In this message, the third message on reigning in life, we want to see our reigning in life in imitating the apostle to bring the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ and in following in the apostle’s footsteps to bring all the saints into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ. In this message our particular stress is on the universal fellowship of the church, the Body of Christ.
The last three chapters of Romans show us that we need to reign in life particularly in two crucial matters. The first thing is in imitating the apostle to bring the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ (Rom. 14:3; 15:7-9, 25-33); the second thing is in following in the apostle’s footsteps to bring all the saints into the blending life of the entire Body of Christ (ch. 16).
I hope that we all can see that reigning in life is not a matter of position; rather, it is a practical living. All the things mentioned in Romans 14 through 16 are related to reigning in life in our practical living. To experience reigning in life, first, we must imitate the apostle in bringing the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ. It is only by practically entering into the fellowship of the Body of Christ that we can have the genuine experience of reigning in life.
In imitating the apostle to bring the local churches into the fellowship of the Body of Christ, we must learn not to despise or judge others in their doctrines or practices according to doctrinal concepts, religious practices, and anything that is unrelated to our basic faith. Concerning this matter, our co-workers and serving ones in all the places must be willing to learn, and all the brothers and sisters must have clear insight.
“Our basic faith” refers to the most important and fundamental truths. These are the truths concerning Christ’s person and work and those related to our salvation. All other matters, such as eating and the keeping of days mentioned in Romans 14, are secondary truths, not the basic faith. The Bible definitely gives us some clear principles concerning foods. First Timothy 4:1 and 3 tell us that forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from certain foods are teachings of demons. God permits us to eat meat, but if someone who is weak in faith eats only vegetables, he is still saved as long as he has believed in the Lord and has received Him as his Savior. His eating of vegetables does not make him an unsaved person. Therefore, eating is not a matter of our basic faith. The same is true concerning the keeping of days. We should not argue with people concerning whether we should meet on Saturday or on the Lord’s Day; that is a secondary truth. We should not despise or judge others according to doctrinal concepts and religious practices, including the doctrinal concepts and practices we have in the Lord’s recovery. Nor should we despise or judge others according to anything that is not related to our basic faith. As long as one is a genuine Christian, we should not exclude him, even though he may differ from us with respect to doctrine; rather, we should receive him in the same one Lord.