Make Every Effort to Make Peace

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Make Every Effort to Make Peace

Date: Jun. 26, 2023

Passage

Romans 14:13-23 (ESV)

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 14:19

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Paul writes that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We should not make our fellow believers to be distressed because of what we eat.

After Jesus’ death on the cross for our sin, we are no longer bound by the law. There are no more laws restricting on what to eat or what not to eat. But when we eat, we are acting based on our concern for our fellow believers. If what we eat causes them to be distressed or even causes them to lose faith, we are not doing what is right.

What Jesus wants from us is to make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Whatever we eat, whatever we do must be edifying to one another.

Jesus wants us to be one church, one body. He wants us to love one another and work together to become one in Christ. Even though we may think we are doing a great thing, if it hurts and discourages our fellow believers, we need to rethink if it truly edifies our church or if it is dividing our church.

Prayer: Prayer: Father, help us to do what leads to peace and mutual edification.

One Word: One Word: For mutual edification in Christ.

A Good King is Humbled

2 Kings 18:1-16

Key Verse: 18:5

He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.

Today's Question

What does the first commandment forbid?

See answer and references