Romans 14:23

"...for whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)

What a eye-catching statement! It sounds harsh at face value. However, it makes a lot of sense after looking at it closely. This verse goes back to the fact that everything is black and white, and nothing can ever be grey. Afterall, we either end up in Heaven or burn in Hell, there's nothing in between. Since there's only two consequences, whatever we do, we either do it to advance toward Heaven or take a step back toward Hell. So, what does it mean to do everything from faith?

It's quite a tough question to answer. But the answer can be formulate by looking back to what faith comprises of. As previous discussed, the process of gaining faith includes accepting Christ, studying God's Words to better understand Him, following His commandments without question, and giving all the credits and glory to God. Therefore, to have faith means the sum of all of the above. Ultimately, everything we do must be within the commandments of God and for the glory of God. Jesus told us the greatest commandment is to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself' (Mt 22:37,39). If we do everything under those two commandments, then we are sure to steer clear of sinning.

Part of keeping the commandments it to glorify God. In anything we do, we must keep the result in mind. Is the result going to cause bad opinion of God? Why is God not glorified through the stumbling of our brethren because of our eating? As Christians, we are expected by non-believers to uphold the principles of God. We are to be ethical, loving, holy, etc...If one of us stumbles, then it is to the devastation of the whole group, since we are viewed as a collective body. Through one person's fall, the whole church can be criticized for being hypocrites. On the other hand, we are breaking the 'love your neighbors as yourself' commandment for not caring for our brethren's soul. Either way, if we fail to keep the commandments of God for the glory of God, then we are prone to sin.

In everything, we must think before performing, analyze the reason we do it for. Is it for our benefit only? Or is it really for the benefit of God? What are we studying for? What are we trying to achieve at work for? Who are we earning money for? Why do we make so many friends? Why do we fast and pray so many meals at NYTS? Why do we sing in the choir? Why are we doing holy work? The list can go on and on. Ultimately, the questions is: What do we live for?