Hello Friends!
Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”
Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”
The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 14:1-13)
This week we will begin reading chapter 14, verses 1-13 as we consider the Strong and Weak Believers in Jesus Christ…
There
are personal preferences in all areas of life – including
within the church. Certain preferences in dress, music, diet,
entertainment… All kinds of “things!”
That
was certainly true for the first-century as well! Beginning here in this 14th chapter, the Apostle Paul
addresses the “doubtful
things” or what we will refer to as “non-moral
preferences.” In other words, it isn't necessarily a “sin” in and of itself to do
or not do the things Paul speaks to here in these
passages. However, they can indeed become very serious points of concern
within the church body and must be firmly and lovingly
confronted from the Scriptures.
Here
we find the “weak” Christians
wanting to “condemn” the “strong” and the “strong” Christians wanting to “despise” the “weak” – therein lies the problem!
Therefore, from chapter 14 verse 1
through chapter 15 verse 13, Paul
deals directly with this matter of “unity”
among “strong” and “weak” Christians – Within the church…
We
must understand what the Bible teaches about this very
important issue so we can get along well with “one other” as we serve God and others “together” in our Lord Jesus Christ!
The Law of Liberty
The
legalistic “believer”
sees liberty as “sinful.” The
liberated “believer”
sees legalism as “sinful.”
The potential problem then arises when the “weak”
Christian assesses the “strong”
Christian and accuses him of being abusive of his “freedom” in Jesus Christ. And when the “strong” Christian assesses the “weak” Christian and accuses him of not “understanding” the “freedom” Jesus Christ has provided – Therein lies the conflict!
Therefore,
to properly address this issue, Paul gives us these marvelous principles to
maintain true “unity” in the
church by “receiving” fully “one another” with “understanding” over such “non-moral
preferences.” Again, these issues are not
pertaining to the non-negotiable moral matters & Biblical doctrines of “faith.” Rather, they are
the “doubtful things”
of personal preference…
To
begin, the Apostle Paul admonishes the “strong”
believer to “receive”
the “one” who is “weak in the faith”
concerning the “doubtful
things” associated with their “liberty” in Jesus Christ:
Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables – Romans 14:1-2
On
the one hand, the “Jew” had
been raised to “eat” what was
only kosher. Kosher comes from the Hebrew word kasher which means
“fit” or “right.” Anything that is kosher is fit, right, proper and
acceptable. Their special “diets”
and special “days” were
observed because they were originally ordained by God – a very good reason for
affirming their validity! They were no-compromise “Jews” who kept their sacred “diet” and “days”
as well as their “laws” – No matter what!
On
the other hand, the “Gentiles”
were accustomed to the pagan feasts and festivals of a Bacchanalian culture.
For instance, the feast of Saturnalia – and many others – involved drunken,
gluttonous orgies which left them vaccinated against certain “things” such as eating “meat” that was sacrificed to “idols” of which as Christians they would
be “free” in Jesus Christ to “eat.” But because of their horrible past
experiences in identifying those “things”
with paganism – They wanted nothing to do with
them!
In
fact, in the book of Galatians, Paul also addresses some of these same “liberty” issues apart from the “flesh”:
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! – Galatians 5:13-15
We
as “believers” never want to “do“ anything that would in any way offend
“one another” lest we be “consumed by”
each other! And that certainly is implied here. The “strong” believer must embrace the “weak” believer for the sake of “unity” and “love”
within true Christian “fellowship”
– Amen!
Next
we find the injunction of Paul’s thoughts:
Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand – Romans 14:3-4
Here
Paul is saying don't “despise”
the “one” who doesn't “eat!” The word "despise" here is a very interesting
word – krinÅ – meaning to treat someone with disdainful
contempt. Don't have contempt for “one”
who doesn't yet fully understand his “freedom”
in Jesus Christ! Why? Because “God is able to make him stand” and
besides, “Who are you to
judge another’s servant?” In other words: mind your
own business! Who do you think you are? What right do you have to
evaluate somebody else's servant? We “belong”
to the Lord and are His personal possessions – God has received us unto Himself!
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Are you “offended” or is
your “conscience” violated by the world’s
“commercial” approach to Christmas & Easter – Theologically and Doctrinally
speaking? If so, that is fine. If not, that is fine too! In fact, the Apostle
Paul speaks directly to this very issue:
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks – Romans 14:5-6
Either way, “Let each be fully
convinced in his own mind” as to avoid any form of
legalism in our “walk” with the Lord Jesus Christ. The point here
is that we must not violate our “conscience” – Ever!
