Romans 14:5-6 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. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Paul continues to illustrate the idea of following once’s conscience and how this relates to others and their actions. One person may feel it is acceptable to do one thing, while another person feels that it is wrong. Who is right and who is wrong? One person may feel a certain way about what one can or cannot do on a certain day. One person may feel like a holiday or a certain day, like Sunday, means certain things. The key principle is that each person must follow his or her own conscience. We will be held accountable for the unwritten law of the conscience as the Holy Spirit guides and convicts us. Whatever we choose should be honoring to the Lord, not to ourselves. Whatever glorifies God and is according to his will ought to be what guides our conscience. Even such things as what we choose to eat should be done to God’s glory. God’s will (Romans 12:2) serves as our primary motivation for how we act. The way we come to know God’s will is through submitting ourselves as living sacrifices. There are many minor issues that seem to divide Christians. We are responsible for following our own consciences and not imposing this on others. However, we must grow and conform our consciences to God’s revealed will in the Bible and listen carefully to the Holy Spirit who will take this revelation and apply it to our lives.
For older posts, click here.