"Getting Along"

Romans 14-15 are two chapters filled with richness about how members of Christ body are to get along. Too many refuse to hear what is being taught in pursuit of their personal interests. Here we have two groups that have come to Jesus: Jews and Gentiles. They have come to Christ Jesus with diverse backgrounds and there would be serious adjustments that need to be made by the love and grace of God. They needed to live in harmony as those reconciled by the blood of the Lamb. There was a controversy over to eat meat or not eat meat and holy days. Should the holy days be kept or not? People were looking down on one another, passing condemnation to one another while claiming their relationship to Christ. Too many today are turning things into a life and death debate in the church that really aren't.

It's all about rights and giving up your rights in view of Christ the Lord. Both groups could be pleasing because it wasn't about eating, not eating or keeping certain days holy and not keeping them holy. It was about a relationship to Jesus. Remember, we are speaking of things that have no clear cut do or don't do teachings. We are speaking about pushing your ideas on another, condemning one because they don't do it like you think it should be done and pulling some verses out of line to make your stand!

Who are we? We need to understand that those who have been immersed into Christ are acceptable servants to Christ because they came to Him on His terms! We need to realize that if one feels strongly about a situation and another doesn't, each does it because they want to please the Lord. We need to realize that walking in the kingdom of God is not about rights but righteousness, peace and joy. It's too easy to accept those we have a warm affection toward and very difficult for those belligerent toward us. We must realize we could give up our rights to help another make it! What would that do? Create righteousness, joy and peace! If we can't give up something for the sake of another who struggles with it, what kind of brother are we really? If I can't say no to a piece of meat, who is the one really held bound and blind? What did Jesus do? He gave up everything that we might live! And here we sit complaining about one another because they observe some holy day from the old covenant, or they won't see things my way. Paul took things so far that he would never eat meat again if it caused his brother to stumble (I Cor. 8). Why don't we take that loving attitude? 

When we give up our rights for the sake of another, do we realize what we are doing? Teaching! We are teaching the major truth about what Christ and His kingdom is all about. It encourages those who don't have as much insight to learn how to give up for one another resulting in peace and the community of true believers working in love which sends a message to the world about fellowship and the glorious gospel. We seem to miss things sometimes and it is causing more and more factions in the body which is why we have no gospel of peace but a gospel of division to see and do it my way!!! I wouldn't want to be drawn to that kind of gospel. I can get that from the world's religion!