Here is how the resurrection of Jesus changes you! When God looks at you, He does not see you through your past sin. He sees you through Jesus! So, this does not mean you are a sinner trying to do better. It means you are someone who died with Christ and now lives in Him! The church isn’t trying to earn a new identity. It is simply living out the one Jesus has already given!
Belief is understanding, agreeing, AND depending (James 2:19). Many will say they believe the Bible, they believe in heaven and hell, or that they believe in God. However, many are still feverishly attempting to work their way to heaven – even though the Bible (that they say they believe) states clearly that we are “saved by grace through faith…not by works (Eph. 2:8-9).”
Romans 14 concludes that we the church are not to be so focused on the nonessentials in the lives of other believers that we become distracted from what God calls important and that we believe it is our job to pass judgment on the disputable matters seen in others. The reality is, God places great emphasis on harmonious relationships in the church!
