Unity does not mean uniformity. In other words, Christians can agree on the essentials but disagree on so many of the less clear doctrines and grey areas of Christian behavior. How do we navigate this? Romans 14-15 is one of the most helpful passages in thinking about this.
Paul boils it down to a principle: the action itself is not so important as for whom it is done. In other words, who is it all for? Is it for you? Your reputation? To gain standing for yourself, to make your life easier? To keep people from thinking you are weird? Is it really all about you?
You see, a Christian is called to do all things out of love for Christ. This automatically rules out certain things. You can’t gossip or look at porn out of love for Christ. But when it comes to grey areas, we may come to different conclusions - but out of the same motivation. Paul writes:
“Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to GOd before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. If we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (14.6-8)
In other words, you belong first and foremost to Christ. You don’t answer to those people, you answer to him. You will one day stand before his judgment seat to give a personal account. So live as one who stands before him today. Do everything to honor him, do even small things out of love for him.
All things for him. There is so much freedom in living this way.
Lord, so often I live for myself. Help me remember that my life - every decision, every action - it is all for you. Amen.
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