6. Those who think one day is more important than other days are doing that for the Lord. And those who eat all kinds of food are doing that for the Lord. Yes, they give thanks to God for that food. And those who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord. They also give thanks to God.
7. We don’t live or die just for ourselves.
8. If we live, we are living for the Lord. And if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord.
9. That is why Christ died and rose from death to live again—so that he could be Lord over those who have died and those who are living.
10. So why do you judge your brother or sister in Christ? Or why do you think that you are better than they are? We will all stand before God, and he will judge us all.
11. Yes, the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘Everyone will bow before me; everyone will say that I am God.’” Isaiah 45:23
12. So each of us will have to explain to God about the things we do.
13. So we should stop judging each other. Let’s decide not to do anything that will cause a problem for a brother or sister or hurt their faith.
14. I know that there is no food that is wrong to eat. The Lord Jesus is the one who convinced me of that. But if someone believes that something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person.
15. If you hurt the faith of your brother or sister because of something you eat, you are not really following the way of love. Don’t destroy anyone’s faith by eating something they think is wrong. Christ died for them.
16. Don’t allow what is good for you to become something they say is evil.
17. In God’s kingdom, what we eat and drink is not important. Here is what is important: a right way of life, peace, and joy—all from the Holy Spirit.