Romans 14:9 instructs us to not judge our brothers. When we put this in conjunction with Romans 14:1, we can see that Paul was trying to tell us to receive those are weak without judgment. If our brother is weak, we are not called to condemn or judge them for this weakness, we are called to reach aggressively into their lives and bring strength and support until they can stand on their own. Remember, we cannot respectively receive our brother and sister, who are weak in the faith, while we are standing in judgment of them. Why? Because our judgment will get in the way of imparting faith and truth into their lives.

There were many conflicts faced by the new believers in Rome. Persecution, for one, was rampant. Still, the Church was growing at a rapid pace, and this included both Jews (those who’d lived their lives with the Law as their tutor) and Gentiles (heathens who had no previous understanding or training in walking out a life of righteousness). Historically speaking, Jews and Gentiles were like oil and water, so mixing these two was a challenge in and of itself. Jews who previously avoided the unclean Gentiles were now thrust into a new life wherein acceptance of one another without judgment was a must. How could they grow as a body of Christ if they could not learn to love and accept one another? They were all believers in Christ Jesus, but this was the only thing they had in common. Would it be enough to form a Church?

Judaizers were infiltrating this new Church, men who were intent on bringing the converted Gentiles under the Law through circumcision and strict adherence to the Law. They wanted the converted Jews to retain adherence to the Law in conjunction with their new-found faith. It was a lot for these new converts to follow. Was this the plan Christ had for them? No, that is not why Jesus came. He did not come to die for our sins, bringing us into the freedom to go into the Holy of Holies ourselves, entering into the presence of God, having intimacy with Him on a daily basis, only to have us then leave the Holy of Holies and go back into the bondage of the Law!

The Lord said, “I will write My law upon their hearts.” It was His desire for the Law to become part of who they were at their very core. Romans chapters 12 through 15, the service of our faith portion of our study, is about walking out the Law that, with the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ, is written upon our hearts. Christ laid everything down for us. This is how we demonstrate a life that has, in turn, laid down everything for Him, by loving our brethren, showing one’s self approved, becoming a living sacrifice, refusing to be conformed to this world and so on. Is that not the implementation of the 10 Commandments? The first three commandments are about our relationship with God and the last seven provide guidance in our relationship with one another.

Hebrews 8:10 tells us that God will write His law upon our hearts. How does that work, exactly? What we do, day in and day out, will be a demonstration or reflection of the impartation of His law on our hearts. While our salvation is not based on works, our works (actions) demonstrate our faith. As such, everything we do should be filtered through the knowledge of Who we belong to. In truth, our actions will demonstrate whether we belong to Christ or Satan. Understanding that we represent Him wherever we go and in whatever we do should cause us to adjust our behaviors accordingly. Some may say, “Isn’t that salvation by works?” I disagree. When you love someone, really love them, you carry them with you.

Consider a newborn babe. From the moment he is born, everything you do is done by factoring in the impact those actions will have on this precious new life. Whether it’s dinner or a vacation, every choice you make includes the impact it will have on your child. Why? Because he is an integral part of your life now. He matters to you more than you ever thought possible and you want to be the best parent you can be to that child.

Let’s consider our new relationship with Christ. We love Him. Once we’ve repented for our sins and given our life to Him, He gives us the support we need by writing His law upon our hearts during the conception of our salvation. What a precious gift! We are often so rough around the edges when we give our lives to Christ (this is why discipleship is so valuable), but Jesus provides us with a gift—He deposits His law within us (Matthew 22:34-40) along with the ability to walk out our salvation. Our obedience serves to foster our growth in Him.

I ask again, are we demonstrating a person who represents Christ? Is that the life we are living? Is the focus of our life indicative of Christ in us? Are we taking what has been imparted into our life and reaching out to the lives of those who need our support and, in turn, strengthening them? This is the service portion of our faith, which has greater value than we can imagine.

To be continued next week…
Blessings & Love,
Ricci Wilson