A Living SacrificeSample

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17 ESV)

Back in Paul’s days, just like in our days, there were disputes among believers about everything. This goes back to the beginning of time. Ever since man was created and God revealed His laws and expectations, man has rebelled or twisted God’s words, with the help of the enemy, the Father of Lies, into “religion.” Religion quickly becomes performance-oriented and a place where self-righteousness can foster.

The early church dealt with dietary issues, since many of them were Jewish and had been raised with dietary restrictions. And some would observe fasting from meat while others would not. Or some would have sacred days of prayer and fasting and others would not. People developed their own spiritual rhythms and worship practices, and it is obvious that people were judging others who did not live up to their standards.

Similarly, today, the issue of whether to drink alcohol or not, can be a divisive issue. I’ve been to Egypt, and there Christians wrestle with whether or not to smoke the popular Hookah pipe with flavored tobacco. And in Cuba, Christians wrestle with whether or not to smoke cigars. Some Christians wrestle with whether or not to drink coffee.

You see the dilemma. These are personal issues that a believer must bring before the Lord, and I fully believe He will show you what is right for you. As I’ve said before, God does not want us imposing our standards on everyone else, but let us use God’s Word always as our standard.

For example, this is what Jesus said,“And he said to them, ‘Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’” Mark 7:18-23 ESV