honoring the Lord through food and holidays part 1

Rom 14:5 Some people think that a certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days are the same. We each should firmly make up our own minds.
Rom 14:6 Those who think highly of a certain day do so in honor of the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honor of the Lord, because they give thanks to God for the food. Those who refuse to eat certain things do so in honor of the Lord, and they give thanks to God.

I love this passage and infact, love Rom14. I think this chapter should be called 'don't think you're all that'. This passage addresses that we are all in different levels of our faith. We are not to judge how others honor the Lord.

You see, as long as we honor the Lord in faith and love, we are pleasing the Lord. It doesn't matter what we celebrate or eat. However, if we do anything w/o faith we are sinning. This means that if you celebrate any holiday or eat anything that you feel is wrong in your heart, you have sinned. Also, if you celebrate any holiday or eat anything infront of a fellow beiever that would make him/her stumble, then you are sinning.

We are also not to make a fellow believer feel inadiquite because s/he doesn't adhear to the same holidays or eating habits as you. I would also extend this to the same unsalvational issues. (e.g. medicine, schooling, clothes, work, etc...) To do so will not make the other believer more 'in touch' w/ the Lord, but infact, can make the other believe loose faith in God.

I have to remember this because I don't celebrate the same holidays of my Christian brethern. I celebrate the Lord's holidays as in Lev23 and also Hanukkah and Purim. I celebrate them to honor the Lord, as my friends celebrate Christmas and Easter to honor the Lord. None of us are sinning as long as we make sure we are celebrating in faith and we honor the Lord and not make ourselves look 'righteous'.

Part 2 will be coming soon.