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This Passage is just absolutely packed with application for our church right now.
Paul began this chapter with Receive one who is weak but with the warning but not to disputes over doubtful things.
We must receive into fellowship into love into the church those who are in the faith.
Yes we have a screening process.
We want to know that people are indeed in the faith when we accept them into membership.
We want to hear testimony form them that they profess Christ as Lord, that they have been baptised.
We want to see evidence of the fruit of that faith in their life.
Even then we are prone to get it wrong from time to time but to our ability we want to know that a person is in the faith before we receive them into membership or into fellowship.
But we must receive one who is in the faith providing they come in peace with genuine desire.
We receive them because God has received them.
Do not call anything unclean that God has cleaned.
But not to disputes over doubtful things.
Paul’s concern here is that we continue in the faith in peace and unity not divisions.
And it is doubtful things that is the focus here.
There are key teachings of our faith that are not doubtful but are established clearly but Paul is concerned with the grey areas because it is usually the grey areas that cause the most disputes.
Specifically Paul is dealing with eating meat or not eating meat.
And observing special days or not observing special days.
However, Paul’s teaching here applies to any number of things which would fall under the label of doubtful things.
Some Christians today struggle even with these same issues.
Should we eat meat that has been blessed in the name Allah?
Should we celebrate Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter, that have pagan roots?
Should we work or play on Saturday or should that day be set apart for the Lord?
Or perhaps more relevant to us right now, should I get the Pfizer vaccine or not?
I believe that this is very much a doubtful thing.
We must all choose what we will do but this is a grey area because there is no Biblical command.
So perhaps Paul’s teaching here might give us guidance in how we deal with this touchy issue in our church.
Get a Conviction
Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
How does this help stop disputes?
if we become fully convinced in our own mind on something then we will just become more intrenched in our view.
You would think that that would lead to more disputes.
But what Paul seems to be teaching us here is that we can have strong opinions and still have unity.
Paul doesn’t say that these issues don’t matter.
He says they do matter.
They matter enough for us to be fully convinced.
Paul is actually saying to get a conviction about these things.
Why do these things matter?
He eludes to it in vs 4
We are servants.
As servants we should care very much about what our master wants us to do even in these grey areas.
These things do matter and we should be fully convinced in our own mind.
This is further confirmed the next few verses as we will see.
So if I am a servant of God and I must get a conviction on these doubtful things, what should my conviction be?
So my conviction regardless of whether or not it is to observe the day or not or to eat or not I should be convinced that what I do is to the glory of God.
For the Glory of God
So much so that down in verse 23 Paul will tell us that if we have doubts we commit sin.
This is a key part of the process then, we must get a conviction and be convinced in our own mind that we glorify God.
So essentially what Paul is telling us is that we are servants of God.
Our life is not our own.
So when we have doubts about what we should do we must seek the direction of God so that we can serve Him and glorify Him.
But what is interesting about this is that Paul says that he who observes the special day do so to the glory of God and at the same time another does not observe the special day does not observe it to the glory of God.
How can that be?
One can eat meat because after seek the leading of the Holy Spirit and seeking truth in the Word of God he is convinced that he can eat meat to the glory of God and God is indeed glorified in his eating of meat.
While God is also glorified in anther not eating meat after they have become fully convinced that they must not.
So despite the fact that both of these have become more convinced of the opposing ideas they have both become unify in giving God glory and giving God thanks.
Whether we Live or Die we are the Lord’s
We are God’s people, we are His servants.
No one lives to his or her self.
No one dies to his or her self.
we would almost expect after that statement that Paul would tell us of our obligation to society.
You don’t live to yourself or die to yourself you live and die for the good of the community.
But Paul doesn’t say that, he is not a communist.
Rather he says you live and die for the glory of God.
Your purpose is to glorify God with every breath until you draw your last breath.
Ah but thats not it.
Even when you die you are the Lord’s and your purpose is still to glorify God.
Paul shows us that this purpose is even established in the death burial and resurrection of Christ.
He die and was buried that He would be Lord of the dead and He rose again so that He would be Lord of the living.
So that whether we live or die Christ is sovereign, God is glorified in His people.
So wether it’s eating meat or observing holidays or the Sabbath or getting vaccinated, or any other doubtful thing, let each one be convinced in their own mind.
Notice the convincing is for our own mind there is no need to convince anyone else’s mind.
You may say but it’s life and death.
Yes, but that’s ok because Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
let pray.
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