"MATURE???"

Romans 4:4-6              (ESV)
"4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in
honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.


A stronger, more mature person, may have freedom to eat (or other actions) whatever he chooses.  A more immature (not sure in his faith) person may not have that freedom yet.  And it may not be eating, it may be something else that you may have freedom to do that I still am convicted is wrong for me to do.

Today, I offer no cute words or analogies.  Only a personal experience to reflect upon.  I was teaching a Sunday School class about 20 years ago and one of my class members telephoned me inquiring about going to a local oyster bar to eat oysters?  I told him "I" could not go to a place known to be a "beer joint" to eat. On the other hand, I felt if I decided to go to a local Mexican eatery (known more as a restaurant than a bar) was okay!  Both served alcohol, but for me, I had (and still have) serious reservations about the oyster bar.  I had not been "released" to go to Oyster bar, but I had been released to eat at the Mexican diner.  I would not choose to drink alcohol no matter where I dined, but the atmosphere prohibited me from going into the oyster bar.

Verse 5 says "Each person should be FULLY convinced in his own mind".  You shouldn't be wishy-washy about where you stand on a subject.  Either GOD has given you freedom in an area, or HE hasn't. 1 Corinthians 8:13 states "Therefore, if eating a certain food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."  GOD gives freedoms, so you don't need to apologize for not being given something!  The Apostle Paul was saying he was secure enough in his faith that he had been given freedom to do a lot of things. Yet, he proclaimed in 1 Corinthians 8:13 that he would abstain from eating meat if it offended his brother.  He did not want a less mature believer having a spiritual issue with something of insignificance.

As I mature, I find more and more the freedom GOD gives me does not bring a need to prove  I have overcome.  Isn't it ironic, the more I mature,  the  more  I  see  I  need  to  mature?