(All verses are
from the New International Version)
Romans 14:1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
MATTERS
OF OPINION, FAITH AND CONSCIENCE
When
it comes to matters of opinion between members of the church we need to defer our
convictions that are not clearly established upon spiritual doctrines of life
and death in the scriptures. We need to be careful of not violating any man’s
conscience while preserving the freedom we know we have in Christ. We not to be
careful not to limit or impose upon the freedom the brethren have because we
have a personal conviction about something gin particular that is not a matter
of spiritual life or death in the Scriptures. It is probably the most difficult
balance we aim to achieve in the church: being of the same mind and judgment (1Co 1:10).
We’ll outline the principles of striking that balance in verse 16 of this
chapter.
Through
the centuries disputable matters have divided up the church and created
denominations, sects and divisions which have led many groups to apostasy, not
to mention pervert the Gospel of Christ and cause millions upon millions to
stumble and fall from God's grace or never even get to God's grace!
In
our own time we have seen disputable matters split up many congregations and
even push many to defect and call themselves something totally different,
adding to the confusion and promoting division as opposed to unity though the
one true Gospel of Jesus. When speaking of these matters of opinion and faith
we need to remember the focus of Jesus’ prayer:
John 17:20-23 ESV "I do not ask
for these only, but also for those
who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me,
and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that
you have sent me. 22 The glory that you
have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23
I in them and you in me, that they may become
perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even
as you loved me.
Wow!
How important unity is to accomplish the work of the Gospel message! I wonder
how compromised our success in preaching the Gospel has been because of these
major, major stumbling blocks some have introduced! Of course, deep, deep down
I know that all true believers are really perfectly united. The perfect unity
Jesus is speaking of here may not just be at the local congregational level but
at the spiritual level of those whose names are written in heaven – those who
truly love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength!
Accept him whose faith is weak…
The
subject in this first verse, right up through the entire chapter is the person
who has weak faith. The goal of the chapter? To be at peace with one
another and to accept each other’s level of faith as we continue our walk in
Jesus! Sometimes we get impatient with ourselves or others and we pass
judgment, criticize and accuse, forgetting that we aren’t finished yet! God is
still working in us to get on to maturity!
Let’s
start by defining what faith is and what makes ones’ faith weak:
1-
What
is faith?
Heb 11:1-3
a.
Being sure of what we hope for
b.
Being certain of what we do not see
c.
By
faith we understand what God has done
d.
By
faith we serve God
e.
By
faith we please God – Heb 11:6
i.
We
believe He exists
ii.
We
earnestly seek him
iii.
We
believe He rewards those who earnestly seek Him
f.
Faith comes from God’s Word, the
Bible
– Romans
10:17
2-
What
makes it weak
a.
Hoping
in the wrong thing, relying on the wrong thing and desiring the wrong thing –
basically, hoping in anything that is seen
– Romans
8:24
b.
Being insecure
i.
About
your belief of God and your trust in Jesus’ redemptive work
ii.
About
your decision to trust God totally with everything
iii.
About
your identity and value before God
iv.
About
your convictions – where you stand in your relationship with God, Jesus and the
church
c.
Leaning on man’s understanding of
things
i.
Trusting
what you see and hear more than the invisible things of the Spirit
ii.
Trusting
what you can understand more than what you can believe from God’s word
d.
Serving
yourself
e.
Pleasing
yourself
f.
Not knowing God's Word
3-
Struggles
test your faith and can make it grow or fade: you decide!
– Matthew
13:18-23
a.
If
your heart is hardened due to sin and your mind closed due to pride you will
not let the Spirit sow the seed of faith in you
b.
If
you put your trust in people (including yourself) and hope for peace and
tranquility (success) in this life your faith will never even begin to grow!
c.
If
you put your hope in this life and let the riches of the world become your goal
your faith will be choked and will not mature
d.
If
you hear the word and strive to understand it, accept it and apply it your
faith will grow and be fruitful
e.
You
need to test your faith – 2Co 13:5
f.
You
need to let God test your faith – James 1:1-3
4-
Conclusion
a.
Faith
has to do with security and certainty of God's desire to relate to us through
Jesus
b.
Faith
thrives during testing if your trust is in God
c.
Weak
faith is self-centered (selfish) and self-serving
i.
It
turns Bible truths into matters of opinion
ii.
It
turns matters of opinion into Bible truths
d.
Extremes
are the manifestation of weak faith
e.
Weak
faith is ignorant of the truth of God's word
As
disturbing as weak faith is we must accept the brother whose faith is weak; accept being the action word in this
passage, not weak. We all have been
of weak faith since faith is something that grows and is strengthened over time
and experience. It is by loving those of weak faith that we as a body become
strengthened and united (1Thes 5:14). Remember that the body is not
just one part – in other words, those whose faith is strong are not the whole
body (1 Co
12:12-14)! If we care for the body of Christ we will care for
one another and devote ourselves to each other out of brotherly love as we
learned in chapter 13 of Romans. Our love for one another is proven by our
acceptance of those who have weak faith. Again, the key word being accept; not correct, instruct, encourage, pressure or lecture. If
you do any of these you are really passing judgment!
Without passing judgment on disputable
matters…
Our
acceptance is displayed by not passing judgment. My goodness, how many times
have you passed judgment, whether you kept it to yourself or shared it with
someone else, about something a brother said or did? When we do that we presume
to be totally innocent and we despise the grace God has shed on us through
Jesus! The seeds of discord are slowly sown by our judgmental attitudes and how
we share those judgments with others.
