2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Isn’t this just the best description of something we call witness protection? Let me elaborate upon the issues.

A life of crime puts the witness at the mercy of his mob boss. At some point this witness comes to the realization that this life he is leading is a path to death and destruction. He wants out but knows he cannot achieve this on his own, so he reaches out to the district attorney’s office with his tale of woe.

“Get me out and my witness is yours.”

The district attorney sees the value in this criminal’s statement and agrees to provide witness protection for this testimony. Charges will be dropped, no prosecution for criminal activity, a new identity and a new life is arranged.

The U.S. Marshall’s office oversees this new life, checking in regularly with the witness. His job is to ensure the witness does not entangle himself once again in a life of crime.

This ladies and gentlemen is our salvation story. Jesus Christ is the DA and the Holy Spirit is the U.S. Marshall and we are the witnesses.

If you are reading this and you have not confessed your sins and sought a new life, talk to Jesus and hammer out a deal for your escaping a life of sin.

Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Several other bible versions use the word convinced in place of persuaded. I see a subtle difference between the two, but I am not sure that for the purposes of this devotional that it makes that much of a difference.

There has always been and will always will be personal preferences in performance of liturgical functions within churches. There can very well be differences even within one church. As long as any of those differences do not touch foundational truths it really does not matter and they should not be used as an excuse to judge another’s preferences.

v13a Let us not therefore judge one another any more:

So why are we encouraged to be “fully persuaded” if it does not matter?

v14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

The Lord knows your heart, He knows your vulnerabilities, He knows what sins are at your door. The Lord persuades to protect. To be fully convinced in your mind is accepting that the Lord knows what is best for your relationship with Him and with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

v22-23 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

By faith the Lord said don’t, so I don’t. That does not mean He said don’t to you over my issues. You have your own set of don’ts to deal with.