Bible Reading:
Romans 14:1-13
1Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
3Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
7For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
9For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
Devotional:
We must accept ourselves. We must accept one another. Parents must accept their children. This word accept is much used today, but we ought not to think it is a new concept. The Apostle Paul says, 'Now accept the one who is weak in faith' (14:1 NASB); 'Accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God' (Romans 15:7 NASB). He is telling us to treat people, even weak people, with dignity, as having been made in the image of God and as having been accepted by God as they come to Him through His Son, 'accepted in the beloved' (Ephesians 1:6).
Are we distressed by the life style which our children have adopted? How careful we must be not to reject our children because of this. We must look behind the exterior and accept the person. Behavior and even opinions are not inseparable from the person himself. To accept a person is not necessarily to condone his behavior or speech. The Lord Jesus ate with sinners. The worst of men can be transformed by the power of God.
We must allow for differences of opinion on many matters within the church and within the home as well. Not one of us is completely sanctified! All our opinions have constantly to be held up to scrutiny in the light of God's truth. There are many areas in which the clear-cut rights and wrongs of Scripture are difficult for us to apply in the complex situations of life. Let us as parents not be so proud intellectually or spiritually that we regard our private applications of the principles of Scripture as absolute. Thus, 'Accept the one who is weak in the faith' sometimes means to accept our children—and their friends!
You have accepted us, dear Father; grant that we may accept one another!
We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."
Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.
Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.
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