The Walk in the Light – The Presidential Prayer Team

Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. – Romans 14:18

Charles Spurgeon wrote that Christians are “to be sowers of good seed, salt of the earth – a blessing to the world, glorifying Christ in [their] daily lives – bringing others to salvation, to help them see His love.” In Romans 14, the apostle Paul encourages unity among believers, stressing that differences outside of specified doctrine should be left to the individual, whether strong or weak in faith, to decide.

The questions of the day were about what food was permitted or forbidden, as well as if there were holy days or not. Paul’s response to the believers who disputed these things was to call their attention to what was really important…living a life of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). In these things, a believer pleases God and is approved by men.

The walk and talk of a follower of Christ should be noticeably different from that of those who live in “darkness.” The believer’s walk in the light of the Holy Spirit ought to be one of humility, self-denial, meekness, and love… things that encourage peace. It should also include edifying one another, building each other up in faith in Christ, and promoting spiritual growth.

Seek the Lord in your choices so that nothing you do will be a stumbling block in the way of a fellow human being. Each person will give an account of himself to God. Pursue those things that encourage peace that are acceptable before God. Then pray for the people of this nation that their thoughts may turn to a unified pursuit of righteousness, peace, and joy.

Today’s Verse: Romans 14:18

Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Romans 14:7-19

⁷For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. ⁸For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

¹⁰Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; ¹¹for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess to God.”

¹²So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

¹³Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. ¹⁴I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. ¹⁵For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. ¹⁶So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. ¹⁷For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. ¹⁹So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.