“Why Can’t They Be Like Us?”
Romans 14-15
March 9, 2008
Dr. Jerry Nelson
P.
16, Romans Outline, Nelson
P.
18, A Judging Spirit, Hughes
Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker were two great English preachers at the end of the 19th century.
They were both godly men proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But Spurgeon thought Parker wrong
to attend the theatre and Parker thought Spurgeon wrong for smoking cigars. (Wiersbe “Be Real p 256)
Spurgeon on one occasion rationalized to Parker that he, Spurgeon, “didn’t smoke to excess” to which Parker asked, “What do you think is excess?”
Spurgeon responded that he would never smoke two cigars at a time.
(Kent
Hughes in “Romans”)
How do Christians get along
when they disagree on lifestyle issues?
How do you feel about Christians who smoke?
Do you think of them the same as you do of those who over-eat?
Or do you think of those who smoke as slightly inferior Christians?
How do you feel about those who think drinking alcoholic beverages, even in moderation is wrong?
Do you think of them as legalistic or sadly fundamentalistic?
How do you feel about Christians who think there is nothing wrong with drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation?
You go to a church member’s home and as he opens the refrigerator to get you a soda you notice a six-pack of beer on the bottom shelf - what deductions do you draw about that man’s Christianity?
What’s your attitude toward those who speak in tongues?
What’s your attitude toward those who think speaking in tongues is wrong?
Have you ever felt judged by other Christians because you do certain things you believe are legitimate for a Christian?
Have you ever felt judged by other Christians because you wouldn’t do certain things you felt were wrong?
What are Christians to do
when they disagree on issues about which they feel strongly?
The
Apostle Paul has some very important instruction on the matter.
When writing to the Christians in Rome, he recognized that in the congregation were both Jew and Gentile Christ-followers - Christians.
They evidently brought into the church their own ideas about what a godly person does and does not do.
And apparently these differences either already were causing strife or had potential for causing strife and maybe even division among these Christians.
READ 14:1-15:7
To begin, I think it would help to define some words.
The very first verse raises some interesting questions:
14:1 “Accept him whose faith is
weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters”
The word “faith” here is not a reference to a person’s saving-trust in Christ as if the “weak in faith” were not yet Christians; Paul refers to them all as true Christians – “brothers” and sisters in the Lord (14:4,8,10,14,15).
The word “faith” here is a person’s understanding of the implications of their relationship to Jesus.
Look at verse 2 to see how he uses the word “faith:”
“One man’s faith allows him to eat everything but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.”
“Faith” here is the man’s understanding or convictions of what is right and what is wrong.
So we might interpret the sentence this way, “Accept him whose understanding of the implications of his faith is weak…”
But what about the word “weak”?
This word does not here mean a person who is “easily overtaken” or “easily overwhelmed” by temptation.
These are
not weak-willed Christians who might fall prey to sin.
These are not “baby” Christians.
But clearly the word carries a negative connotation.
These are “weak” in their faith, or as we already saw, “weak” in one aspect of understanding their faith.
Particularly
it has to do with being weak in their understanding of the freedom that is
theirs in Christ.
They have a conscience that says things are wrong when they aren’t wrong.
John Stott captured it with these words: “What the
weak lack is not strength of self-control but liberty of conscience.” (Stott, Romans, 355)
These are people whose convictions about the Christian life have sometimes been shaped more by their cultural background than by the Word of God.
They are having trouble believing that certain things may now be very legitimate for Christians to do even though in their past they weren’t.
Again verse 2 gives the illustration of this kind of “weakness”.
All their
lives the Jewish Christians had been taught to make certain that the foods they
ate were ceremonially clean - “kosher” - and that meant there were some kinds
of food they didn’t eat - particularly some kinds of meat.
They lived
in an idol-worshipping Roman culture where it would be nearly impossible to
know whether the meats had been prepared properly according to Jewish
tradition.
So they
evidently concluded to eat no meat at all to be safe.
