Romans 14:1-12
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Ro 14:1–12). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Which day are we to worship our LORD Jesus Christ? Should we eat red meat on Fridays during lent? Or maybe we should all become Vegetarians like Adam and Eve once were? St Paul reminds us that we all must serve our one Master Jesus Christ. We are not to pass judgment upon others, but we should continue to strengthen one another in the true Faith.
We should not despise our brother because of his activities. But would should continue to worship together and call upon the name of the Lord together. All of us will face the LORD and be forced to give an account on the last Day. This means whether we eat or drink or worship or don't worship, God will have us confess his name and call for us to give an account of our own activity.
Jesus Christ has given his account before the Judge as he stood silent before Pilate and Caiaphas. He stood silent before his accusers because he was taken on not his sins but our sins. Christ took on our sins and he plead guilty so that we would be declared innocent. But it is our task to believe and listen to his Word.
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