We
will examine what happens when we pass judgment and how we pass judgment in verse 10 of this
chapter. Let’s now define disputable matters. Disputable matters (diakriseis
dialogismōn: “decisions
of opinions; doubtful disputations” Note dia
(between, two or duo) in both words. Discriminations between doubts or
hesitations.) are matters of opinion that have to do with your specific choices,
decisions and convictions concerning tastes, likes or dislikes and have nothing
to do with life or death doctrinal statements of the Bible. When it comes to
doctrines of life and death we let God's word do the judging. If anything, the
ability to distinguish doctrine from opinion is what proves maturity of faith
and ability to rightly divide God’s word making the right judgment (John 7:24).
Examples of Disputable Matters:
1-
Women
wearing veils
2-
Women
answering questions or talking in a church assembly
3-
Celebrating
the Lord's Supper
4-
Working
for the government as a public official or law-enforcement agent
5-
Working
as military personnel in a war
6-
Working
on the Lord's Day
7-
The
Lord's Day
8-
The
use of musical instruments in the assembly
9-
The
use of Praise Teams
10-
Alcoholic or
non-alcoholic wine?
11-
Divorce and
re-marriage for the unsaved
12-
Dancing
13-
Law vs. Grace
14-
Biblical Canon
15-
The worship of
God in the assembly
16-
The collection
17-
Who rules over
the local congregation?
18-
Evangelism
protocols and methods
19-
Appropriate
attire
20-
Training up
children at the home
21-
Putting up
Christmas or other festive decorations
22-
Scientific
theories
23-
Extra-biblical
historical accounts
The
ESV will say “welcome the brother whose
faith is weak, but not to quarrel over opinions.” GWT (God’s Word
Translation) says: “Welcome people who
are weak in faith, but don't get into an argument over differences of opinion.”
Being
that people in the world show their worldliness by always getting into disputes
over the unimportant and trivial, we need to show we are Christ’s by promoting
unity in Jesus, not unity according to our own standards and opinions. People
tend to be exclusive, clickish and elitist. The Gospel is a message of unity;
it is inclusive, seeking to accomplish inclusivity through Jesus:
Ephesians
2:15
His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making
peace…
Romans 14:2 One man's faith allows him to
eat everything, but
another man, whose faith
is weak, eats only
vegetables.
Two
disputable matters at the time will be introduced here: the observance of
special days and the eating of meat. Note that disputable matters are always
changing – a clue that they are disputable in nature and not spiritually
entrenched. Religious organizations that
often change their practices and creeds testify to the disputability of their
“doctrine”.
One
man knows he’s free in Jesus; another man is restricted by his faith. Notice
that the qualifier “weak faith” has been placed on the person who restricts
himself without any particular reason other than what he believes to be
so.
Romans 14:3 The man who eats everything must
not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must
not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
Neither
the one who is free nor the one who feels restricted are to pass judgment on
each other or think they are better than the other for the choices they have
made in what they practice. Both people are sincere in their expression yet
their convictions have not separated them from their Lord, why should they
separate them from each other and break the unity of fellowship?
Most
likely these differences predominated between the Jewish Christians and the
Gentile Christians. Those of Jewish background still had the prohibitions of
the law in mind and therefore abstained from many meats, especially those
sacrificed to idols. The Gentile
Christians had no such scruples and freely ate whatever they were used to
eating. Although God made such
prohibitions in the Law, under Christ there was no such thing:
1 Timothy 4:1-5 NIV The Spirit
clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow
deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
2 Such teachings come through
hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and
order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with
thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good,
and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God
and prayer.
Therefore,
since God has accepted both opinions (views), both of these Christians were to
accept each other as well. Any type of judgment made against a brother would be
an insinuation that the one judging knew better than God!
Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge someone
else's servant? To his
own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him
stand.
You should not judge someone that does
not answer to you
We
have no right to judge our brothers and sisters since they are servants of God,
not our own servants. God is their Lord and it is to Him they answer, not to
any one member in the body. Anyone whom God has accepted in His body He is able
to make them stand even though they may seem weak to you.
This
passage also teaches us that we are responsible for our faith before God. God
will judge us according to our faith, not someone else’s faith. We have the
responsibility to grow and nurture our faith so that it may be strong before
the Lord. We are not to use crutches for our faith other than God Himself and
what comes from His word. He is the one who makes us stand! If we try to stand
on other things we will fall (1 Co 10:12).
When
we judge, concerning life and death doctrine, we are to primarily make sure we
are judging ourselves (our thoughts and actions) rightly before we ever attempt
to judge someone else (Matthew 7:3-6). When it comes to matters of
opinion there are no judgments to be made since we are to primarily assume the
person has to grow in their convictions and faith if their judgment seems to be
restrictive. We cannot presume what their motives are since we do not know
their heart – only God knows the heart. We cannot assume that just because someone
doesn’t agree with us that their faith is weak. Whoever makes a judgment like
that confirms their own faith is weak, dependent on man’s wisdom!
James 4:11-12 NIV Brothers, do not slander one another.
Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and
judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in
judgment on it. 12
There is only one Lawgiver
and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to
judge your neighbor?
It
is clear that judging one another implies slandering, especially when it comes
to matters of opinion.
