Read Romans 13:1 through 16:27
For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die; we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:7-8).
Throughout church history, whenever people gathered together to worship God, invariably disagreements arose. And so it was in Rome. Political differences, dietary preferences, and other conflicting convictions gave rise to heated debate and angry actions. Paul reasoned with his hearers, urging them to submit themselves to the ruling authorities and to get along with each other. In this unifying passage, he reminded believers that they did not live to please themselves.
Today, when conflicts arise in the local church, pastors often refer back to the letters of Paul to address those ensnared by contentious attitudes. Because each individual believer is a part of the greater whole of which Christ Jesus is the head, all believers are to live together with a heart to help each other and to please the Lord.
Thought for Today: Your purpose is not to win others over to your point of view, but to point others to Jesus.
(c) by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri, 65802