Friday, August 16, 2013
Unity in Diversity, Part 33 of 33
TEXT: "Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men" (Romans 14:16-18).
IDEA The kingdom of God is not concerned with trivial things we think are important, but with important things we often consider trivial.
PURPOSE: Can’t you measure a Christian’s maturity by the way he or she holds firmly to convictions about Christian living?
If you were going to describe a successful Christian congregation, what would come to your mind?
If you were to describe a mature Christian and what his/her lifestyle produces, what would it be?
The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 14:16-17 that it’s not “eating and drinking” with a focus on scruples.
Our scruples are things we can feel deeply about. We can’t minimize that. But this can become dangerous: The more deeply I feel, the more likely I am to look at other Christians who don’t share my scruples, and I may want to have nothing to do with them. We’re dealing with issues we feel strongly about.
What matters in the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Righteousness: Righteousness is a matter of right relationships--I seek justice for you, not for myself. I try to find what is equitable.
Many issues in the church, if pursued in this way, can become redemptive.
Peace: The things we feel very deeply about are often things about which we quarrel and become angry. But my liberty can never be the cause of inner hurt and put-down for other people.
This is the peace that comes out of righteousness. We cannot have true peace without righteousness.
Joy: these are additive. Righteousness grows out of our relationship to God, then out of the way we relate to other people. That leads to peace. Where that kind of peace exists, there is joy, an inner sense of delight.
A church lacking joy almost always lacks peace. If you trace that back, there is an unwillingness to accept others without making them compromise their integrity.
Any church characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy will have a winsome testimony in the community. When we organize our priorities in line with God’s priorities, we will not only be acceptable to God (Romans 14:18), but we’ll also be approved by the folks around us.
