When we live a life with the highest virtues, the church will become a coordinated and built-up Body that is expressed in all the localities. Hence, chapter fourteen shows us the unique Body of Christ expressed in all the local churches. For this reason, all the churches have to receive all genuine believers unconditionally, according to the way God and Christ receive them (Rom. 14:1-3; 15:7), for the practice of the Body life. We have to learn the practical lesson of receiving the believers. Here Paul used eating and the keeping of the Sabbath as examples. He said that some are still keeping the Sabbath, and others are still eating according to the ceremony of cleansing. But as long as they have all believed in the Lord, we have to receive them. Although those who keep the Sabbath are wrong, God still receives them. Although the Jewish believers may keep the ceremonies of the Old Testament, God receives them also. God’s receiving is not based on the question of the Sabbath or the ordinances of eating, but on man’s believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God. Our receiving of the believers is based on God’s receiving of them. Hence, all the churches have to receive them also. When we receive in this way, according to God instead of according to doctrine or methods, we maintain the oneness of the Body of Christ.
After receiving them, we still have to treat all genuinely saved believers according to Christ. Romans 15:5 says: “Now the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.” God has Christ Jesus as the standard in the church life. In the church life, everything must be according to Him, instead of according to doctrines and knowledge. No matter how different others are from us in doctrinal views or religious practices, we must learn to treat them according to Christ. We must treat them not only according to Christ’s mind, but according to Christ Himself. In this way we will be able to think the same thing.
In 14:15 Paul said, “But if because of food your brother is grieved, you no longer walk according to love.” No matter how different others are from us in concept or practice, we should not criticize or judge them. Otherwise, we are not walking according to love, and we will be putting a stumbling block before others, thus causing others to stumble, and damaging the Body life.
Romans 14:10 also tells us that we should not judge others in anything, because “we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God.” One day, God’s judgment-seat will reveal all our deeds and actions. Hence, today, we have to live and work under the light of God’s judgment-seat in everything.
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