Not Judging Others When it Comes to Debatable Issues...

Yesterday, we looked at a section of a letter in the Bible called the book of Romans that provided a timeless principle that is necessary to integrate into our lives when it comes to carefully exercising the liberty that we have as followers of Jesus. As followers of Jesus we are to carefully exercise their liberty by not judging others when it comes to debatable issues.

As followers of Jesus, we are to accept and welcome within the community of faith those who may be weak and limited when it comes to exercising their liberty that they have in Christ in their day to day lives on a debatable issue of the faith. We are not to judge them as second class citizens; instead we are to welcome, them, love them, and serve them. Paul then provides a second example of a debatable issue that was causing conflict a criticism in verse 5:

One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

Here we see Paul provide us a second example where followers of Jesus are to carefully exercise our liberty by not judging others when it comes to debatable issues. Most likely, Paul was referring to a debate involving what days are o.k. for followers of Jesus to worship in community. Prior to Jesus resurrection, the Sabbath was celebrated on Saturday. Now it is important that a Sabbath was not designed as a day to lay down and take a nap. The Sabbath was designed to be a day for followers of God to look up and pause and remember that God is to be the center of our lives. After Jesus resurrection, followers of Jesus began to pause and remember to look up in worship of God on Sundays, which was the day that Jesus was raised from the dead.

Those who had the strength and freedom to exercise their liberty in Christ had no problem with the change to worshipping on Sunday. Those who were weak when it came to the freedom to exercise their liberty, however, had a problem with such a change. And as a result, there was conflict and criticism by some who wanted to keep many of the Old Testament traditions about where, when and how to worship. So has anything changed? Whether it is worship styles, musical instruments, Saturday services, or how we celebrate communion, there can be great variations in how we respond to anything that threatens any traditions that we have as followers of Jesus.

After providing a second example of a debatable issue that was causing conflict and criticism, Paul reinforces the timeless reality that followers of Jesus are not to judge one another because there is only one judge, and that judge is Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we are not to conduct our lives with a self centered focus. Instead, as followers of Jesus, we are to live our lives for the Lord and with a focus on pleasing the Lord. We are to maintain this focus as followers of Jesus because Jesus entered into humanity and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life. And it is Jesus resurrection from the dead that provides the proof that Jesus is large and in charge of all humanity throughout all of history.

And because Jesus, and not the members of the church at Rome or followers of Jesus today, is large and in charge, Paul repeats the question that he had previously asked in verse 4: Why do you judge your brother? Why do you regard your brother with contempt?” Paul then answers his own question by stating that every follower of Jesus will stand before Him to give an account for how they conducted their lives here on earth. Every follower of Jesus will have to answer for how they chose to exercise or not exercise the freedom and liberty that they had as a result of their relationship with Him.

Paul then points the members of the church at Rome to a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Bibles called the book of Isaiah, to show that Jesus is the judge. And because of that reality, while we have been given great freedom and liberty as followers of Jesus, we are called by God to practice a lifestyle that carefully exercises our liberty by not judging others when it comes to debatable matters. Instead of judging, we are to welcome them, love them, and serve them as part of a loving community of faith that is united on the closed handed, non-negotiable aspects of the faith that really matter.

Paul then continues by revealing for us a second principle that is necessary to integrate into our lives when it comes to carefully exercising the liberty that we have as followers of Jesus. We will look at that principle tomorrow...