Romans 14:17, Cultivate Spiritual Virtues
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
The Christians are exhorted to cultivate spiritual fruit their lives – to grow in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. He urged them not to be squabbling concerning differences in the physical aspects of life, scrutinizing and taking offense over one others’ eating habits. Rather focus on cultivating a strong walk with God through self-examination, confession of sins and obedience to God’s Word.
Fleshly sins must be repented as the Apostle delineated for us in Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
- Adultery – sexual sin in marriage
- Fornication – any sexual sin
- Uncleanness – immoral lust,
- Lasciviousness – shameless lifestyle
- Idolatry – worship of false gods (mammon-greed)
- Witchcraft – sorcery (deceptions and secuctions of idolatry),
- Hatred – enmity, hostility
- Variance – contention
- Emulations – an envious and contentious rivalry, jealousy
- Wrath – anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again
- Strife – intriguing for office, fractiousness (desire to put oneself forward)
- Seditions – dissension, division
- Heresies – dissensions arising from diversity of opinions and aim
- Envyings – promoted by envy
- Murders – killing
- Drunkenness – intoxication, make drunk or become drunk
- Revellings – feast and drinking parties till late night (half-drunk)
When sin is put off, God’s peace and joy will more and more abound in the believers’ life. This ought to be believers’ focus! May the Lord help His people to bear fruit. Amen.