When Christ came he established a new covenant – a new way of relating to God through him (Christ) rather than through the keeping of the many ritual laws of the OT.
The sacrificial ceremonies became obsolete.
The dietary laws and holy days were no longer binding.
Jesus had fulfilled or completed
the law.
But it was difficult, especially for Jewish Christians, to change.
Acts 15:5 “Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses.”
Many of us can identify with that:
We’ve grown up in cultures or sub-cultures where certain things were considered wrong - period!
Paul calls it a “weakness” because these convictions are not biblically based and because these Christians live under self-imposed restrictions.
One man wrote, “These are
Christians who are not able to accept for themselves the truth that their faith
in Christ implies liberation from certain OT/Jewish ritual requirements...
(Their weakness has to do with) their convictions about what their faith allows
or prohibits.” (Moo,
836)
Clearly this judgment means drawing a negative conclusion about some person because of what they do or don’t do.
· It is fault-finding; it is quickly noticing and even looking for the negative.
· It is to put the worst possible motive on others’ actions.
· It is to condemn another as not a Christian or at least not a good Christian because of their participation in these disputable matters.
But please notice Paul’s prohibition of judging is on “disputable matters.”
This is
not a prohibition of all judgment
Jesus said we are to notice, to distinguish, to judge.
In the very context where he said, “Do not judge” he also said, Matthew 7:16, “By their fruit you will recognize them.”
Paul said we must be discerning/judging in order to help someone: Galatians 6:1, “If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.”
This
invites a judgment call about what is sin.
You see, Jesus and Paul
are not saying we should suspend all belief about right and wrong.
We are not to be a non-discriminating, non-discerning,
accepting-everything, non-thinkers!
We must make judgments.
But we are not to make moral judgments on “disputable matters.”
We should not draw a negative conclusion about another Christian’s
relationship to God based on disputable matters.
So what are these “disputable matters?”
Looking at verse 2 again we see that one of the “disputable
matters” had to do with whether they, as Christians, should eat non-kosher
food.
Looking at verse 5 we see the issue is whether certain days had to be considered more holy than other days.
The Jewish calendar was filled with holy days - did all Christians have to honor all those days as special?
What about the Sabbath?
Did Christians have to honor Saturday as the special day of the week or was setting Sunday aside for special worship enough? For that matter could any day serve that function?
Looking at verse 21 we see the matter includes the drinking of wine.
These were matters over which Christians disagreed but the disagreement came from cultural differences, not from a proper understanding of Scripture.
Don’t misunderstand; Paul is not hesitant to say some things are wrong when they are.
The Bible rules out many activities for Christ-followers:
gossip, greed, immorality and
much else.
Certain things are wrong!
Galatians 5:13, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.”
1 Peter 2:16, “Live as
free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil…”
But that is not the issue here; these are disputable matters of conscience.
For example, what do you think of those who insist that women have no place in leadership in the local church?
Conversely, how do you respond to those who insist the church must aggressively place women in leadership to compensate for the way women have been treated in the past?
What is your attitude toward those who raise their hands in worship?
What are your thoughts about those who won’t?
What’s your attitude about men who wear their hair long or women who wear it short?
What about people who pierce their ears, noses, eyebrows, or navels?
What about drums and electric guitars in the church?
What about organs and hand bells?
Oh my! The ways in which we can draw distinctions between ourselves and others and even separate from each other.
Oh! The disputable matters - the differences of opinions!
So then what is
to be our attitude toward each other on disputable matters?
Paul’s response is in one word: 14:1 says, “Accept.”
You are going to see in a minute that in matters of conscience, acceptance goes both ways - between those who are freer (the strong) and those who are more restricted (the weak).
But I want you to see that even in verse 1 there is an emphasis on one group - the “strong”, the more liberal, the ones who feel more liberty.
To the “strong,” Paul says
“accept him whose faith is weak.”
The ones with more freedom have a greater responsibility.
I’ll come back to that in a minute.
But look at verse 3 to see that this “acceptance” is to flow both ways:
“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...”
