Skip to main content

Don't Be A Stumbling Block, Be A Step.


Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. (Romans 14:13)
 

            "If you love the Lord, you'll share..." or "Share if you are not ashamed of Jesus...."
            "How can you not raise your hands in worship?"
            Then there are  the various holidays and the greetings to which we'll respond appropriately if we're really Christians. The  seemingly unending list of things you must do and must not do to prove you are a good Christian changes constantly.
          When Paul wrote the letter to Romans the debates were already raging. Some thought eating food used in sacrifices to idols was worshipping the gods or goddesses to which it had been sacrificed. Others said that was nonsense because the gods and goddesses in question didn't actually exist. Some people were scrupulous about observing holidays. Others apparently thought observing those holidays was somehow wrong.
          This is the background to today's passage. Paul wasn't telling anyone not to judge things that were well-established as sins: adultery, lying, etc. He was interested in dealing with questions within the Church, specifically things that could  result in individuals or groups being denied fellowship. "One another" does not refer to judging sin or even judging those who are outside the Church.  It's all about other Christians.
          What Paul tells us is that instead of judging one another, we should be judging ourselves, being careful that we don't put things in the way of another Christian and causing him/her to sin or preventing him/her from growing in his/her faith. It seems to me that we are putting stumbling blocks out whenever we demand or prohibit performance as a proof of Christianity and too often attempting to shame those we should be encouraging. It's easy to be a stumbling block. Determine to be a step instead.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Birthday of
Frank Lloyd Wright, George Stephenson (locomotive)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more