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"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."

Romans 14:1

Paul dealt with a lot of new things in his ministry. He was the Apostle of Grace and everything God wanted for the Dispensation of Grace was in Paul's understanding of the revelation God had given him. The Spirit of God constantly guided Paul in how to deal with new situations from the perspective of God's Grace.

One of those situations was a difference in the strength of faith of believers. The faith of some was strong. The faith of others was weak. Paul was not dealing with issues of sin. He made it abundantly clear in his letters that Christians were not to continue in a sinful lifestyle. What Paul addressed in Romans 14 was "disputable matters." The Greek words are diakriseis dialogismon . Diakriseis , means "a distinguishing, a discerning, judging in two directions (from dia , and krisis ), doubting." Dialogismon , means "the thinking of a man deliberating with himself, inward reasoning, a deliberating, questioning, an opinion." The weaker brother has a less mature view of his Christian faith. He is still learning about his spiritual freedom. He is still learning to appreciate what Paul wrote earlier in Romans: "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14) The stronger Christian is more mature in matters of faith. He understands spiritual freedom. He knows how to live under Grace. Paul told the stronger brother to accept (proslambanesthe - "take to oneself, welcome") the weaker brother; not to pass judgment. The idea is of someone taking another person close to himself for the purpose of helping them along in their life.

This is not unlike situations Christians face today. Paul said that "one man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables." Christians have a variety of beliefs about lifestyles and practices. Some Christians eat meat, some don't. Christians disagree about what to do on Sundays, what clothes to wear, what music to listen to, where to go and not go, what TV programs to watch or not watch, what to read and not read. What are Christians to do about all these disagreements, all these "disputable matters?" Fight about it? Write nasty things about brothers with whom they disagree? Not fellowship with anyone who believes differently? Unfortunately, that's what many Christians do. They are fighting with, writing about and refusing to fellowship with Christians who view lifestyle issues differently. I say "lifestyle issues" because so many of the things Christians disagree about are not "Biblical issues." Paul stood his ground when the issues were important (i.e. circumcision, Law, etc.) to salvation and living the Grace Life. Life "style" issues were a different matter. Paul spoke clearly to some but said little about others. Some of the differences we see today come from Christians' personal upbringing, background, and church and peer influences; some from different interpretations of Scripture. So, what should a Christian do when they come against a weaker Christian's view about lifestyles?

Paul wrote that "the man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him." (Romans 14:3) This is so insightful! The Christian who follows Grace and believes his freedom allows him to eat any food might think himself "superior" to a Christian who believes some foods are unclean. The Christian who follows certain rules and regulations might think himself "holier" than the Christian who doesn't follow those same rules.

What's important is to remember that "God has accepted him." Christians sometime forget who they are and to Whom they belong. Paul wrote: "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." I don't "own" another Christian. I didn't die for their sins. I didn't save them and place them into the Body of Christ. I am not their Lord. I don't live "in" them. Neither does any other Christian. Our Master is Jesus Christ. He paid the penalty. He rose from the grave. He was victorious over death. He saves souls. Every Christian has One Master and that Person is Jesus Christ. Who are we to judge Christ's servants? We stand or fall to Christ, not each other. And we will stand! Why? "For the Lord is able to make him stand." God is working in the lives of all His children. He is able to lead and guide them. He is able to change them. We may disagree with what they believe. We may not like what they believe. But God is able to make them strong. (Remember when we were "weak in faith?" Think about how God was "able" to make us stand. That's what He can do with all His children.)

Paul shares another example:

"One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."

Romans 14:5-8

Paul is writing about "ownership." Who owns believers? Other believers? No.God owns Christians. We "belong" to Him. Our responsbility is to Him. The way we live our lives is our way of loving God. If we make mistakes, God will show us the way. If we are weak in faith, God is "able" to make us strong."