Paul
then continues along this same thought pattern:
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ – Romans 14:7-10
Again,
we must “Let each be fully convinced in his
own mind” and do not violate your “conscience.” So, why does a “weak” brother “esteem” all these things? Because he
“believes” in his heart he is
pleasing “the Lord.” And why
does a “strong” brother fully
“enjoy” the “freedom” that he's given in Jesus Christ?
Because in his heart he too “believes”
he is pleasing “the Lord.”
Therefore, the motive is the same in both
cases. Either way, He is “Lord
of both the dead and the living” and we “live” & “die” to “the Lord”
of “all” true “believers” in Jesus Christ!
And
remember, Paul also taught the believers in Corinth that “we” will “all stand before the judgment seat of Christ”:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad – 2 Corinthians 5:10
To
further reinforce his point to the Romans, Paul then references the Old
Testament Prophet Isaiah:
For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” – Romans 14:11
I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath – Isaiah 45:23
Notice
that Paul says "As I live"
and Isaiah says "I have sworn by Myself.”
These two statements mean the same thing,
referring to God's eternal nature
– God is swearing by Himself!
Paul
then finishes this passage with these critical thoughts:
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way – Romans 14:12-13
There
is going to be an “accounting”
time for “all” believers when
we will “appear”
before “Jesus Christ”
and our “works” will be “revealed by fire”
and we'll “receive” the “loss” or “reward”
of this “test”
in accordance with our service to Him:
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire – 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
The
Lord receives “us” because He
is the “sovereign” over “all” and ultimately He is the only
“One” who has the right
to judge our “works” – For, by and through Him!
IMPORTANT NOTE: It is by the Holy Spirit working
through the “conscience,” the
“Word of God” and the “fellowship” of “believers” to bring the “weak“ to “maturity”
where they can fully “understand”
God’s “grace” in the “liberty” of living a godly “life” in Jesus Christ – We must be patient and wait upon the Holy Spirit!
As
for the “non-moral preferences” that Paul addresses
here in these excellent passages to the Romans, we must receive “each other” in true Biblical “love.” Many “conflicts” in Christian “fellowship”
can arise over such non-essential issues of which can be stopped
if we'll truly open our “lives”
and “hearts” to “each other” as we “serve” the Lord – In Jesus’ Name!
In
closing:
All
of “us” as “Christians” in the true
church of Jesus Christ who “understand”
the Word of God are very much aware of the power of “sin” to devastate a congregation. We know
that “sin” can cripple its
function and destroy its harmony. It can sap its strength and it can
negate its “testimony” for
Jesus Christ. And so throughout the New Testament there is a plea for the
“purity” of the church. That's
why we call for “confession”
of “sin” to God and to “one another” in Jesus Christ. We read
the “Word of God” that we may
be exposed. We “pray”
that the Holy Spirit may “reveal”
to us any known or unknown “sin” in our lives. That's why we go to “one another” with a “rebuke” or “reproof”
or “instruction” or “guidance” or “wisdom” to assist in the spiritual “growth” and “purity” of the “church”
– Amen!
The
relationship between the “strong”
and “weak” Christians within
the church are critical. Whether it be the “churches” to which Paul wrote in his day –
or our “church” today. All
of us face the inevitable potentiality of “sinful”
problems in the “church”
because of “conflict” between
“strong” and “weak” believers. There are “Christians” at every level of “maturity” but we “all” have one thing
in common. Though we are eternally “redeemed”
in Jesus Christ – we have unredeemed “fleshly”
and “sinful” natures! And the
potential of varying backgrounds and traditions can easily become a cause for
us to “bump” into “one another”
creating conflict – And many challenges!
We
will find “believers” at
various chronological and spiritual ages. There are people who
have been “born again” for 50
years or more and there are people here who have just come to “know” Jesus Christ within the last 24
hours! There are “believers”
who have come from irreligious, atheistic or humanistic backgrounds. There
are “believers” who have come
from Roman Catholic, New Age, Mormon or Jehovah's Witness backgrounds. There
are “believers” who come from
Jewish, Muslim and Hindu backgrounds. Then there are “believers” who have come from very
hard-line, legalistic, hair-splitting, super hyper, fundamentalist
churches. And there are “believers”
who have come from very loose, free-wheeling “surfer” type churches – And every conceivable place in between!
In
fact, 1 John chapter 2 tells us there
are “spiritual infants,” “spiritual young men” and “spiritual fathers” who are all on a continuum
of spiritual growth – Sanctification!
And
in order to develop a “loving”
compatibility with all of the “saints”
in Jesus Christ, we must “understand”
what Paul writes to “us” here
in this very important passage of Romans
14 – This is our personal
challenge!
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
