I Believe... - Rom. 14:23b
From yesterday's reading:
"If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning." Rom. 14:23b
Saying I was mightily convicted when I read this this morning would be an understatement. What this says to me is that there is no rationalizing what God may or may not have said/meant when I read it on a page in the Bible. That the Holy Spirit living inside me makes me a "law" unto myself! The sentences directly before the one quoted above read like this: "But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn't eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God." So it isn't important whether God said eat or don't eat, it is important to obey what you believe; ...and if you don't, you are sinning! This gives me no way to justify taking an action that I believe is "probably OK to God," if I feel in my heart it is wrong. Wow! I just need to stop and think on this a little more, I'm kinda overwhelmed... I mean, I am simply recognizing how often I do this... OK, stop, pray.
Dear God, help me to know how to live this revelation. It just seems SO big! Why does this feel new? Was I rationalizing THAT much? Please forgive me. Turn this from being overwhelmed by a new challenge, to being excited by how alive and relevant your Holy Spirit living inside me is. Thank you God that you are new every morning!
Today's reading: Rom. 14-16
posted by m.remedios @ 7:58 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Mike
Paul told his friends in Corinth (ch 8) "And you are sinning against Christ when you sin against other Christians* by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong."
It was ok to eat meat offered to idols, but if someone thought it was wrong (even thought it is alright) then that is sinful to encourage them to go against their conscience and do what you think and know to be right. I guess that is why they call it a personal relationship...
Yeah, I knew that verse but thought what i was feeling was somewhat different; but the more I think about it, it really isn't. I guess what hit me is the amount of rationalization I allow myself to do, and actually think is ok (cloaked as an intellectual exercise w/god)--if I am rationalizing, obviously I am trying to convince myself that something is ok that my heart is telling me is not--to the extent that I buy in, I am sinning.
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