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Parents are careful and tender with their newborn babies even though babies are demanding, messy, and sometimes difficult. When parents aren't this way with their babies, they are recognized as abusive and dangerous. So if new Christians are newborn children of
God, shouldn't our patience be greater, our words more tender, our understanding more generous, and our care more attentive? The issue of differing opinions about certain practices has been around at least since the days of the apostle Paul. He devoted an entire chapter of the book Romans to this brand of legalism. The crux of the problem is stated well by Paul in Romans 14:5: "one person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." People simply have different opinions about various issues. One person sees no problem in a certain practice; another person considers that practice to be sinful. As Christians we can't seem to accept the clear biblical teaching in Romans 14 that God allows equally godly people to have differing opinions on certain matters. We universalize what we think is God's particular leading in our lives and apply it to everyone else. When we think like that we are putting God in a box, so to speak. We're insisting that he must surely lead everyone as we believe he has led us. We refuse to allow God the freedom to deal with each of us as individuals. When we think like that, we are legalists. As I read through Romans, I see that Paul goes into great detail regarding the issue of our personal freedom. It is important to Paul because he devotes greater detail and discussion about our Christian freedom than almost anything else in his writings. In Romans 14, for example, he sets forth four very practical applications that can be followed by all who are serious about releasing others in grace. My hope is that we not only learn what they are but, equally important, that we spend our days following them. # 1: Accepting others is basic to letting them be. The problem was not a meat problem; it was a love problem, an acceptance problem. It still is. How often we restrict our love by making it conditional: "If you will (or won't), then I will accept you." Paul starts there: "Accept one another!" In other words, "Let's allow each other the freedom to hold to convictions that are unlike our own . . . and accept them in spite of that difference." Those who didn't eat (called here "weak in faith") were exhorted to accept and not judge those who ate. And those who ate were exhorted to accept and not regard with contempt those who did not eat. The secret lies in accepting one another. All of this is fairly easy to read so long as I stay on the issue of eating meat. That one is safe because it isn't a current taboo. It's easy to accept those folks today because they don't exist! # 2: Refusing to dictate to others allows the Lord freedom to direct their lives. I especially appreciate the statement at the end of verse 5: "Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind." Give people room to make up their minds. Do you have a few new converts who are a part of your life and ministry? Do you want to help them grow toward maturity? Here is how: Let them grow up differently. Let them learn at their own pace, just like you had to learn, including failures and mistakes. If you really want grace to awaken, be easier on them than others were on you. Don't make up their minds---let them! Don't step in and push your weight around---give them plenty of space. Whatever you do, don't control and manipulate them to get what you want. Be an accepting model of grace. Refuse all temptations to be a brother hasher or sister smasher. We already have too many of them roaming around the religious landscape. And nothing catches the attention of the unsaved world quicker than those times when we Christians beat up on one another. Don't think the unsaved world doesn't notice our cannibalism. # 3: Freeing others means we never assume a position we're not qualified to fill. This, in one sentence, is enough to stop any person from judging another. We’re not qualified. We lack full knowledge. How often we have jumped to wrong conclusions, made judgmental statements, only to find out later how off-base we were---then wished we could cut out our tongue. # 4: Loving others requires us to express our liberty wisely. In other words, love must rule. I'm not my own, I'm bought with a price. My goal is not to please me; it is to please my Lord Jesus, my God. It is not to please you; it is to please my Lord. The same is true for you. So the bottom line is this: I don't adapt my life according to what you may say; I adapt my life according to the basis of my love for you because I answer to Christ. And so do you. We must not seek to bind the consciences of other believers with the private convictions that arise out of our personal walk with God. Even if you believe God has led you in developing those convictions, you still must not elevate them to the level of spiritual principles for everyone else to follow. The respected Puritan theologian John Owen taught that "only what God has commanded in his Word should be regarded as binding; in all else there may be liberty of actions." (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace) Please tell me what you think.

There have been times in my life, I felt as if the entire world was against me. It felt as if there were stones being cast upon me while my storm in life just kept raging more out of control. Oh the look in the eyes of the world, the frown upon its face, and the negative words which spued from its mouth seem to trying to knock me down on my face. There were times I felt like falling down from lack of strength or maybe just not wanting to face what us ahead of me. My soul was restored with the joy of the Lord, which is my strength as the Spirit of the Lord reminded me: For the Lord is able to make them stand... Then I wasn't able to fall down if I wanted too..I wasn't able to let go and quit, For His mercy and grace kept me...in His Hand.. Thank you sweet Jesus

To me this means, eachone of us belongs to God and we are his servants. So because we belong to him we have no right to judge eachother. The master judges his own servants.