SUNDAY November 1, 2020
Do You Have Faith?
Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Romans 14:22-23
Paul explained a Christian’s life of faith. Before God an individual person has the liberty to eat any type of food. However, in Jewish culture, they would not eat meat if it was offered to an idol (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). If they question themselves, doubting in their mind and heart whether they should have actually eaten something, then they do not have faith––their actions become sin to them.
A Christian who doubts has violated his own conscious and becomes judged by their conscious, especially if they may have made a weaker brother stumble over their actions. You see, those who observe them eating something against their conscious, will be stumbled. They have been a first-hand witness to a person’s compromise to their convictions, liberty or freedoms. A believer should never give cause for a weaker brother in Christ to stumble.
Do you have strong convictions over a food issue? The mature Christian must maintain a healthy conscious before God. We are judged by our actions––our conscious. Christians, know what is right and wrong. They know what their freedoms and liberties are in Christ. If they go ahead against their conscious––it becomes sin.
In the New Testament, Christians are to operate under the law of love. We should make the decision not to eat or drink anything that will cause another believer to walk away from Christ. May the Holy Spirit help us to have faith, to do what is right, and to operate in love toward our fellow believers in Christ.
A fellow shouldn't abandon his faith when it weakens, any more than he would throw away a suit because it needs pressing.
~Frank A. Clark~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!