1 Corinthians 4:3-5 NIV I care very
little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge
myself. 4
My conscience is clear,
but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed
time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in
darkness and will expose
the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise
from God.
This
passage is speaking about judging others presuming to know their motives. If we
sometimes have trouble judging our own heart and motives, how can we presume to
judge someone else’s motives? The encouragement in this passage in Corinthians
is to wait. Wait until the Lord comes and let Him reveal the motives behind
men’s hearts. We see that same idea expressed in this parable:
Matthew 13:24-30 NIV Jesus told
them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is
like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25 But while everyone was sleeping, his
enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat
sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 "The owner's
servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field?
Where then did the weeds come from?' 28 " 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked
him, 'Do you want us to go
and pull them up?' 29 " 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling
the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the
harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and
tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my
barn.' "
Of
course, when it comes to life and death doctrine we need to make the right
judgment:
John 7:24 Stop judging by mere
appearances, and make a right judgment.
Romans 16:17-18 NIV I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause
divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you
have learned. Keep away
from them. 18 For such
people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk
and flattery they deceive
the minds of naive people.
The
right judgment never comes by what may appear to be right to us but what comes
from God’s word:
Hebrews 4:12 NIV For the word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; it
judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Romans 14:5 One man considers one day more
sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully
convinced in his own mind.
Here's
the second matter of opinion: the observance of special days. Remember the Jews
were instructed to observe many special days marking special events in the
history of the Jewish nation and, of course, the Sabbath – marking a special
day of creation. To observe special days was ingrained in the mind of a Jew
since birth. It was sacrilegious to disregard these observances according to
Mosaic Law.
In
come the Gentiles. There were no days to be observed except the Lord’s memorial
(Luke 22:19).
That’s all they were told! Actually, they were not even told about the observance
of any day. All the Gentiles received from the apostles was this:
Acts 15:23-31 NIV With them they sent the following letter: The
apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria
and Cilicia: Greetings. 24 We have heard that some went out
from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by
what they said. 25 So we all
agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas
and Paul-- 26 men who have risked their lives for the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore
we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are
writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with
anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the
meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid
these things. Farewell. 30 The men
were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together
and delivered the letter. 31 The people
read it and were glad for its encouraging message.
That’s
it! You may ask, “What about all the other rules and regulations we hear from
many in the church”? Ask yourself: are they apostles? Have they obtained these
rules and regulations from the Bible? You will find that the answer is “NO” on
both counts. There you have it.
So
this business about people troubling us for our freedom we have in Christ has
been going on since the church began (Gal 2:4). It is no surprise Satan continues
to choose this avenue to disturb and fragment the fellowship. All he needs are
naïve, proud and worldly minds, usually found in most recently baptized
Christians, to prevent and mislead others from Christ! I know – I was one of
them 20 years ago!
As
long as you are fully convinced that what you are doing honors God and you
don’t bind that on someone else you are free to practice it. Just make sure it
doesn’t cause someone to stumble.
Romans 14:6 He who regards one day as
special, does so to the
Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who
abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
And
here's the motivation that needs to guide all – both who feel restricted by
their conscience and those who are liberated by their faith: whatever you do –
do so for the Lord as you give thanks to Him! Thanksgiving, honor and praise
are central to true and spiritual worship:
1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 NIV 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle,
encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for
wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus.
Thankfulness
to God is an expression of the mature mind that realizes they have everything
in Christ and therefore are not in want. These who are continually thankful are
the ones who show patience, who help the weak and who encourage the timid –
they are joyful! Those who are thankful don’t restrict themselves by their
condemning heart, knowing that God is greater that their heart (1John 3:19-20)
and they won't impose their private opinions or freedoms on anyone.
It
is possible for two people who have different opinions about a disputable
matter to worship God in spirit and truth if what they do is done out of conviction
and thankfulness for the Lord. When something is done out of spite, hate or out
of selfish motives, the sin will be exposed in due time. This is why we cannot
judge a matter before its time. God will always reveal such things and weed out
those who are bent on their own destruction (Gal 6:8).
One
slogan during the restoration movement was: “In doctrine, unity; in opinion,
liberty; in all things, love.”
Romans 14:7-8 For none of us lives to
himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So,
whether we live or die, we
belong to the Lord.
We
are not our own, we were bought at a price:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor
God with your body.
1 Corinthians 7:22-24 NIV 22 For he who was a slave when he was called by
the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was
called is Christ's slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do
not become slaves of men. 24 Brothers,
each man, as responsible
to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are
convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
These
three verses outline some very important principles that should guide our
individual consciences before the Lord:
1-
We belong to the
Lord
a.
We
don’t live for ourselves (our pleasure) any longer
b.
We
have died to the world in Christ and we live for God!
c.
We
gave up our hopeless lives in this world to have true hope and eternal life
with God!
d.
Therefore,
what we decide to do should be in agreement to this end, that our conscience
may not be violated by ourselves or anybody else.
2-
Our body belongs
to the Lord
a.
We
should not look to please the flesh
b.
We
should use our body to honor God
c.
Our
bodies are sacred – the Holy Spirit resides in this temple!
d.
Jesus
paid a high price to reclaim your body as His temple.
e.
Therefore
we ought to do with our body what is in agreement with holiness, peace,
goodness and truth that our conscience may not be violated by ourselves or
anybody else.
