For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For 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. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why 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; for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.Therefore 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.
Paul ties this passage back to Romans 13:8-10 when he points out that we can demonstrate lack of neighbor love by causing a brother to stumble. How tough it is to exhort and hold a fellow believer accountable in love. I wonder how many divisions and schisms in the Church are the scars and wounds of that failure?
Today's readings in the Psalms:
Morning: Psalm 97
Mid-day: 119:1-9
Evening: Psalm 23
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Voices Together is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at theFellowship Of Ailbe bookstore. A weekly edition, formatted as a bi-fold insert and suitable for distribution can be downloaded at https://www.ailbe.org/resources/item/5828-2015-voices-together-weekly-devotionals. The next edition is available by Thursday of the prior week.
