Targeted Faith

He was of the faith chiefly in the sense that the church he currently did not attend was Catholic.

Kingsley Amis (1922-1995, British novelist)

Romans 14:20-23
Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble. Do you have faith? Keep it to yourself before God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin. (HCSB)

Faith has a different meaning to many in today’s world. Many times we hear someone speak of their belief in a “higher power.” That isn’t a new thing. In Paul’s day he also saw the tomb, or plaque erected in belief to the unknown god. Paul immediately began to tell them about this God that they didn’t know.

Many people in today’s world have their faith defined more by what they do not believe than what they do believe in. They are so afraid of believing in the wrong thing that they abandon their search for the right thing, therefore their faith is mostly “undefined,” they really don’t know what they believe, or what they are living for.

Paul is saying here that that kind of belief is sinful, moreover, in the Greek this kind of faith is said to have missed the mark. Belief, or faith, the subject of Paul’s words here, is defined as living life with a target or a goal in mind. Paul is saying that living without God’s goals as your ultimate goals in life will cause you to lose life. Another way of saying it is, if you aim for nothing, you are sure to get it…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Dangerous Doubt

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and interferes with our relationship with God. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.

Romans 14:20-23
Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble. Do you have faith? Keep it to yourself before God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin. (HCSB)

James 1:6 gives us this insight on the damage doubt can do to us as Christians, “But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.” Strong words are used here of doubt, let’s look at them.

Have you ever seen a surging sea? It is unpredictable first of all, for its danger is that you can never prepare yourself to meet this powerful force. It is also a driven force, that is that there is a strong and determined movement in a direction, and lastly, it is tossed, by the wind which again can be, a powerful destructive force on its own.

Like a boat at anchor, the rope slack at one moment can receive a powerful jolt, uprooting the anchor and putting the ship on the rocks. This is the powerful strength of satan, in that he will always hit us when we least expect it, and one of his most used tools is the tool of doubt. Doubt, a powerful force to stop us as Christians, throws us off course, and into the raging seas of the world…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

Causing Doubt

When you start to doubt yourself, the real world will eat you alive!

Henry Rollins

Romans 14:20-23
Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble. Do you have faith? Keep it to yourself before God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin. (HCSB)

I think that we have thoroughly covered the importance of our considering our spiritual family in everything that we do. If you haven’t read those devotions before this one, I strongly urge you to regress and go back and understand that this journey that you are on while you are on this earth is not a conquest that you undertake alone.

The subject that I think we really need to pull out of this scripture is “doubt.” So why does Paul bring this word to the forefront after this encompassing word encouraging us all to walk in love? He knows that we can get distracted by judgment, by our beginning to think that I have the right and only way, and if you’re not like me, you are wrong.

Paul is saying to us, your walk before God is yours, and it is not your business to get into the walk of someone else and start pointing fingers. God is able to handle and correct the walk of His children and I have seen that in the ministry that He has given me. Walk the truth and it does all of the correcting that is necessary. Our actions will be our words, and our holy walk a witness to our brothers and sisters, and to a lost world…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William