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Posts Tagged ‘Romans 14’

Joy! Trifecta of God’s Kingdom

Posted in Christ, Joy, Podcast, tagged , on December 20, 2021| 1 Comment »

“For the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.”

Romans 14:17-18

This was written to a diverse group of believers in an international city, Rome, blending many ideas and cultures.

Some were vegetarians and others were carnivores, some revered special days (the Jewish culture had many holidays with fasting and feasting, totally lost on those not Jewish) others disregarding.  Paul indicates these are not what’s important in God’s kingdom.

There are three important things in God’s Kingdom: 1) Righteousness; 2) Peace; and 3) Joy from the Holy Spirit – here is where the focus should be.

We should allow each other to enjoy Jesus!

If your faith is not allowing you to live at peace with God and have Joy in your heart, something is wrong. Be fully convinced in what you think is “right” while allowing others to be “wrong”, in your opinion.  Encourage even the “wrong” ones to love Jesus and serve him with joy and peace. Don’t be shaken by what someone else thinks of how you serve Jesus.

Prayer: “Jesus, for this new week, help me to find a way to enjoy you in what I do, to live in the peace of Christ, and act right, allowing others to do the same.

-fritz

* 1 Peter 5:7

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Unity, Liberty, and Charity

Posted in Liberty, Quotes, Unity, tagged on September 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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 … Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. – Romans 14:3, 19

There was controversy in the early church. Some participated in activities others thought unacceptable. Participants thought the abstainers were prudes, abstainers thought the participants were sinners.

The Apostle Paul called both to focus on Christ not themselves or each other. We don’t have to agree on everything to love God together; and we don’t have to worship the same way or at the same place to worship the same God. We can each trust God will change each other as we, both, grow in Christ.

All Christian churches are 95% in agreement in faith and practice. They all confess Jesus is LORD and believe God has raised him, bodily, from the dead.

There’s an old saying attributed to an ancient theologian, St. Augustine:

In essentials UNITY,
In non essentials LIBERTY,
In all things, CHARITY.1

-fritz

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