Every Christian will give an account of their lives to God. Why do we judge or look down on each other when we know each of us will stand before God's judgment seat? Paul tells Christians to "stop passing judgment on one another." (Romans 14:12-13)

What should we do, then? Just let everybody do whatever they want and not care? Paul wrote, "Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." (Romans 14:13) Paul directs Grace Believer to care deeply about their weaker brothers and do whatever is necessary to help them grow in Grace. God tells us to "welcome" the weak brother into fellowship and not judge them about disputable matters. Paul believed that no food was unclean in itself, but he understood that if a brother regarded something as unclean, then for them it was unclean. However, if the stronger brother's eating meat distressed the weaker brother, then his continuing to eat meat in front of the weaker brother would not be acting in love. "Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men." (Romans 14:14-17) Paul knew what was important in eternal matters. He doesn't ask stronger Christians not to teach weaker brothers. He doesn't suggest the strong not point the weak toward a lifestyle of Grace and freedom. The strong should teach the weak. But part of teaching is living in a way that doesn't place obstacles in the way of others' personal growth. Paul asked the stronger brother to be the mature one and not cause his weaker brother to stumble. We can enjoy our freedom in ways that do not cause weaker brothers to stumble. Pressing our freedom can become an obstacle to Christians who are weak in their faith.

We have the freedom to live any way that God leads us. What's important for Grace Believers is that we use our freedom to please God. If we don't, we're not acting in love. Love is the foundation of Grace. Paul wrote the Galatians that they "were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." (Galatians 5:13) Paul wrote the Romans to "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. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that will cause your brother to fall." (Romans 14:19-21)

Paul is speaking here about believers with strong faith. It may not be easy to put our freedom aside for the benefit of others, but think about what Jesus did for us. He put aside all His Heavenly Glory and became sin for us. He put aside His Freedom for our benefit. He gave His Life for us. There is no greater Love than that. There is no greater evidence of Grace and Faith. Christ "in" us will give us the strength we need.

"Return to Balance"

It's obvious to everyone that life on earth is now out of balanace. Paul wrote:

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."

Romans 8:22-23

Why the pain, the groaning, the need for redemption? Sin! Sin entered the universe through Adam and threw everything out of balance. Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Their eyes were open and they realized they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. They heard God walking in the garden and they hid from Him among the trees in the garden. God found Adam and asked him what he had done. Adam blamed God and Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. Adam and Eve, who began life as immortals, began to die. Eve, and all women since Eve, experienced increased pain in childbirth. The earth produced thorns and thistles and brought pain to Adam and all others who farmed the land for food. Disease and disaster ravaged the world. People experienced sadness, depression, anger, jealousy, bitterness and pride. They committed murder and suicide. People stole from one another, lied to each other, and used and abused others for their own selfish ends.

We members of this planet and universe are out of balance. We don't have the ability or the understanding to return life to balance. The human race is "dead" in transgressions and sins. People are trapped in a river of sin and can do nothing but follow the torrent wherever it takes them.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."

Ephesians 2:1-3

So, how does the human race return to balance? Can we do something to earn or deserve balance? No! It is something that comes only from the Heart of God.

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved."

Ephesians 2:4-5

God offers every person alive today a special gift: the gift of eternal life. He offers us salvation from our sins. He offers us Balance. God knows the terrible condition of the human heart. He knows we cannot find balance on our own. He knows that we need Him desperately. God comes to our rescue "because of His great love for us." God loves you and me with all His Heart. God wants us to return to a relationship He once had with our earliest ancestors. He wants us to be fulfilled. He wants us to have hope and joy. God wants to shower us with spiritual blessings. He wants to save us. He does that "by grace through faith." It is a matter of our having faith in Christ that God will save us from our sin and pain. God stands ready to save anyone who comes to Him in faith.

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."

Ephesians 2:6-9

Salvation is the beginning for us, not the end, of our return to balance. Jesus rescued us from the raging river of sin and set out souls on dry ground. We're saved and headed for heaven!

Heaven is where God will give us complete Balance. Heaven is where God completes our redemption. Heaven is where we will spend eternity, not with our dying bodies and brains, but with new bodies and new minds.

"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep [die], but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality."

1 Corinthians 15:50-53

"According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Our lives in heaven will be wonderful! We will be everything we've ever dreamed of being. We will do everything we've ever wished we could do. We will be perfect in every way because we will be like Christ ... we will have our Balance.

If we have to wait until we get to heaven to return to balance, why do anything now? Why not just wait? Because we are on the road to balance. It began the moment Christ saved us. He lives "in" us and gives us balance. Every moment since He saved us has been an opportunity to step in the direction of a balanced life, the Life of Christ.

