The tragedy of turning preferences into principles!

Paul tackles a very relevant issue in Romans 14, Christian liberty. In Romans 14:1, he speaks of the need to not quarrel over opinions. Another word for opinions is preferences. There are still many church members who are motivated by preferences instead of principles. It might be said that numerous Christians major on minors instead of majoring on majors. More time can be spent on disputing types of music, styles of worship, political affiliations instead of pursuing clarity of the Gospel.

The primary principle of the passage is that we are not to judge other believers on preferences when only God is the one to judge. God’s acceptance is not based on keeping or not keeping dietary rules or observance of special days but based on placing faith in Christ alone. According to Grant Osborne, Paul is calling for unity in the midst of diverse beliefs, a search for truth that reflects acceptance of one another and our differences without judging each other. We should debate doctrinal issues; we are always searching for truth. But unless we are dealing with the core truths of the faith, we must be "iron sharpening iron" and accept differences without judging, realizing we could be wrong and respecting other views.

I encourage you to study Romans 14 under the Books of the Bible tab. Clearly proclaiming and living the Gospel is so much more important than fighting over nonessential preferences. Spiritual maturity is not based on how many fights I win but how I love others unconditionally and let God be the judge.