“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14:13 ESV).
In Romans 14, the apostle Paul addresses how Christians should treat one another concerning matters of liberty and conscience. Specifically, he mentions diet, drink and holidays as areas that should be left up to conscience, but not to let our freedom in these areas cause another brother to stumble.
Paul is not speaking of those things that are clearly affirmed or prohibited in the Scriptures. Certainly there must be unity around those things that are the essentials of the Christian faith. Paul is speaking of disputable matters, like whether eating meat or being a vegetarian is preferable for a believer. This was an especially relevant topic during Paul’s day as Jewish background believers with their kosher diets were now breaking bread with Gentile background believers who had no such dietary restrictions.
So what is the timeless principle for us today? Isn’t it to put our brother’s welfare ahead of our own, so that our freedom doesn’t harm his faith? A well known motto of Christian peacemakers attempts to state this timeless principle thusly: “In essentials unity, in non essentials liberty, in all things charity (or love).”
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for the liberty we have in Christ. But help us not to glory in our freedom, but to glory in Jesus. For it was for love’s sake that Jesus set aside His freedom that we might be set free from our slavery to sin. In all things, help us to walk in the love of Christ this day. In Jesus’ name, amen.