DTS friends, I apologize for not posting this before heading up to KY. I typed it out and must have accidentally hit the save button, and not the button to post it. Here it is now, doing only half the job that L.G. did last week.
In verses 7 and 8, Paul states that no Christian lives unto himself or dies unto himself. We life for the Lord and at His pleasure, and when we die, we belong to the Lord. Because each person belongs to the Lord, Paul teaches earlier in chapter 14 that Christians should not judge or look down on other Christians if they have different beliefs on non-essential matters of the faith. In verse 9, Paul states that "for this end" Christ died and rose and lived again for the purpose that he might be the Lord of both the living and the dead. As Calvin puts it, Christ earned authority over us by paying the great price of death on a cross, and by showing his authority over death via His resurrection. Given the fact that we all belong to Christ, we should not judge or show contempt for our Christian brothers, for all stand before Christ's judgment seat as stated in Isaiah 45:23. (v. 10-11). Calvin states our judging our fellow Christians makes about as much sense as a criminal attempting to ascend to climb into the judge's chair and exercise his authority. In the end, each one of us gives an account of himself to God. (v. 12). For that reason, we should not judge one another but instead resolve the differences we have so that we do not create stumbling blocks to the faith of others. (v. 13).
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