Paul was passionate about using everything at his disposal to return to balance in his life. He did not trust his own strength or human abilities. Paul looked to Christ to complete him.

"If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things."

Philippians 3:4-15

Paul knew God would return him to Perfect Balance in heaven. Paul knew that was why God was calling him heavenward. But Paul also knew his life on earth was part of the journey toward balance. Paul understood the prize. He knew the goal. He lived his life for that goal. He put the past behind and strained toward what was ahead.

Paul wanted the same for all Christians. He prayed this for the Ephesians.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3:14-21

We come closer to Balance as we come closer to the love of God. Love of self led the human race away from God. The Love of God will lead us back. It is in Christ that we find our balance.

Since we are out of balance, how do we find our way back? How do we know what to do, what to seek, what to ask for? We often don't know what's right. We often don't seek what's right? We often don't ask for what's right? We need God's help in doing the right things. The most important way is to understand Christ "in" us, the hope of glory. We can trust the Spirit of God Who lives in us to guide us toward balance. Look to Christ in you and His Spirit to return us, step by step, to Balance in Him.

"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will"

Romans 8:24-28

"Glory of the Son!"

"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."

Hebrews 1:3

Radiance

Radiance is apaugasma . It comes from apo ("from") and auge ("brightness). It is a "shining forth." The shining forth comes from within the luminous body. Some translators have chosen the words "effulgence" and "out-raying" to explain the meaning of apaugasma . It does not mean "reflected light." It is not that Christ was in God's Presence and "reflected" God's Glory in the same way that Moses reflected God's Glory after being in His Presence. It is a brightness that eminates from within Jesus. The Shekinah Glory of Almighty God radiates from inside Christ! The word is found only in Hebrews 1:3 and it is about our Lord. Jesus is God and therefore is the "radiance" of God's Glory.

Glory is doxa . It is the expression of the divine attributes. Moses once asked God to show him His Glory. God answered by saying, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence." (Exodus 33:19) In Exodus 34 we see God pass in front of Moses and that His Goodness is made up of his Compassion, Grace, Patience, Love, Mercy, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Fairness and Justice. Jesus is the "radiance" of God's Glory. Our Lord radiates all that is Good. The Apostle John wrote: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

Hebrews 1:3 reminds me of several other verses about Christ's radiance.

"There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light."

Matthew 17:2

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

John 1:1-5

"Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan. Galilee of the Gentiles--the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

Matthew 4:13-16

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

John 8:12

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."

John 12:46

"The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."

Revelation 21:23

The Light of heaven is the Glory of God and Jesus Christ is the radiance of God's Glory! We are so fortunate to know Him personally; to have Him living "in" us.

Representation

Christ is also "sustaining all things by his powerful word." "Sustaining" is pheron . It carries the idea of "sustaining something that is in constant movement." Jesus sustains and maintains all of creation as it moves forward in time. Jesus has sustained all things from the beginning. Paul wrote:

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Colossians 1:15-17

Christ created everything and has sustained everything since the beginning. He continues to do that today and will continue for eternity. All things maintain their coherence in Christ. Nothing has the power to hold together by its own power. It is only in the Power of Christ that things hold together.

How does Jesus do it? What is His Power? It is "by his powerful word" that He sustains all things. The writer to Hebrews wrote, "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Hebrews 11:3) Moses wrote:

"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" ... "And God said, 'Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.'" ... "And God said, 'Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let the dry ground appear.'" ... "Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.'" ... "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.'" ... "And God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.'" ... "And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.'" ... "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"

Genesis 1

This is Christ creating Earth by the power of His Word! What a remarkable scene. Jesus created life and sustains it "by his powerful word." The Apostle John wrote:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

John 1:1-3

In the context of God speaking about Christ, His Son, the writer to Hebrews wrote:

"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same and your years will never end."

Hebrews 1:10-12

The Crown of Glory

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers."

Hebrews 2:9-11

How fortunate we are to know the Living God through the radiance of His Glory and the exact representation of His Being, the One Who suffered death for us How fortunate the the Radiance of God's Glory lives "in" us and we live "in" Him!

"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © , 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."

Taking God's Grace to the World!

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