Romans 14

Daily Devotional from Romans 14--

Verses 17-19

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

So many times, people get caught up in judging others and defending their own points of view, without making room for other ways of looking at things. This leads to conflict and disunity. Meanwhile, the Bible encourages us to pursue peace and encourage each other, especially within the church body.

Unity does not mean that we all must think alike. Unity means that we are committed to a common cause. For Christians that means we are committed to a set of basic principles (like the divinity of Jesus, and salvation by grace and not works). It does not mean we can’t be diverse and have differences of opinion (such as, belief in pre- vs. post-tribulation rapture, and eternal security vs. ability to back-slide to such a point where salvation is forsaken.)

So let’s follow the Bible and focus our efforts on building bridges and encouraging each others’ sanctification.

Rick Bolesta