Title: None of Us Lives to Himself
Scripture: Romans 14:7
Paul writes a sentence that stops us cold: “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.” He is not giving friendly advice; he is stating a fact about reality. Every choice you make, even the ones you think are private, sends ripples through the body of Christ. Your life is tied to other believers more tightly than you feel. God designed it that way.
We like to imagine we are free agents. I chose this diet, this hobby, this budget, so it is my business. Paul says that thinking is a fantasy. The weaker brother who watches you eat the meat he thinks is idol-tainted is affected. The sister who hears you boast about your liberty is affected. The new convert who copies your example and then feels guilty is affected. Your so-called private decision just became their spiritual burden.
The gospel rewires our self-understanding. Christ’s death and resurrection did not simply save isolated souls; it created a single new people. When the Holy Spirit places you in Jesus, He also places you in Jesus’s body. Your lungs now breathe air that other lungs will inhale. That is why Paul can say, “Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” The Lord who owns you also owns the family you belong to. He manages the whole household, and He decides how one member’s conduct helps or hurts another.
Practically, this means you ask more questions before you act. Will my glass of wine tempt a recovering alcoholic in the church? Will my sharp Facebook post teach a teenager that Christians sneer at outsiders? Will my flexible Sunday schedule tell the exhausted single mom that gathering with God’s people is optional? You are free in Christ, but you are free for love, not for self-indulgence. Love limits itself so that others may grow.
Dying to self is not a one-time event at conversion; it is daily arithmetic. You subtract your right to please yourself and add concrete concern for the faith of others. The reward is deeper unity and a clearer picture of Jesus, who did not please Himself but bore our weaknesses on the cross. When you live this way, the watching world sees a community that actually acts like one.
Prayer: Lord, knock the “me” off the throne of my heart today. Show me the brother or sister who will be helped or harmed by the freedom I claim, and give me the humility to choose their good over my own. Amen.
