The God-Directed Life

Posted on April 8, 2007

 

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Romans 14:1-12

There are two great tragedies that have occurred in modern theology.

• A failure to adequately defend the cardinal truths of orthodox Christianity.
• A critical spirit when relating to others who agree on the essentials but disagree on the non-essentials.

Paul addressed three significant issues where people differed among Christians:

• Drinking
• Eating meat sacrificed to idols
• Holy days and Sabbaths

Ray Pritchard gives this list of secondary issues, some of which are more vital than others:

Movies; Interracial Marriage; Hairstyles; Seeker Services; Eating out on Sunday; Who to vote for; Smoking; Ecumenical Movement; Borrowing Money; Fishing on Sunday; Divorce & Remarriage; Women Ushers; Pipe Organs; Rush Limbaugh; Men Wearing Beards; Drinking Wine; Predestination; Women Wearing Jewelry; Raising Children; Best Christian colleges; Faith-Promise Giving; Dating Standards; Signing pledge cards; Instrumental music; Liberal Churches; Christian Psychology; Timing of the Rapture; Emerging Churches; Public invitations; School Choice; Age of the Earth; Birth Control; Bible translations; Women wearing head coverings in church; Picketing abortion clinics; Using credit cards; Divorced men serving as ushers; Mixed swimming; Video services; Women wearing pants to church; Women wearing pants at all; Rock music; Christian rock music; Long hair on men; Short hair on women; 40 Days of Purpose; Women working outside the home; Guitars in a church service; Support for Israel; Proper amusements; Church size; Church names; Church affiliation; Working in a restaurant where liquor is served; Eating at a restaurant where liquor is served; Christian schools versus public schools; Home schooling; Speaking in tongues; R-rated movies; Christian-sponsored boycotts; Sex education; Playing the saxophone in church; Halloween; Christians in politics; Sunday night services; Death penalty; Standards for church leaders; The Lord’s Supper; Christian counseling; Twelve-step programs; Mode of baptism; Faith-Promise Giving; Women wearing makeup; Clapping in church; Raising hands in church; Traditional versus contemporary worship

I struggled with this message because I kept wanting to come up with rules. Once I got over the issue of rules, I wanted to pull out guiding principles and preach them. But I realized I had missed the point altogether. Life is not about a list of rules anymore, and it’s not even about guiding principles (important as they are).

TRUTH: The Christian life is about living a God-centered, God-pleasing way and allowing God’s will and pleasure to be the first and only factor in all of our decisions.

Notice all the phrases that have to do with our answering to God for our beliefs and actions…

Don’t argue… “for God hath received Him.” (vs. 1-3)

Don’t judge… “for God is able to make Him stand.” (v. 4)

Whatever you do, do it “for the Lord.” (v. 6)

“We are the Lord’s.” (vs. 7-8)

Jesus is “Lord of both the dead and the living.” (v. 9)

“We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (v. 10)

“Everyone of us shall give an account of himself to God.” (v. 12)

Making decisions for self is the lowest form of living.

Making decisions for others is better and is commended in Scripture.

Making all of our decisions considering God’s will first is supreme living!