3-
We are
responsible to God
a.
He
owns us in Jesus!
b.
We
are the Lord's slaves
c.
In
the Lord we are truly free!
d.
We
are not to become slaves to anyone or anything
e.
God
has something for you to do where you are and how you are in Him!
f.
You
are responsible to Him for what you do with your circumstances and opportunities!
g.
Therefore
whatever we decide to do should be influenced by the circumstances God set up
around us and his holy word – not by the convictions, goals or motives of
someone else.
4-
We Live for the
Lord
a.
Jesus
died for us that we may live
b.
We
died to ourselves in Jesus that we may live in Jesus
c.
Our
lives now are about living for Jesus
d.
If
we live for Jesus we will love one another above ourselves
e.
We
will not impose restrictions or freedoms on our brothers
f.
We
will not quarrel and fight (James 4:1-4) because we have died to self
g.
We
will honor one another above ourselves and encourage one another to live for
the Lord
These
convictions that are forged by God's word, your circumstances and your
conscience are very individual convictions, not subject to the opinions or
judgments of anyone else. We are not talking about the basic standards of life
and death doctrine that are clearly outlined in the New Testament. You are
responsible to God in preaching the truth and living by the truth, and
responsible to your brother for showing and teaching him the truth. What your
brother decides to do he needs to do for the Lord, not for you.
This
verse teaches us we are not islands unto ourselves but we are networked.
Whatever you do will affect those around you. If you decide you are more mature
and therefore free to practice something that your brothers considers
offensive, you are hurting and hating your brother and hurting Jesus. Likewise,
if you impose your restrictions on others because you think you are wiser and
holier you are creating a crutch on a man-made presumption and robbing brethren
of their freedom in Christ. Whatever you decide to do influences those around
you, whether good or bad. When we live for ourselves our influence on others
will usually be a negative one – encouraging the fruit of darkness to rule in
our lives and in the lives of those around us. When we choose to love the Lord we
will love the right way and we will affect other people’s lives in a positive
way – leading them towards eternity in Jesus.
However,
this verse also teaches that what you decide to do must be because you are
convinced you do it for Jesus, not for someone else. Lives built on dependency
on the human factor will be bitter, lost lives, even if you seek to do good. Others
can imprison you by manipulating you towards their own end if you let them.
If you seek people’s approval you seek to imprison yourself in their immature
judgment. Seek and rely on the Lord only!
As
we saw in the last chapter, we owe one another love and love seeks to build on
the foundation of Jesus Christ. Love does not overlord; love lets the Lord over
you.
Romans 14:9 For this very reason, Christ
died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
For
the very reason of setting you free of any human or created influence and for
the very reason of being networked in His love did Jesus die for you – that you
would be an active node in this network, fully relying on Jesus and fully
transmitting his love to strengthen and lead others to Him. I like how these
set of verses make no distinction between the dead and the living when you are
in Christ. That is because only in Christ have we overcome death itself – where
everything else in the world ends, but when you’re in Jesus, it is just the
beginning of everything!
Any
system of philosophy or religion that operates only during man's mortal life is
worthless at last. The distinction of Christianity is that the Savior is Lord
of life and death, both alike lying totally within the perimeter of his
omnipotent love and power. – Coffman
When
we are truly convinced of this fact, as Paul so clearly puts it in 2 Co 5:14-15,
our lives here will shine so brightly because our eyes are fixed on being with
Jesus forever. When we reach this mindset we truly believe we have overcome, as
John also reminds us:
1 John 5:3-5 NIV This is love for God: to obey his commands.
And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes
the world. This is
the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Only
submission and incorporation into the sovereign lordship of Christ can
transition you to the next level that goes beyond anything this world and its
people have ever promoted. Jesus’ resurrection clearly established His sovereignty
since there are no other man-made systems that can claim to be so certain of
what comes after this life, nor can they produce anyone who has returned from
the afterlife to testify about it.
Romans 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother?
Or why do you look down on
your brother? For we
will all stand before God's judgment seat.
The mature in faith don’t make judgments
against others based on opinion
If
you are truly convinced of Jesus’ sovereignty over you and you are a member of
His body, can you be in your right mind if you dare to be passing judgment
instead of passing love? Can you possibly entertain superiority over your
brethren if you truly are a slave to Christ and dead to yourself? Who made you
judge?
1-
Despise
your brother
2-
Look
down upon your brother
3-
Don’t
have faith God is a good and righteous God – you judge God!
4-
Think
you are better than your brother
5-
Judge
him unfit before God
6-
Doubt
his standing before God
7-
Dishonor
his conscience (faith) before God
8-
Put
a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of your brother – Rom 14:13
9-
Grieve
your brother – Rom 14:15
10-
Destroy your
brother
11-
Turn your good
conscience into evil presumptions – Rom 14:16
12-
Reject your
brother – Rom
14:18
13-
Create enmity
with your brother – Rom 14:19
1-
Cop
an attitude
2-
Criticize
3-
Scream
a.
Get
angry
b.
Disconnect
yourself – ignore
c.
Overcompensate
– assume responsibility
d.
Give
up and/or give in
4-
Pressure
5-
Pity
yourself – misery loves company
6-
Get
frustrated
7-
Are
jealous (envious)
Being
that we will all be before God's judgment seat, we need to make sure that we
judge ourselves first by God's measure of love and grace, by His Bible, before
we ever attempt to apply that same measuring stick to others we love. And
remember, matters of opinion are never to be judged. Our goal is not to be
judges or church cops but to please the Lord in all we do and say:
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NIV 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in
the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the
things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Who
is the one who usually passes the wrong judgment? The one who is weak in faith,
remember that!
