Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

This truth is the central truth in the series. The other believer is not your servant. He doesn't belong to you. You have no authority or power over him. I think that somewhere along the way, people began to believe that the church in Rome could tell other churches what to do.

None of us believe that. We know that each church is independent of any outside authority. Then pastors began to think they had the right to decide for their church members.

Like the Pharisees, we built "a fence around the law" to ensure no one sinned. Soon, we became a group of critical judges walking around, ensuring everyone did things like we did.

"They don't need to read the Bible and ask God what to do. They do not need to seek the Lord. They need to ask me. We never intended to think or act like this, but look at us now."

No one means for it to come out like that. In practice, it ends up being just a spirit in our churches because they do what the pastor says while looking, but they don't always do what the pastor thinks when he isn't watching.

Wouldn't it be better if God's people would seek out the Lord and His will, and then they would do it all the time because God would convince them?

Now I know what the more spiritual are thinking. I know because I have already been there. You are right, but people do better when God teaches them. I want them to live holy lives, too.

The way I do things is the best, or I wouldn't be doing it that way. But that isn't the determining factor. If you tell them what to do and live critically, they will not mature to do what He wants.

He began the good work in them. Philippians 1:6.

He has predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son Romans 8:29.

Can we trust God to get people to where they should be? We should still preach to them what the Bible says. We should still show them but leave it to God to change them. We are not the Holy Spirit, and they are not our servants.

Paul left room here for liberty to decide. He gives guidelines but accepts both. What do you think?