13:8 - A recurring theme throughout the New Testament: wanna fulfill the law, love one another. Really simple concept, but it seems from our constant failure that it is pretty hard to make into a reality. Stinking selfish human nature!!! What can you do today to live out the command to love another?
13:11 - The time is now for us to wake up from the zombie-like existence we live out when obsessed with the things of this world and see that we were meant to live for so much more (Thank you, Switchfoot) than money, power, stuff, sex, etc. Salvation is at hand...do you live out your salvation daily?
14:4ff - Who do I think I am to call down judgement on my Christian brothers and sisters who believe differently then me? Paul isn't saying that we should not hold each other accountable...he is saying Christians should not destroy each other over theological differences. I don't have the corner on theological correctness...I am a flawed man who is chasing after God and should have respect for other flawed men chasing after God.
14:7 - The important part is not that you have every aspect of spirituality completely figured out (Which chapter 11 showed us is impossible!), but that we daily live for God and willingly offer ourselves as living sacrifices.
14:19 - Why would you ever cause a Christian brother to stumble by what you eat or drink or watch or do? To cause problems just to prove a point about what you believe is acceptable is the height of selfish arrogance. Instead pursue the tings in life that bring peace and uplift.
2 comments:
Liked the Message 13:13-14 We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!
14:1 - 1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with.
Last part of the last verse of 14 – NIV states that “everything that does not come from faith is sin”. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy – not. Felt better after reading this in the Message - If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong.
If you ask for wisdom, God will provide it.
j
Ch 14 brings up an interesting situation, talking about this idea that we should not condemn each other based on what is "questionable." We should hold very tightly to our faith in Jesus Christ, there is no question about that. But in other matters that are "questionable," we should still keep the most important thing in mind: it's all about love. Love is the most important thing we are asked to do, and we are asked to live out everything else AFTER love.
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