1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV So, if you think you are standing firm, be
careful that you don't fall!
The
freedom God has given to us comes with the price tag of responsibility and
accountability. As sovereign Lord and Creator of the world and all its people,
God is also the Judge before whom we all must stand. Every person must give
account to God. – Disciple’s Study Bible
Romans 14:11-12 It is written: " 'As
surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue
will confess to God.' " So
then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
A
quote from Isa
45:23 illustrating the sovereignty of God. Only He can pass the
kind of judgment we dish out on an almost daily basis! Let’s have our minds on
God's mercy that we can give mercy as opposed to our petty judgments! Don’t
allow yourself to be disqualified by your pride and self-reliance or dependency
on human principles!
1 Corinthians 9:26-27 NIV Therefore I do not run like a man running
aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have
preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Colossians 2:6-10 NIV So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as
Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and
built up in him, strengthened
in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive
through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles
of this world rather than on Christ.
9
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ,
who is the head over every power and authority.
Don’t
wait until the end, Judgment Day, to be forced into faithfulness by the
overpowering presence of God. On that day everyone will finally realize who God
and Jesus are: Masters of the Universe. Freely and willingly acknowledge your
faith and trust in God and follow Him only now! Your faith will be rewarded as
genuine and you will live forever! Those who live by judging others according
to their own ideals and definitions will soon be judged by God and their
influence will be no more.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NIV Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the
matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Galatians 6:7-10 NIV Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature,
from that nature[1]will reap
destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap
eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will
reap a harvest if we do not give up.
10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who
belong to the family of believers.
Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing
judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your
brother's way.
TO
LOVE ONE ANOTHER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PRACTICING YOUR FREEDOM
The
Galatian church was rebuked for placing a yoke on the brethren:
Galatians 4:9-11 NIV But now that you know God--or rather are
known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish
to be enslaved by
them all over again? 10 You are observing special days
and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for
you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
They
were limiting themselves, making themselves slaves to their own ideas and
conviction that were based on idolatry (false assumptions about who God is),
not on the true Gospel! If they really believed in the Messiah they needed to
put their hope in Him and let Him free them with truth!
Perhaps
these brethren, of Jewish background, were judging those who didn’t observe
these days as faithless and some were being caused to stumble by being forced
or pressured to observe these days – traditions that did not have meaning to
the Gentile Christians. Paul encourages them and the Romans to decide not to
any stumbling block (proskomma: occasion of apostasy; offence; an obstacle that causes a
person to stumble or fall) in front of any brother. What are stumbling
blocks, or hindrances that can cause someone to fall?
It
is interesting to observe that some stumbling blocks are the very freedoms the mature Christian knows he
should be entitled to practice, whilst to others; stumbling blocks are the limitations those of weaker faith seek
to want to impose on everyone. Whoever
tries to judge his brother concerning these disputable matters, whether a
freedom or a limitation, turns the freedom or limitation into a stumbling
block. I also believe that the brother who judges is of weaker faith himself
for judging his brother on disputable matters.
In
this letter Paul mentions 2 such matters, one of them also mentioned in the
passage we looked at from Galatians:
1-
Observing
special days – a limitation of those of weaker faith
a.
Thinking
some days are more important than others
b.
Christian
Jews continued to hold onto the Jewish holidays
i.
Sabbath
ii.
New
Moon celebration
iii.
Day
of Atonement
c.
Gentile
Christians saw everyday alike or were convinced all days were alike in Jesus
d.
The
pressuring can come from both sides
i.
Those
of Jewish background could be judging their Gentile brothers as unholy for not
keeping special days in honor of God
ii.
Those
of pagan background could be judging their brothers for being narrow minded and
limiting their freedom in Christ (Gal 2:4)
2-
Eating meat – a
freedom in Christ
a.
The
Jewish Christians did not eat certain meats because they were taught these
meats were unclean
b.
The
Gentile Christians believed eating any meat was just fine.
c.
We
know from the Bible that all meats are clean (Mark 7:19; 1Tim 4:1-4; Rom 14:20)
d.
The
pressuring can come from both sides
i.
Those
of Jewish background could be judging their Gentile brothers as unholy for
eating unclean meats and dishonoring God
ii.
Those
of pagan background could be judging their brothers for being narrow minded and
limiting their freedom in Christ (Gal 2:4)
Both
are given as examples. Any other disputable matter can be classified as a
limitation or a freedom. Perhaps in this 21st century some may not
choose to eat meat, but they do so for very different reasons than the Christian
Jews of the first century, unless that person is a modern Jew. Some choose not
to eat meat for health reasons, or because they are conscientious vegetarians.
Whatever the reason, they are not to impose their limitation on anyone nor
judge their brethren in light of their conviction on the subject. To impose
such a limitation or freedom can cause brethren to stumble.
In
this, and to the end of the chapter, Paul spoke of the proper use of Christian
liberty. Having shown that it is sinful to judge fellow Christians concerning
things immaterial and unessential, he proceeded to show how the governing
principle in such forbearance is that of love for men who are beneficiaries of
the blood of Christ, who have been redeemed from sin and made to stand in the body
of Christ himself. – Coffman
Causing
someone to stumble is a very deadly sin:
Luke 17:1-3 NIV Jesus said
to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are
bound to come, but woe to
that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a
millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones
to sin. 3 So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he
repents, forgive him.”
