“Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

“One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:1-8 NASB1995)

The Jews who had lived under the Old Covenant, which God had with his people Israel (Jews only), who had now believed in Jesus Christ as Lord, were now transitioning from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant God had with his people Israel (Jew and Gentile by faith in Jesus Christ). But some of them were having difficulty letting go of the dietary and Sabbath laws of the Old Covenant. So they were regarded here as those who were weak in the faith. But they were not to be condemned, for they were of sincere faith.

Although Paul chided the Jewish Christians who were holding on to the law of circumcision, and he chided the Gentile Christians who were believing that they had to be circumcised as part of believing faith in Jesus Christ, because they were adding that on as a requirement for salvation, he did not chide the Christians who were still holding on to the keeping of the Sabbath and to the Old Covenant dietary laws and restrictions. They seemed to fall into a different category from circumcision, so they were permitted to remain.

But what he was dealing with here was the prejudice and judgmentalism of either those who believed they had to keep the Sabbath and the dietary laws of the Old Covenant, or those who, under the New Covenant, were free from the Sabbath and dietary laws of the Old Covenant. And he was letting both groups know that they were not to cast judgment on the other. For each group did what they believed was right in the eyes of God, and God honored the faith of both groups, although one group he regarded as weak in faith.

So, if they held on to the requirements of the Jewish Sabbath and the Old Covenant dietary laws, or if by faith in Jesus they knew that they did not have to adhere to either one, they still belonged to the Lord, for what they did they did for the Lord. For both groups lived for the Lord to please him in all that they were, and in all that they did, because they loved the Lord and they were called of God according to his purposes. And these matters were regarded as personal preference, so they were not to fall under judgment.

But this does not mean that all personal preferences we might have fall under the same category as these. For none of us are allowed to alter the teachings of the Scriptures on the gospel of our salvation (taught in the correct biblical context) in order to fit with our personal preferences. We are not allowed to pick and choose which moral laws to obey or to disobey, according to our own personal preferences. The gospel message is not open to opinion and personal preference. It must be obeyed in the power of God.

And how we live our lives, from this moment forward, is not up to debate or personal preference. For faith in Jesus Christ, which comes from God, and which is gifted to us by God, is persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of God’s requirements that we deny self, die to sin daily (in practice), and that we walk (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord’s New Covenant commands. For if sin is what we obey, in practice, and not obedience to God, we will not have eternal life with God.

(Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22)

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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Personal Preferences
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