Romans 14: Let God Be the Judge
Romans 14: Let God Be the Judge
If you’ve spent any time around church people, you know we don’t always agree on everything. We have opinions about worship styles, what to eat or drink, how to dress, or how to observe certain days. And if we’re honest, sometimes our opinions turn into pride. We start measuring other believers by our personal yardstick—forgetting that God Himself is the one who holds the ruler.
Romans 14 is a humbling chapter because it calls out our arrogance. Paul writes to a church full of strong convictions—Jewish believers who held tightly to old dietary laws and Gentile believers who didn’t. Instead of tearing each other apart, Paul says, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand” (Romans 14:4).
And let’s be honest—sometimes that pride shows up as anger. We’ve all seen (and maybe been) those “angry Christians,” quick to lash out at others who don’t fit our mold. But Christ never called us to be the loudest critic in the room. He didn’t call us to vent our anger over every difference. He called us to love one another. To be known not by our arguments but by our kindness, patience, and grace. When anger drives us, we miss the heart of Jesus, who said the world would know us by our love.
Those words hit me. Because haven’t we all, at some point, thought: If they were truly mature in their faith, they’d do it my way? Yet Paul reminds us: they don’t answer to you. They answer to God.
Paul’s focus is on unity in the essentials: one faith, one Lord, one Savior. The small differences that often get magnified in our minds—God is not asking us to police them. He’s asking us to love each other. “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19).
When we remember that God is the Judge, something amazing happens: we can breathe. We can lay down our pride and stop playing the role of the Holy Spirit in someone else’s life. Instead of pointing fingers, we can point hearts toward Christ. Instead of comparing, we can encourage. Instead of dividing, we can unite.
Maybe there’s someone in your life right now whose faith looks a little different than yours. Maybe you’ve quietly dismissed them, or even criticized them out loud. Romans 14 invites you to pause. To see them not as someone to fix, but as someone Jesus loves.
At the end of the day, the goal isn’t to win arguments—it’s to glorify God together. Because when we stand before Him, He’s not going to ask, “Did you convince everyone to see it your way?” He’s going to ask, “Did you love them like I loved you?”
Let’s walk humbly. Let’s focus on the one faith we share. And let’s leave the judging where it belongs—in God’s perfect hands.
