Romans Chapter 14 Vs. 18

 

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Rom 14:18

For he that... Any man who has righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit has three other great blessings:

1. He is a servant of Christ.

2. He is acceptable with God.

3. He is approved by people.

Jas. 2:18-20 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

in these things... God expects us to use the gifts of the Spirit that He gives us. The power of the Holy Spirit is given for a reason. The reason is to make us more effective workers for God. It is explained perfectly (in Acts 1:8):

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

approved of men... Christians are under the microscope of a skeptical world that is assessing how they live with and treat each other.

As a result the Christian who serves (pres. participle, douleuōn, “who keeps on serving as a slave”) Christ in this way — in Christian love, pursuing righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit — is pleasing (cf. Rom. 12:1; 15:1; Heb. 13:21) to God and approved by men (in contrast with being evil spoken of, Rom. 14:16).