Stephen’s sermon this morning looked at ‘an exploration of our diet’ – not so much focussing on the food we eat but on the life-changing and lifelong diet which God provides for us! This diet is free (Is 55:1) and, unlike many of the faddy food diets on offer, allows us to partake freely of all that God has to offer! (Rom 14:14 reminds us that no food is unclean in itself, reminding us that God only wants to give us good things.)
Col 3:16-17 reminds us that everything which is done and said needs to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and 2 Tim 3:16 reminds us that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful to us. We need to understand, however, that love must be the motivator in all we do, for Rom 14:15 reminds us that our actions can cause distress to others if we are not acting out of love. All our behaviour and activities must be filtered through love. Jesus was tender and gentle with those who were weak and in need but opposed the legalistic hypocrisy of the Pharisees with force. We have to understand that the freedom Christ brings is not to be abused, and we must live our lives conscious that our diet will not only affect our own spiritual growth but will affect others who can either be strengthened or weakened by our actions. A personal application of this diet – what Christ means to us in our own personal lives and how we live before others – is important for us.