The Devotional - R049

The Devotional

Comment:

There is not one line of communication that cannot be misinterpreted, simply someone can say to you or me; “How are you doing?” the guilty person will say, “What? What do you mean by that question?” Answering a question with a question is that the first question is either misunderstood or rejected by the other because something is amiss. Real communication is not easy, but there is an approved way of communication to talk with another brother or sister in Christ. I believe that chapter 14 of the epistle of Romans is instruction on the law of liberty and the law of love, which I feel is one, yet some do not, but in any case this is how God is able to bless His children with mature relationships. Those who are clothed in the Righteousness of Christ and who are actively rejecting the desires of the flesh, these are fulfilling the law of love and walking in the law of liberty – Romans 13:14. 

Challenge: Romans 14:14-23

In the first thirteen verses of Romans 14 we looked briefly at the law of liberty. When we were younger most of us liked those popular “moon pies” remember those chocolate Pattie-cakes with the marshmallow sandwiched between them. What was unique was that both of those patties were identical and because these were held together by the marshmallow they were inseparable. Even when a bite was taken, both sides of the moon pie remained in harmony with each other. This is the way I view the law of liberty and the law of love. Most of us want the liberty to the point of being selfish, we seek to separate the love patty from the marshmallow and usually end up with a sticky mess.

The last half of Romans 14 concerns the challenge of the child of God to live in harmony with another child of God by fulfilling the Will of God on earth as it is in heaven. Yesterday was a hint from me that the LORD’s instruction on how to pray was pointed in the direction of living before God in liberty and love.

“OUR FATHER (all of the children of God have the same Father) His residence is HEAVEN, His countenance is HOLY, His KINGDOM is coming, His WILL for you and me is laid out in SCRIPTURE on earth and His WILL is perfectly being carried out in HEAVEN this very day. Our FATHER meets our every NEED; our daily BREAD is provided and our SIN is FORGIVEN, even as we fulfill the law of LOVE by forgiving those who sin; Our FATHER protects us by delivering us from every TEMPTATION, if we allow Him to do so. Therefore in His KINGDOM our eternal STATE there is POWER AND GLORY FOREVER” – Matthew 6:9-15.

All is summed up with the apostles statement in Romans 14:17, “for the KINGDOM of God is NOT food and drink, BUT righteousness and peace and joy in the HOLY SPIRIT. Thus we ought to be spiritually willing at all times to pursue PEACE and those things which build each other up. The command: Do not destroy (purposely or ignorantly) the work of God by condemning what another person holds as righteous or holy.

You know as I do that if I consider something as holy and righteous before God, my conscious is clear to serve God in that way. Yet if I am offended by what I do I seek to make changes so that I do not continue to condemn myself, I am accountable to God, just as you. But this does not give me a holiness or a righteousness to condemn another for what I feel for me is unholy. Have a wonderful and godly day!