Get the appTheology for Everybody: RomansSample
When I was in college, there was a group of guys who were all Christians who wanted to go to the sports bar to watch a big game. I didn’t drink alcohol, but one of the guys was a brand-new Christian and had been a severe alcoholic.
We wanted to go to the sports bar for the game, but he said if we went there, he couldn’t go. He had just joined Team Jesus and was a recovering alcoholic. So, we had three choices:
1. We could drag him to the bar and cause him to stumble.
2. We could just ditch him and forget about it.
3. We could choose to watch the game together somewhere else.
What would the right answer be? That’s right, choice number three. We found a restaurant that didn’t serve alcohol but still had the game on, so we went there.
Paul’s point is this. You have freedom, but in some areas of your life, you shouldn’t use it because you’re weak in that area and can get in trouble. Or you may love someone weaker in that area and don’t want to be a stumbling block to them. If someone is stronger in an area, then don’t judge them. And if someone is weaker in an area, don’t judge them.
It’s more about being close to the person than enjoying your freedom close to the line. If you’re stronger than someone else, don’t drag them to the line because they may easily stumble over it. Instead, go backward to join them rather than trying to pull them forward into potential struggle and sin. This is how we can love and serve others through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The world says, “Everyone needs to agree with me!” But in God’s family, we are free to be different and still love each other. Some of the weaker brothers and sisters are like our younger siblings, and the stronger brothers and sisters are like our older siblings. We expect older siblings to love and serve the younger siblings because that is part of being a loving family.
Today’s Reflection
How can you love people who may struggle with things you don’t struggle with, making the relationship more important than your freedom in Christ?
Scripture
About this Plan
After Pastor Mark got saved in his college dorm room reading the book of Romans, this 365-day devotional is the culmination of more than 30 years of studying this incredible book. Chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse, this book digs into topics covered in the great book of Romans, such as justification, grace, predestination, legalism, deconstruction, and more.
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We would like to thank Mark Driscoll for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://realfaith.com