Don’t
put an obstacle in your brother’s way nor for any person who is lost! You
certainly are not being the light of the world or the salt of the earth if you
do that! If you are going to judge, judge (decide) not to put stumbling blocks
in peoples way to Christ!
Romans 14:14 As one who is in the Lord
Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something
as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
Paul
describes himself as someone in the Lord.
In this state, or condition, he has been fully convinced that all foods are
clean. He came to that conviction because of being in Christ and receiving
knowledge in Christ about such thing (Mat 15:10-11; 1Tim 4:4). When he was a Jew
that was not his conviction. He depended on the knowledge of the Law as any
good Jew would (Acts 10:12-14). When we become Christians we
come in with all kinds of ideas, most of the time idolatrous. We come in with
false ideas about the church, God, the Holy Spirit, forgiveness and even
salvation. We have been taught o rely on what we know and the assumptions we’ve
regarded as truth. In Christ we need to let all that go and learn the truth
from Jesus. We need to let our convictions be based on the foundation of Jesus
Christ so we may grow.
As
we grow we go through different convictions – some don’t arrive at such
freedoms from human regulations as quickly as others, so if their conscience
(what they do being fully aware) regards something as unclean or sinful, then
for him it is unclean and sinful (Rom 14:23). This is a kind of unnecessary
sin, a sin because you think it is a sin – a violation of your conscience,
based on your own standards! But God takes it very seriously because God wants
you to be true to yourself. God detests hypocrisy. Instead of violating your
conscience, educate it in Jesus! He wants you to be honest and therefore grow
in your convictions that you may be truly free in Him!
Thinking
that a thing is right cannot make it so; but thinking that a thing is wrong can
indeed make it so for him who thus thinks. – Coffman
Romans 14:15 If your brother is distressed because of
what you eat, you are no
longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
Just
as a brother should not judge another on a disputable matter, freedoms are not
to take precedence over our devotion to one another. The signal for such
unaccepted freedoms in someone else is distress
(lupeo: to be sad: - cause grief, grieve, be in
heaviness, sorrowful). The guiding conviction we all need to have is our
love for the Lord and one another. Remember we are not our own, we were bought
at a price. Your brother belongs to the Lord, as you do (Rom 14:4). When love reigns
we seek to help one another, not outdo one another in our show of convictions. We
ought to be very concerned if we cause a brother to be in distress over a
freedom we have decided to practice or flaunt. What freedoms we know we have in
Jesus ought to be kept between ourselves and the Lord if it causes a brother distress.
We
cannot be partakers of the destruction of a soul or a conscience that answers
to God. Our work is to build each other up and edify one another as we saw in
chapter 12. Causing someone to stumble is a serious sin, a matter of life or
death as we see here:
1Jn 3:14-15 NIV We know that we have passed
from death to life, because
we love our brothers. Anyone
who does not love remains in death.
(15)
Anyone who hates
his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in
him.
1Co 8:11-13 NIV So this weak brother, for whom
Christ died, is destroyed
by your knowledge. (12) When you
sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. (13) Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to
fall into sin, I will
never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
With
knowledge we need to seek to build each other, not destroy one another! The
knowledge of Jesus ought to bring peace between God and man, not distress! Be
careful how you present your freedoms or limitations as you teach one another
in love. Sinning against your brother is the equivalent of hating your brother,
which is murder. Sinning against your brother is also sinning against Christ.
Would you want to do that?
You
may ask: “How can my freedom destroy someone else?” We will see how that
happens towards the end of the chapter.
Instead
of promoting sin you need to promote love:
1Pe 4:8 NIV Above all, love each other
deeply, because love
covers over a multitude of sins.
Jas 5:19-20 NIV My brothers, if one of you
should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, (20) remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will
save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
If
Jesus himself died for us while we were yet sinners, while we pursued the error
of our ways, how much more shall we help protect the brothers who may be weak
by building them up instead o destroying them with our freedom? Love always has
the potential of covering a multitude of sins. When you don’t act in love you
generate many sins; sins that Jesus died for. Jesus saved us by giving up the
greatest freedom he had and becoming a limited man. This giving up of freedom
was the greatest act of love we know – a love that saves! We are to prevent
sins and the way to do that is by acting out of love.
So
many sins come about by misunderstanding one another and being presumptuous
about our motives and actions. Remember, God is the judge! You don’t know
anything about what’s going on in someone’s mind! Let s work to love one
another and in doing so preventing a multitude of sins from overtaking anyone.
The freedom we have in Christ is to serve one another in love and to build each
other up! If you use your freedom to destroy then you have turned it into
something evil.
Romans 14:16 Do not allow what you consider
good to be spoken of as evil.
Be
careful that the good freedom you know in Christ is not labeled evil because of
the way you practice it. As free people
we need to have great responsibility in the use of our freedom lest the name of
Jesus be maligned.
This
entire chapter has taught us some very important principles on striking that
delicate balance between freedom and self-control in Christ:
(1)
Not
judging when it comes to disputable matters or gray areas (14:1-5).
(2)
Remembering
that God is your only judge (14:10).
(3)
Being
convinced in your own mind as to the rightness or wrongness of your actions (14:5).
