Sunday on Monday - October 19th, 2026
Yesterday was a special Sunday at Grace. It was exciting to have Matthew Carnes come back and share God’s Word with us.
Matthew grew up at Grace Church, graduated from Grace Christian Academy, and is now serving in a church residency program in Houston while continuing his theological training. It is encouraging to see how God is continuing to shape his life and calling, and I was grateful for the way he handled the text and pointed us to Jesus!
Matthew brought us back into Romans with an important reminder from Romans 14:1–12: Christians are not going to agree about everything.
Paul wrote to believers with very different backgrounds and convictions. Some felt free to eat certain foods while others did not. Some observed certain days while others treated every day alike. The problem was not just that they disagreed. Some were tempted to look down on other believers. Others were tempted to judge them.
Paul’s response? “God has welcomed him" (Romans 14:3). What does that mean?
It means the gospel changes the way we treat one another.
If God has accepted a person into His family, other believers have no right or authority to reject, look down on, or condemn them over secondary, non-essential matters of conscience
We must stand firmly on essential Biblical truth! But there are many secondary issues where sincere Christians will reach different conclusions. In those areas, our goal should not be to win every argument or convince everyone to see things exactly as you do.
Romans 14 reminds us that Jesus is Lord over His church. He is the One before whom each of us will ultimately give an account.
What about you?
Are there areas where you tend to look down on or judge another believer? Maybe for you it is school choice. Maybe it is parenting decisions. Maybe it is politics. Maybe it is something much smaller.
Have you looked down on another believer simply because they reached a different conclusion than you did?
Because Jesus has welcomed us, let’s welcome one another! Our unity and love for one another preach the gospel loudly to our community.
Bonus thoughts:
Essential issues are truths that define the gospel and the Christian faith. Secondary issues are important, but faithful Christians can disagree on them and still live in love and unity as a community.
A few questions help:
- Is this clearly taught in Scripture?
- Is it directly connected to the gospel or the identity of Jesus?
- Would denying it place someone outside historic Christian orthodoxy?
- Does Scripture command all believers to obey this, or are there principles that require wisdom and conscience in application?
- Have faithful, Bible-believing Christians historically disagreed about it while still affirming the same gospel?
If Scripture speaks clearly, we submit. If Scripture gives freedom, we should be very careful not to turn our preference into God’s command.
