The love at live in the church

"One thinks he can eat everything ; the other, who is weak, eats vegetables : let him who eats do not despise him who does not eat ; and let him who does not eat not judge the one who eats, because God has received it." Romans 14. 2, 3

The church of Rome is composed of Christians of Jewish origin and others of pagan origin. Some feel obliged to continue to follow the Jewish rules and others wish to live the freedom gained by the gospel. The Apostle Paul's exhortations warn the "strong" against a spirit of superiority and the "weak" against a spirit of judgment.

These differences can have unfortunate consequences for the relationships between believers in the church where they are called to live in communion. They may also compromise their testimony around them !

There is little debate today in the church on the Jewish rules. However, differences of origin and opinion are still problematic. Indeed the church must be open to all children of God. It is Jesus who welcomes every new believer into his Church, whatever his origin : "The Lord daily added to the congregation those who were saved" (Acts 2:47). As a result, the cultures represented in the church are often very different. The church is then a gathering of people who may have very little in common, if not the one, essential and sufficient, of their common faith in the one who saved them. The difficulties in accepting each other are multiple. For very different reasons, we are sometimes very sensitive and quite rigorous on this or that point, while others are at least as sensitive and rigorous, but on other points.

We can therefore recall the fundamental teachings of the Apostle Paul to live in the church. On the one hand, he refers to the freedom of the believer : "Christ has placed us in freedom... so do not [be] held back again under the yoke of bondage" (Gal 5: 1). On the other hand, the need "that, in humility, one considers the other superior to himself, each not looking at what is his, but each one also to what is to others" (Phil 2. 3, 4). And finally Paul invites us to put on "merciful affection... supporting one another... love, which is the bond of perfection" (Col. 3: 12-14).

Source (Pleasing the Lord)