Judgments and Stumbling Blocks

"For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: 'As surely as I live', says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God'. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." Romans 14:9-13

How convicting is this scripture? How guilty am I? Our family has been dealing with some spiritual issues as of late and I have found myself passing judgement, but also having judgement passed on me. I have been a stumbling block, but have also tripped over a block placed in my path several times in the last few months. Are any of us innocent? Do we even acknowledge, or for that matter, even realize when we have done this and to whom we must answer? We are all brother's and sister's in Christ and just like any siblings we are different: our personalities, our emotions, how we handle anger, the way we worship or even the very way we pray. Who am I to tell you that you are wrong, and if I sincerely feel that you are in error am I trying to see your difference and work with that instead of passing judgment. God calls us to love each child of Christ in spite of the differences and quirkiness. We have no place to pass judgement on others. We will all stand at the judgement seat and Christ will give us an account of our judgements and the stumbling blocks that we placed before others. Are we loving? Are we accepting and seeking to further our fellow Christ follower's journeys or are we simply choosing to judge a given situation as hopeless and turning our backs for greener pastures and leaving a spiritual stumbling block in our wake?

All Isreal Will Be Saved

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that

you may not be conceited: Isreal has experienced a hardening in part

until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all

of Isreal will be saved.."

Romans 11:25-26

Starting in Chapter 11 verse 11, Paul is speaking of the Gentiles being grafted on the tree of Jesus' decendency. Some of the Jewish branches are pruned to make room for all of the Gentiles that come to belief but later the pruned branches will be returned.

I had always believed that the Jews would have to come to belief and if they didn't they would be left behind like other believers but this is not at all what Paul says. All of Isreal (the Jews) will be saved and I think that is amazing! Our Lord made a covenant with Isreal and he will remain true but he also is making room for the "full number" of Gentile believers. Paul also says in verse 11 that "because of their trangression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Isreal envious," verse 14 says "in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them." God is so good to use Gentile believers to return his own people home.

It amazes me that everytime you read the Bible some new bit of information is brought to your attention and gives you pause to realize the interconnecting magnitude of Adonai's plan. In Paul's time he is already numbering the believers that will come to him. I am so thankful that I am one of his chosen and that for me he gave his life. What better gift could we be given and how do we EVER repay that?