Getting Along with Others

By Jeff Curtis

The principles of Romans 14 can help any time people disagree. Everrtt Huffard uses the passage when talking to couples about getting along in marriage. A principle he takes from this chapter is this: “It’s okay to lose an argument even if you’re right” (Life Maturity and the Family). That statement might seem strange to some of us. Because we want to be right. Always. American statesman Henry Clay (1777-1852) was noted as saying, “I’d rather be right than be President” (Bartlett’s Familiar Quotes). Even more important than being right, we want any who disagree with us to admit that we are right.

Paul’s discussion in Romans 14 revolved around the eating of meat controversy in the first century church. He left no doubt regarding who was right on that issue. He said that the one who ate “vegetables only” was the “weak” brother (14:2). He said that “nothing [no food, including meat] is unclean in itself” (14:14) and identified this as the “strong” position (Romans 15:1). Nevertheless, Paul made it clear that some things were more important than being right on that issue.

“It’s the Least I Can Do”

by Heath Rogers

“It’s the least that I can do.” This is often a polite response to an expression of gratitude, especially when one realizes they could have done more. Such may be an expression of humility, but it could also be an accurate statement if one has made a minimal effort. We are used to hearing the expression, and sometimes say it ourselves. However, such should never be the attitude towards our service to God.

Think about it. In saving us from our own sins, God did not put forth a minimal effort. Pay attention to the words of Romans 8:32 - “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all…” God gave His only begotten Son to secure our salvation (John 3:16). Is He honored by “the least we can do”?

Jesus did not put forth a minimal effort to save our souls from an eternal hell. Pay attention to the words of Philippians 2:8 - “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus willingly went to the cross in our place. Is He honored by “the least we can do?”

Meditate on this:

1 John 4:20-21

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Mankind’s Internal Battles

By Jeff Curtis

From the earliest writings to present day writings, testimonies abound about the internal struggles of mankind. An extreme example of inner conflict can be found in the Robert Louis Stephenson’s classical tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. More recently, in a western movie called “The Missing,” about a renegade Indian challenged to be the hero, “Inside you are two dogs. One is evil, the other is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time… Which one wins?” At first the hero said, “I don’t know,” but then he came to this conclusion; “Whichever on I feed the most.”

Of course, the conflict that Paul speaks about in Romans 7:14-25 wasn’t just like the conflict in the examples given. Those conflicts involved inner an inner desire to do evil, while Paul’s conflict came about from a heartfelt desire to only good – a desire he couldn’t consistently fulfill. Nevertheless, Paul’s inner struggle is a parallel to mankind’s internal battles enough to allow each of us to make application to his or her own life.

Johnny Cash once recorded an album that had a cover showing two dogs. One dog was black with a white stripe, the other was a white dog with a black stripe. He was asked in an interview about what the dogs represented to him. His response was, “When I was really bad, I was not all bad. When I was trying to be good, I could never be all good.” Most of us can sympathize with the individual who said, “I wish I could be as good all the time as I am some of the time.”

Pressing Toward the Goal in the New Year

by Jesse A. Flowers

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

The beginning of a New Year is always a good time to make resolutions and set goals.

Many will make a goal of losing weight, but more importantly “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

Others will make a resolution to exercise more, but let’s be sure to exercise ourselves toward godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Many will decide to eat healthier in the new year, but don’t forget to feed daily upon the bread of life (John 6:35; Matthew 4:4; Psalm 1:2). Let us “hunger and thirst for righteousness” that we may be filled (Matthew 5:6).

And of course, it is vitally important that we never lose sight of the most important goal of all - Heaven. Let each one of us resolve that every day the Lord grants us that we will press toward that eternal goal.

Meditate on This:

Romans 6:4

Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.