Romans 14

June 10, 2022

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. (v19-20a)

So much of Paul’s ministry was spent helping churches see the importance of unity in the Body of Christ. Not unity at any price, though. Paul never advocates compromising the truth of the gospel or watering down the preaching of God’s Word. However, when pertaining to those lesser matters that Christians debate, he calls us to disagree without dividing. He calls us to approach the disagreement in a way that builds up our fellow believers, so as to not “destroy the work of God” (v20), which is the church.

Lord Jesus, Your prayer on the way to the cross was that Your people would be one - so that the world might know that You are who You say You are (John 17). Personally, and on behalf of the believers in America, I confess that we’ve not shared Your heart for unity. Thank You for giving me the high, holy and challenging calling of guarding the unity of Your body. I’m more and more convinced that it can only be done by the leading of Your Spirit. And so I pray for Your Spirit to continue cultivating a spirit of unity among Your people at Trinity, for the glory of Christ and the building up of His Body!

— Pastor Joshua Brooks

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Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…

Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?