(4)
Deciding
not put a stumbling block in your brother’s way (14:13).
(5)
Always
acting in love (14:15).
(6)
Making
every effort to promote peace and mutual edification (14:19).
(7)
Keeping
what you do between yourself and God (14:22).
(8)
Doing
only what you can do in full faith (14:23).
(9)
Seeking
to glorify God in all you do (15:6).
(10)
Accepting
one another, even when you disagree over doubtful things (15:7).
It
is interesting to observe that some stumbling blocks are the very freedoms the mature Christian knows he
should be entitled to practice, whilst to others; stumbling blocks are the limitations those of weaker faith seek
to want to impose on everyone. Whoever
tries to judge his brother concerning these disputable matters, whether a
freedom or a limitation, turns the freedom or limitation into a stumbling block.
When that happens, the good freedom in Christ has been turned into something
evil because of your lack of love – you have allowed it to turn into something
that destroys your brother, the body of Christ! Don’t let that happen! If your
freedom causes someone to stumble then keep it between yourself and God.
Romans 14:17-18 For the kingdom of God
is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because
anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
God's
kingdom, the church and our future life in Heaven, is not about practicing our
freedoms in spite of how others may feel about them, especially in this life,
where there is still much uncertainty and weakness of faith. To do such a thing does not result in joy and
is certainly not righteous but selfish. God's kingdom is not about physical
pleasures or earthly things. God's kingdom is not about the pursuit of the
things that will end when your physical life ends – to pursue such things is to
conform to the world.
We
are the transformed! If we truly belong to God's kingdom in heart, soul, mind
and strength then we pursue those things that don’t end in this life, but the
very things that pull us through to our eternal union with Christ:
righteousness, peace and joy – which we have in the holy spirit thanks to Jesus
who made us righteous before God by His blood! Certainly there can be no joy
when you don’t do what is right, violate your conscience and promote division
and disunity. You won't even be able to enjoy your so-called freedom at this
price!
When
we serve Jesus in this way (the threefold
way), by promoting righteousness, peace and joy amongst us all; we are
pleasing to God and approved by men. When we lift up the name of Jesus before
all men as opposed to giving them occasion for ridicule and slander by our
judgmental attitudes, God is pleased because we are helping his work of saving
lost souls. When we do what is right and show love and concern for those around
us, even the most incredulous of men can be persuaded by our example.
1-
By having the
right attitude - Righteousness – Mat 6:33
a.
Fear
of God – reverence – 2Co 5:11
b.
Loving
God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – Mat 22:37
c.
Doing
what is right – hating what is evil – Heb 1:9; Rom 12:9
d.
Pursuing
holiness – 2Co
7:1; Eph 4:24; Heb 12:14
2-
By doing - Peace – Rom 14:19
a.
Peace
between you and God
b.
Peace
with your neighbor; loving your neighbor as yourself – Mat 22:39
c.
Peace
between brothers – Eph 4:3; Col 3:15
d.
Promoting
harmony – being in agreement and united – Col 3:14
e.
No
division, quarreling or judgments when it comes to disputable matters
3-
Your fruit will
be the testimony - Joy – Phil 4:4
a.
The
fruit of faithful obedience – 1 Pe 1:8
b.
The
fruit of conforming to Christ – 1 The 1:6; 5:16
c.
The
fruit of loving God and loving our neighbor – 1 Co 13:6
The
Spirit transforms us into people who have joy because we have found our true
destiny. The joy we have, not the legalistic rules we follow, shows we are
Christ’s. – Disciple’s Study Bible
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore make every
effort to do what leads to
peace and to mutual edification.
Peace and mutual edification are the
result of conforming unto Christ
Peace
is the opposite of strife and grief. Peace is what we achieve when we decide to
be harmonious and conscientious towards others sensibilities and issues. This
leads us to be builders in Jesus, not destroyers. Stumbling blocks cause
destruction but harmony promotes edification in Jesus. Promoting doubt also
causes faith to be weak; as opposed to promoting truth and building convictions
on truth as opposed to opinion or disputable matters.
Instead
of channeling all his activities along the lines of what is personally pleasing
to himself, the genuine Christian must so order his behavior as to make it a
constructive and positive force of building love and harmony within the sacred
body of the church, consciously directing all of his words and deeds to that
end. – Coffman
Don’t
pursue worldly ideas or seek to build and promote your own theology. This kind
of knowledge puffs you up and causes you to judge others by your own standards.
This kind of pursuit inevitably leads to fractioning and division until you
effectively divide up between those who agree with you and those who don’t, not
even considering how you ought to be confirming unto Christ. This is how false
doctrine is born and how false teachers eventually end up with a seared
conscience – thinking their own teachings are more important that the building
up of the body of Christ in love and peace.
Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him
who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him
the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in
love, as each part does its work.
Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love
and good deeds. 25 Let us not
give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and
all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Herein
is described the kind of work each part of the body must pursue that the body
may be built up. Only when workers work in harmony – being conscientious and
thinking about how their actions will affect those around them – are they able
to produce an edifice: something that requires the joint effort of many. For
this to occur mature Christians learn the importance of consensus:
putting aside your own likes or dislikes for the sake of the group when it
comes to disputable matters.
Romans 14:20 Do not destroy the work of
God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes
someone else to stumble.
