Romans, Day 11
“The Practice of Service”
Romans Chapter 14
Service can be defined as “contribution to the welfare of others.”
“A call to leadership in the church is a call to a life of willing sacrifice and service.”1
“There is no doubt about it: servanthood is the thematic biblical description of every follower of Jesus Christ.”2
In Mark 10:45, Jesus is speaking: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (ESV).”
My very first job was a service job. Long before customer service became the “buzz” word, I learned first-hand the importance of serving customers. That job set the standard for my career of service. For twenty years, I served our nation in the United States Air Force. Afterward, my subsequent jobs were in serving the people.
“Service” is a huge word in the church, as stated by Jesus in the above passage. In the passage in Romans 14, Paul addresses the topic of judging, another hot topic for Christians. But I feel Paul addresses both judging and serving in the same breath.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been struggling with being too critical of things I have no control over. I’ve judged without knowing the complete picture. Can I get an “Amen?” A car goes flying by, and we think, “What’s the hurry?” when the passenger is in labor. In Sunday school, why did that person ask the proverbial “dumb” question? Why do you eat what you eat, or choose one day over the other to worship? These are what Paul was addressing in Romans 14. These issues are important, especially to the weaker brother and sister. Are you really judging them, or are we just ignorant?
Verse 13 sums up Chapter 14: “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother?” We’ve all been guilty of doing this in our lifetime. It’s not Christlike at all. And yet, many to whom this has happened will leave the church, and never step foot back into one.
These actions are not what Jesus wants from his disciples. “We will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:10 – 12 (ESV).
“Judging,” in this sense of the word, has no positive element. This kind of judging presumes to appraise the value of another person based on a flawed, human standard. Our ability to judge has several shortcomings: We are not omniscient, we are not objective, we are not perfect, we are not God.3
“The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves” Romans 14:22 (ESV).
Tom Dye
1: LEAD: Paul David Tripp
2: LEAD: Paul David Tripp
3: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights, “Romans,” Charles R. Swindoll