1You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. 3We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 8for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, that no one would boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
11Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands), 12that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, 15having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. 18For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, 20being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; 21in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
Focus on the 99%
Focus on the 99%
Orchard of Fruitful Apple Trees
Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. 2 One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you who judge another’s servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.
Christians often spend a whole lot of time disputing doubtful things. I think this is part of the enemy’s strategy to distract us from what we should be focused on and to draw our attention to things that shouldn’t dominate our thinking. Yes, it’s sometimes hard to know whether something is significant and whether it needs to be discussed and settled. As pastor of a small country church, I often choose to pass on a debate if I can’t see how it can help my congregation. As I consider discussing it, I ask myself: Will this help a struggling couple hold their marriage together? Will this knowledge help one of my congregants who is wrestling with a terminal disease diagnosis? Will this help me love and serve my spouse better? Will knowing a solid answer to this question help any unsaved person in the church to put their faith in Jesus? How will this build up this community of believers that I have been called to lead?
Paul explicitly tells us not to get wrapped up in whether or not we should be vegetarians or meat eaters. Those can be seen as examples of non-salvific matters. He’s telling us to be careful about choosing positions we would die for that have nothing to do with the gospel message. The Bible is clear in teaching us how to be saved and how to live a holy life. Let us focus on that. It is foolish and distracting to waste precious time disputing over doubtful things. The older I get, the more amazed I become at what many believers choose to argue about. Or even if they are not arguing over them, they are wasting precious time trying to sort out things that may just be unclear and part of what we call the mystery. Meanwhile, as they contemplate some finer point of Calvinism, Arminianism, or some interpretation of eschatology, some of their own family members, friends, and neighbors are bound for hell. Let's focus more on the things we agree on and present those to a lost world in love. This doesn't preclude discussions of the finer points of the faith's doctrines, but it does tell us how to prioritize them.
Let's focus on the 99% of Scripture we can understand clearly. Don’t argue with fellow believers if they choose to “eat vegetables” and you think we all should “eat meat”. I'm using that as a place holder, and you can substitute the dispute du jour. Some things just really don’t matter. Don't confuse this to mean they are not important. Paul says that some, in their weakness, believe things to be way more important than they really are (like being a vegetarian). Don’t let disagreements over disputable things be a stumbling block to you achieving the work that God has for you today! He intends for you to be fruitful in the lives of others and in the Kingdom. Stop arguing over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, and get busy doing the work that God has prepared for you to do today! (Eph 2:10) Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruit." (Matthew 7:20) Reader, what kind of fruit are you producing in your ministry to others? Jesus says that you and I will be known by our fruit or the lack thereof.