Do you ever find yourself passing judgment on a fellow Christian? We all do. We judge people’s motives and actions. Some in Rome were apparently judging others concerning their diet. Paul writes: “The one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him” (14:3).
The issue in Rome may have been related to the eating of idol meat. We know this troubled the church in Corinth (see 1 Cor. 8). It is therefore possible that believers in Rome may have become vegetarians to avoid any possibility of eating meat offered to idols.
Whatever the reason for the difference of opinion concerning what a Christian should eat, Paul’s counsel was that they must not regard a brother with concept. We have a tendency to ridicule a lifestyle that is more or less restrictive than our own. Such an attitude reflects our arrogance in assuming that our opinion is the correct one. It takes humility to live in community.
The key phrase in this text that keep us from looking down on other Christians is the reminded that “God has accepted him.” If God has accepted our brother or sister in Christ, what right do we have to judge another’s behavior? By the way, aren’t you glad that God has accepted you and make you stand in victory (4).
Prayer: Thank you for accepting me in Christ. Forgive me when I stand in judgment over another. Amen.