Romans 14

Faith, Freedom, and Finesse

The Growing Church

• Romans 14:1 ESV• (1) As for the one who is weak in faith,

welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

Example 1: The Controversy of Meat

• Romans 14:2-3 ESV• (2) One person believes he may eat anything,

while the weak person eats only vegetables.• (3) Let not the one who eats despise the one

who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

• Cf 1 Corinthians 8

Moral Boundaries

Moral Boundaries

The area OUTSIDE of

God’s Will

Moral Boundaries

The area OUTSIDE of

God’s Will

Moral Boundaries

The area OUTSIDE of

God’s Will

Moral Boundaries

The area OUTSIDE of

God’s Will

The “Disputable Matters” (14:1 NIV)The “Disputable Matters” (14:1 NIV)

Which Extreme?

• The Romans (converted Jews) thought it was bad to eat meat [legalistic]– Concerns about uncleaness

• The Corinthians (converted idol worshippers) had no problem eating meat [permissive]– But the pantheonic could be confused

• In both cases, Paul wanted the brethren to be concerned about the “weaker”

The Fears

• Fear 1: Evil is contagious – we will be infected– Better not get near it, them, their stuff

• Fear 2: We won’t be differentiated– If we don’t move away from sinlessness to a

position of visible separation we won’t be able to reach the lost

The Answers

• Fear 1: Evil is contagious – we will be infected– Better not get near it, them, their stuff

• Fear 2: We won’t be differentiated– If we don’t move away from sinlessness to a

position of visible separation we won’t be able to reach the lost

We are innoculated! God has called us to be Dual Citizens (as we just discussed in Chapter 13) to work WITHIN the system we are in, as spiritually immune beings that can be a light in the darkness!

We are innoculated! God has called us to be Dual Citizens (as we just discussed in Chapter 13) to work WITHIN the system we are in, as spiritually immune beings that can be a light in the darkness!

• As soon as you tell someone you are a Christian they will already assume you are judging them, and that you are different anyway.• Why go to non-biblical extremes to separate from the people we need to reach?• It is our hearts (Christ in us) that will reach them• Jesus had dinner in the homes of sinners, and he sought out sinners of all kinds

• Matthew 9:11-13

• As soon as you tell someone you are a Christian they will already assume you are judging them, and that you are different anyway.• Why go to non-biblical extremes to separate from the people we need to reach?• It is our hearts (Christ in us) that will reach them• Jesus had dinner in the homes of sinners, and he sought out sinners of all kinds

• Matthew 9:11-13

Should you Judge?

• Romans 14:4 ESV• (4) Who are you to pass judgment on the

servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Moral Boundaries

The area OUTSIDE of

God’s Will

Extra Biblical Constraints and Barriers

The Same Problem – New Day• Jesus scolded the Pharisees for creating a

heavy burden• Extra biblical constraints and judgment over

the “disputable matters” can lead to:– Recipient:• Self marginalization• Depression• Power-robbing guilt

– Perpetrator:• Loss of Focus• Cloud Over Love• Evangelistic Nullification

Example 2: The Controversy of Days

• Romans 14:5-6 ESV• (5) One person esteems one day as better than

another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

• (6) The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

No Sabbath?

• Romans was written to a church mixed of converted Jews and Greeks

• It is likely that Paul was referring to the Feasts and numerous traditions of days the Jews hade been taught “to the bone”

• But the Sabbath must also be considered here– Jesus bought (at an extraordinary price) extraordinary

freedom for us so that we could walk in his love, with his law written on our hearts and “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”

No Seriously, Don’t Judge(within the outer circle)

• Romans 14:7-13 ESV• (7) For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.• (8) For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So

then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.• (9) For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both

of the dead and of the living.• (10) Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you

despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;

• (11) for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

• (12) So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.• (13) Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but

rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

No Seriously, Don’t Judge(within the outer circle)

• This stern warning reminds us that Christ paid that extraordinary price for both the dead and the living and that we will all stand before him and be judged

• We need to think about this – we are going to be judged according to the law he has written on OUR heart – we will not be judges on that day

• BUT, we are also called to NOT put a stumbling block in front of our brothers

Two kinds of Stumbling Blocks

• I will judge you if you… – even though Jesus would not have– Even if it is not a moral absolute (God’s, not ours)

• I will confuse you because I believe I can do something that I know you will not understand as Christian Liberty

Clean versus Kind

• Romans 14:14-15 ESV• (14) I know and am persuaded in the Lord

Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.

• (15) For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

So can we eat it or not?

• Tough for someone seeking moral absolutes• God did not give us additional commands in

this area, so this becomes a “matter of conscience”

• But Paul extends with the discussion of what is loving!

The exegesis• Romans 14:16-21 ESV• (16) So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.• (17) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking

but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.• (18) Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved

by men.• (19) So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual

upbuilding.• (20) Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.

Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.

• (21) It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

• Be conscientious of how what you do will be perceived• Focus: Righteousness, Peace, and Joy (not eating and

drinking)• Serving God in this way is acceptable to him AND to

men (whom he wishes us to reach!)• We should pursue peace in these disputable areas and

work to avoid causing another to stumble• Duplicitous? Of course not! We all understand what

Paul is calling us to. Doesn’t every professional, politician, leader, public figure, executive, worker, representative already get held to this same standard?

• The role of an ambassador (Dual Citizen)

Hidden Faith?

• Romans 14:22 ESV• (22) The faith that you have, keep between

yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

Hidden Faith?

• If you feel like God allows YOU to have a beer every so often – do it at home, or in the presence of others you know are similarly minded and NEVER in the presence of an alcoholic you are trying to lead to Christ

• Blessed is the person who is confident that what they do in faith they have done rightly/properly and without defiling their conscience

Conscience as New Law

• Romans 14:23 ESV• (23) But whoever has doubts is condemned if

he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

The Conscience!• The conscience is the voice of the Holy Spirit, and

can lead us through nuance that our minds can not navigate successfully

• If we submit• Beautiful freedom!– Submit to the conscience– Be acceptable to God– Enjoy the Freedom Christ bought – within the will of

God and without damaging our efforts as ambassadors

• Cf Romans 2:15

The End!

• Chapter 15 and 16 next week!