Concerning
yourself with your freedoms and your right to practice them becomes destructive
in God's kingdom. Your freedom, in this context, becomes abandon (recklessness, lack of restraint, lack of control) that
causes people to stumble in the faith. It doesn’t matter if what you want to
practice is OK, or permissible; your concern needs to be if it’s beneficial:
1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV "Everything is permissible for
me"--but not
everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for
me"--but I will not be mastered
by anything.
Those
who lack self-restraint are mastered by whatever “freedom” they claim is their
right to practice. Freedoms don’t master anyone, sin does. True freedom is
always mastered by the mature Christians and his concern is for his brothers,
not his freedom.
Genesis 4:6-7 NIV Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your
face downcast? 7 If you do
what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin
is crouching at your door; it
desires to have you, but you must master it."
When
abandon is restricted, the result is anger and worldly sorrow. When a brother
decides to not practice his freedom he does so with joy and love in his heart.
Romans 14:21 It is better not to eat meat
or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
Let’s
talk about the difference between a restriction and self-control. It is
important to know that the limitation (restriction) someone may impose on
themselves and try to impose on others is not the same as the self-control
(fruit of the Spirit) every Christian needs to practice. Self control is about
keeping your emotions and desires in check, not necessarily to do with
restricting your body:
Colossians 2:20-23 NIV Since you died with Christ to the basic
principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you
submit to its rules: 21 "Do not
handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"?
22
These are all
destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and
teachings. 23 Such
regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their
false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any
value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Indeed
those who often tend to judge brethren according to disputable matters will
make the issue about spiritual worship and their practice will indeed seem
humble, going about restricting themselves and appearing holy. However, their
delusion will end up augmenting their sensual appetite as opposed to really
controlling it in Christ. Following rules for the sake of rules is human
ideology. They may have their time and place – but holiness is in Christ and in
the true self-control that comes by the Holy Spirit.
A
mature brother understands that the kingdom of God is not about practicing his
freedoms (Romans
14:17) nor about how much he limits himself (1 Co 8; Col
2:16-23). It is grace that has saved us and the blood of Jesus
that has washed our sins away! We cheapen God's grace if we pursue a holiness
that is defined by how harshly we treat the body or by how right we are in
practicing our rights. Therefore the mature brother will hold off practicing
his freedom if it is causing someone else to stumble. The brother keeps his
freedom to himself – it is between him and God. He will restrain himself for
the sake of his brother, not because he believes the restraints means anything
else, but because of love.
It
would be good for the brother of weaker faith, he that limits himself, to keep
his limitations between him and God and not impose them, but remember – that is
why his faith is deemed weaker, because he has not yet reached the point where
he is fully free in conscience. His faith still has dependencies. Therefore to
practice your freedom is akin to taking away the crutches from a lame man and
demanding he walk, jump and dance without them! He will fall since he still
needs the crutches until his legs are strong enough for him to be free of them.
Some
of us have grown up in our faith with artificial crutches that were never
needed, but those who taught us used them and thought we needed them in
sincerity. Just make sure that what you pass on as gospel is really the true
and unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ, without your limitations or
presumptions. Don’t give others false crutches that slow or prevent the
maturity of faith.
Romans 14:22 So whatever you believe about
these things keep between
yourself and God. Blessed
is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
What
is the way to end up not being condemned by what you approve concerning
disputable matters? Easy! Keep your freedoms concerning disputable matters
between yourself and God! Seek to edify others not by your knowledge but by
speaking the truth (Gospel doctrine) in love and serving one another. Doing this
will keep you happy (blessed). This can also refer to the mature man’s
happiness – he is free to practice his convictions without being condemned by
his heart. On the other hand, the person who usually restricts himself is more
challenged in his happiness since his heart condemns him for practicing certain
things or when he sees others not holding to his same standard.
Romans 14:23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he
eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Here's
how the stumbling occurs: when a brother of weak faith sees you, the supposedly
mature, flaunting your freedom he may decide to judge you or join you. We know
what happens when he judges you. He is not supposed to judge you when it comes
to disputable matters but his faith is weak. If he joins you he will practice
what you do with doubts since his conviction is not his own. He who practices
something with doubt is condemned by his weak faith and unstable heart. If he
is continually condemned he may regress in his faith and eventually fall away.
1 Corinthians 8:9-13 NIV Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become
a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if
anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an
idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to
idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your
knowledge. 12 When you
sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to
fall into sin, I will
never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
The way
to avoid any trouble is by refraining from practicing your freedom. Keep it
between you and God. Be blessed in what you know and how you love your brother
who is weak of faith. If you cannot do something with total joy in Jesus, then don’t
do it at all – you may end up condemning yourself and having a guilty
conscience.
Men
must not make things tests of fellowship which God does not make conditions of
salvation; because, in so doing, they reject those whom God receives and make
divisions in the church over trifles. To separate believers from unbelievers is
right, but to separate believers from other believers is wrong. Blessed is the
Christian who keeps Christian things in Christian proportions. – R.C. Bell
1-
Decide
not to judge others when it comes to disputable matters
2-
Judge
yourself to be loving and to not put a stumbling block in any person’s way
3-
Decide
to be a builder in the kingdom and not a destroyer
4-
Don’t
flaunt your freedoms but keep them between yourself and God
5-
Pursue
righteousness, peace and joy
6-
Work
on promoting peace and mutual edification
7-
Be
blessed in your freedom and clean conscience!