Heaven Ward

05/06/24 – 05/13/24

Christian Liberty

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  05/08/24

Read Romans 14.

If Paul is emphasizing one thing in Romans 14, he is pleading with believers to major on the majors and minor on the minors. As Christians filled with the Holy Spirit, we have liberty to exercise our judgment concerning practices that aren’t expressly restricted in the Bible or essential for righteous and holy living.

When our eyes are fixed on pleasing the Lord above everything else in life, we will naturally pursue righteousness—and we won’t waste our time focusing on the social habits of others. That doesn’t mean looking the other way at blatant sin, but in matters of Christian liberty—clothing, food, and certain practices, like smoking, drinking alcohol (not in excess), or other amusements—we shouldn’t become legalistic and create rules for behavior that aren’t in the Bible.

The enemy wants to distract us with small issues that create unnecessary division in the church. Let’s not waste a single minute or ounce of energy fighting the saints. Let’s use all our ammunition to defeat sin and temptation in our lives. Let’s turn our weapons toward the enemy of our souls. Let’s focus on what’s important to God—the heart, not outward appearances. And let’s faithfully exercise our liberty by seeking His will through prayer and His Word.

Prayer: God, help me to focus on pleasing You today. May I dwell on whatever is true, noble, excellent, or praiseworthy to be an encouragement to others and to follow You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand” (Romans 14:4).