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UST ROM Chapter 14

14 Welcome any fellow believer in the Messiah who is immature in how they believe. Do not welcome them in order to argue with them about matters of opinion. 2 There are some people who are convinced that they can eat any kind of food. But the immature believer in the Messiah thinks that they can only eat vegetables. 3 The believer in the Messiah who eats every kind of food must not scorn his fellow believer who does not eat every kind of food. The believer in the Messiah who does not eat every kind of food also must not judge his fellow believer who eats every kind of food. This is because God has welcomed both of them. 4 You should not judge your fellow believer, who is like a slave belonging to another master. He either pleases or does not please his master, according to how the master judges. Yet God will make him pleasing to himself because the Lord can do so.

5 Some people consider certain days to be special, while other people consider all days to be the same. Each person must be completely certain that what they do honors God. 6 The person who thinks certain days are special does so in order to honor the Lord. The person who eats every kind of food does so in order to honor the Lord. This is because that person is thankful to God. The person who refuses to eat certain foods does so in order to honor the Lord. That person is thankful to God as well. 7 This is true because not one of us believers in the Messiah lives only to please himself, and not one of us dies only to please himself. 8 Indeed, while we believers in the Messiah live, we live to please the Lord. When we die, we die to please the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Indeed, this is why the Messiah Jesus died and became alive again: in order to become Lord over those who are dead and those who are alive.

10 As for you, those of you who judge your fellow believers must not do so! You also must not scorn your fellow believers! Do not do these things because one day God will judge all of us who believe in the Messiah. 11 Indeed, Isaiah wrote in the Scriptures, “The Lord says this oath, ‘As certainly as I am alive, it is just as certain that everyone will worship me. And everyone will acknowledge to me that I am God.’ ”

12 Therefore, each one of us who believes in the Messiah will certainly answer to God for whatever we do while we are alive.

13 So we must stop judging other believers. Instead, we must resolve not to do anything that could tempt our fellow believers to sin. 14 I am absolutely convinced by the Lord Jesus that no food is inherently sinful for believers in the Messiah to eat. If someone regards some food as sinful to eat, then it is only sinful for that person to eat it. 15 Do not tempt fellow believers to sin because, if you grieve your fellow believer by eating what that person considers to be sinful to eat, you are not acting in a loving manner anymore. Do not cause a fellow believer to stop trusting in God and become ruined eternally because of what you want to eat! The Messiah died to save that person! 16 So then, do not do anything that will cause anyone to slander the good things that God has given you. 17 Do not do this, because eating and drinking do not characterize God’s kingdom. Rather, being righteous, peaceful, and joyful through the Holy Spirit characterizes God’s kingdom. 18 Indeed, any believer who serves the Messiah by doing these things greatly pleases God, and other people will also approve of that person.

19 Therefore, we must eagerly try to live peacefully with other believers and help each other become spiritually mature. 20 Do not ruin what God has done because you want to eat certain foods! God permits us to eat all kinds of food. However, it is sinful for someone to eat certain foods if doing so tempts your fellow believer to sin. 21 It is better not to eat any meat, or drink any wine, or do anything that could tempt your fellow believer to sin, [or that could offend that person or cause that person to remain spiritually immature]. 22 Keep what you believe that God permits you to do between you and God. The person who does not feel guilty concerning what he believes to be right is blessed. 23 By contrast, God judges someone who considers eating certain foods to be sinful and eats those foods. This is because that person did not act according to what that person believes is right. A person who does anything that is not according to what that person believes is right is sinning.

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