Do You Have Faith? Romans 14:22

Paul the apostle told the believers in Rome to, “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak”, and in chapter fourteen and verse twenty-two of Romans, Paul tells the believers about, “do you have faith?” where we read:

Do you have faith? have it to yourself before God.

Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows.

The verse begins, “Do you have faith? have it to yourself before God.” Paul began with the words, “do you” which means “do the believers in Rome” “have faith” or “possess and hold a conviction”? “have it to yourself” which means “possess and hold the faith to the believer who has it” “before” or “in the presence of and towards the eyes of” “God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Paul instructed the believers who had “faith” to allow for “eating and drinking” to do so “in the presence of God”.

The verse continues, “Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows.” Paul continued with the word, “happy” which means “blessed, fortunate and well off” “is he that condemns not ” or “is the human being who does not separate, put asunder, esteem, approve and prefer” “himself” which refers to “his own self” “in that thing” or “in the eating or drinking” “which he allows” which means “that the human being whether male or female tests, examines, proves and scrutinizes”. Paul consider the believer who does not “put themselves asunder” as a “blessed and fortunate” person.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how personal convictions should be manifested before God, and the person who is able to have the liberty to do so is “fortunate and blessed”. Because Jesus Christ died for the sins of every person, those who believe and trust in Him shall be saved. Afterward, if they have personal convictions which might “stumble” another believer or “make them fall”, it is best to practice those “convictions” before God and not before those who might be “tripped up”. God desires “righteousness, peace and joy” in His Kingdom, and those spiritual characteristics may be compromised should a person choose to exercise their freedom before others who are not as free. May God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit lead all those who choose to consider Paul's instruction.

Next time Paul tells the believers in Rome, “he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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