart is acceptance . When we grant acceptance into our fellowship, we grant a beautiful gift to a person. He may be strong in the faith, or he may be weak , but we just love him as he is . Matters on which we can't compromise.
4. The Word of God teaches and we believe that Jesus is the only way to God, And when we come to God through Jesus , we are saved from all our sins. We don't have to keep the Law to be saved; We don't have to keep man's rules to be saved; We are accepted in Jesus Christ, as we are .
5. We are saved by grace through faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and that alone ! We also believe that the Bible is the Word of God, the only Source of Truth , And that sin as defined in the Bible is sin , and breaks our intimate fellowship with God.
6. But, thank God , if we sin after we have believed, it does not end our relationship with our Lord. We know that when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 But, there are matters of conscience about which sincere Christians disagree. Paul gives an example :
7. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him . It would be the ultimate arrogance for me to find unacceptable , one whom God accepts .
8. People worshipped many gods in that day, just as they do today. A common practice of worship was to take offerings of meat to the temple to appease the gods. The priests of that temple would later sell that meat in the marketplace. Perhaps that was why some Christians were afraid to eat meat: fear of eating meat offered to idols.
9. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. One man would just ask the blessing , trust God to sanctify it, and eat with thanksgiving . Another would be afraid to eat ; his conscience would condemn him.
10. 4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. Each and every Christian is directly accountable to God . You don't answer to me, and I don't answer to you. If I am wrong, God will deal with me and make me stand with Him. And I will stand , because God didn't save me to later lose me .
11. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike . Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. I was mowing Cassie's yard one Sunday afternoon , and her neighbor, Betty, said, "You believe the better the day the better the deed." Sunday didn't replace the Sabbath. Sunday is the Lord's Day ; a day of worship . The church doesn't keep the Sabbath .
12. Hebrews 10 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not for-saking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the Day approaching. Psalms 122 1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalms 42 4 When I remember these things , I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God , with the voice of joy and praise , with a multitude that kept holyday.
13. My conscience is that Sunday is the day set aside to come to church and celebrate Jesus . Between services, I can do any good thing , and God will be pleased with it and me. But if your conscience condemns you , don't go against your conscience. Do the very best you can to live for God according to His Word and by His Holy Spirit .
14. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it . He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. Go before God; acknowledge Him in all your choices. Be certain that you have His Approval.
15. Be certain your conscience is not calloused , but is sensitive to the Word of God and His Holy Spirit. It is vital that we keep our consciences sensitive before God. Prayerfully study the Word of God to know God's Will. Hearken to Voice of God's Holy Spirit in your heart.
16. 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. If I rely solely on my own conscience, I will not live a godly Christian life. I must submit my conscience prayerfully to the Word of God , in the Spirit of God , and let God show me Truth !
17. It does matter how we live before God. God's best comes as we willingly and joyfully live our lives God's Wa y .
18. Furthermore, the way I live directly affects the lives of everyone who loves me. If I want to destroy my life with drugs, it's me. If I want to rob, steal, kill -- it's my life. If I end up in prison, it doesn't hurt anyone else.