rom 14v04 Who Art Thou That Judgest Another Mans Servant

"WHO ART THOU THAT JUDGEST ANOTHER MAN'S SERVANT?"

Romans l4:4

It is a natural tendency of proud men to sit in judgment over others. Though we are all fallen, guilty sinners, we are all proud and self-righteous by nature. We look down upon people who do not think and act as we do. We are all Pharisees by nature. This self-righteous, judgmental attitude toward others is greatly increased when a lost person gets religion. He is still lost, but now he has become religious. Immediately he sits himself up as a judge to determine who is saved and who is not, what believers can and cannot do, and what is holy and what is evil. Recognizing our terrible tendency toward self-righteousness, we must guard against it. I raise this word of warning. Be sure that you take heed to it. '"WHO ART THOU THAT JUDGEST ANOTHER MAN'S SERVANT?"

CHRIST ALONE IS OUR MASTER. The people of God are God's people. You and I have no right, no authority to sit in judgment over them. It is not ours to sit up rules and regulations to govern the lives of the Lord's people, by which to measure their spirituality or determine their standing before God.

THAT IS EVIL WHICH GOD SAYS IS EVIL, AND THAT IS GOOD WHICH GOD SAYS IS GOOD, AND ALL ELSE IS INDIFFERENT. There are some things which the Lord has expressly forbidden, and these we forbid. But I do not find written in the Bible any rules or regulations about what a person should wear, where he should go, what he should eat or drink, what the length of his hair should be, or what recreations he may engage in. The point is this - THERE IS NOT ANY PHYSICAL THING IN THIS WORLD WHICH IS IN ITSELF EVIL. Your abuse of God's creation is evil, but God's creation is not evil. This world belongs to our Lord, and to us in him. We are free to use it as we are led of his Spirit for the glory of Christ and our own physical comfort. If you belong to Christ, you alone must determine how you will use this world. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." And we must not hold our brethren in doubt or suspicion who choose to use this, or not to use that, in a way that is different from our own tastes.

THE GLORY OF GOD IN CHRIST, AND THAT ALONE, MUST GOVERN OUR ACTIONS. We must not live for this world or its pleasures. Use it, or do not use it; but make the rule of your actions the glory of God. Be sure that you do nothing which would hinder the work of the gospel or cause one of your brethren to stumble.