Romans 14:6-12
Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Devotion
Paul now teaches us that our religious practices are to be done out of conviction before God. How we live and die must come from the conviction that we belong to the Lord. According to Paul, we are not our own. We have been bought at a price. Jesus purchased us with his own blood. He paid the price that we could not pay. When we put our trust in Jesus, we signed the title/deed of our lives over to God. We now belong to the Lord.
In verse ten, Paul reminds us that we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. The judgment seat he refers to here is the bema seat. This is where believers will be rewarded or suffer loss of rewards (1 Cor. 3:13) based on their deeds and their stewardship of God-given responsibilities. This is not the great white throne judgment where unbelievers will be raised for judgment. In the end, all people will bow before God and give an account of their lives— believers and unbelievers.
Paul reminds his readers that, in the end, God is the only One qualified to judge all. Therefore, he asks the question, “Why do you judge your brother or sister?” He ends this passage with a sober reminder: “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Ultimately, we each are responsible to God for our lives and how we live them out. We need to spend less time worrying about how others practice their faith and spend more time focusing on our own personal walk with the Lord.
Questions to Ponder
Do you constantly view others with a critical eye/spirit? Are you quick to judge other believers over disputable matters? How secure are you in your relationship with Jesus? Have you truly signed the title/deed of your life over to God?
Prayer Points
- Worship Yahweh as your Savior and Lord of your life. Thank Him for rescuing you out of the dominion of darkness and bringing you into the kingdom of light.
- Thank the Lord for His Sovereignty, Kingship, and Shepherding heart to not only you personally but also to the greater one church.
- Intercede for all those at the poles tomorrow – those working/volunteering and those voting. Pray protection from COVID-19 for all people. Pray for sweet conversations and thankful hearts as people wait in line.
- Ask the LORD to teach people how to vote according to His heart and ways. Pray that each person will be obedient to the LORD and how He is leading them. That the fear of God would rise up in each Christian.
Suggested Prayer
Holy and Righteous Father, thank You, Lord, that my life is not my own. You have bought me with the precious blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Father, I ask that You would teach me and Your church to walk in the footsteps of faith today. Help us to walk in step with Your Holy Spirit and to have the mind of Christ. Thank You, LORD, that You tell us that this world is not our home. We are citizens of heaven, however, You do want us to be faithful with what You have entrusted to us. So, LORD, we lift up all those running for office. We ask, first and foremost, that every single person and family represented on the ballot would come to the knowledge of You, Jesus Christ, and would walk worthy of the calling You have called them to. Raise up righteousness and tear down wickedness. I ask that You would raise up a leader, Lord, that would speak Your words, serve with Your strength, and lead in Your love. Raise up leaders who will fear You above all else. Teach us how to pray for our country and for all leaders in our midst, not just this season but every day. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.