Paul says
I don’t want you judging and rejecting each other on the basis of these matters
of opinion - these disputable matters.
He says I don’t want you with more liberty to “look down” on the one who thinks those things are wrong.
I don’t want you to take a superior attitude that smiles with condescending disdain at the poor legalistic brother who just doesn’t get it.
But he also says, “I don’t want you who are more conservative to condemn or judge those who take more liberty than you do.
Your temptation is to shake your head in disgust and think either they may not even be Christians or at least not very good ones based on these disputable matters.
To the ones Paul calls “weak,” those who live under more rules, I think the late NT scholar F.F. Bruce’s words are apropos:
“While Christ is unchanging he is
nevertheless onward moving, always leading his people forth to new ventures in
his cause, always calling them to go out not knowing where they are going,
knowing only that it is he who is guiding them there… Every age in human
history is an age of transition, but in some ages the transition is more abrupt
and disconcerting than in others… We too live in a changing world in which the
old familiar landmarks are disappearing. Those to whom we once looked for
guidance are no longer available to give us the kind of help they once did; and
even if they were, it is questionable if the guidance we received from them
then would be relevant now. But Jesus Christ remains the same and calls his
people to claim the new and unfamiliar world of today for him. It seems at
first more comfortable to construct for ourselves tight little “camps” or
enclosures and feel at home inside them, psychologically insulated from the
world outside, content to see the old familiar faces, follow the old familiar
ways, sing the old familiar hymns and forget what is happening outside. But
this kind of insulation is a fool’s paradise. The old familiar patterns of life
are undergoing rapid change and dissolution, for all our attachment to them;
and the world outside, uncongenial and unfamiliar as it appears to those who
long for better days that will never return, is desperately in need of the
ministry of our unchanging Christ.” (“The Kerygma of Hebrews,”
Interpretation 23, no. 1 (Jan. 1969): 17-19.)
Paul says, either way, to the “weak” or to the “strong,” whether it’s
condemnation or contempt, stop it and accept one another!
Why?
Paul gives
two reasons:
The first begins at the end
of verse 3.
14:3-4
“God has accepted him. 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.”
That other person may do things you wouldn’t do, but since they are trusting Jesus Christ as saving-Lord, they belong to God; he accepts them and they are your brother or sister in the Lord.
I think one of the points Paul is making is that God didn’t accept that other person on the basis of their agreement with you.
Later, in
verse 15 we see that we are accepted by God only on the basis of Christ’s death
for our sins and our acceptance, by faith, of that death as our access to God.
And again, looking at verse 4, we notice that Paul knows that the other Christian will “stand”, that is they became and remain a Christian - even a good Christian, not because they agree with you but because they belong to God in Christ.
The second reason why we
must accept and not reject each other is found in verses 5-12: Jesus is Lord and we each answer to
him.
Verse 5 illustrates the problem these Romans Christians faced:
Romans
14:5 “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers
every day alike.”
These
“disputable matters” have real differences.
To baptize infants or not baptize them is a real difference.
Whether a
Christian has the liberty to purchase an expensive car or should give the money
to the poor is a real difference.
Whether you believe in spanking
children or not is a real difference.
Think of some of the other issues that matter to Christians:
· Recently a speaker mentioned, “global warming” – no pun intended, that generated some heat – Christians disagree and strongly.
· What about public versus private versus home schooling?
· What about Democrat or Republican?
· What about young earth or old earth – literal 24-hour days of creation or some form of evolution?
We disagree and it touches our attitudes toward the others’ Christianity or at least their spiritual maturity.
How does each Christian make a decision on those matters?
The end of verse 5 tells us how:
“Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.”
Paul says each person is responsible for arriving at his own conviction.
But how that conviction is arrived at is important.
Verse 6 tells us how by using illustrations:
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.”
On matters where there is liberty, where the Scripture has given no command, each Christian is responsible for arriving at a conviction by answering two questions:
1. Can I thank God for this thing? Is this thing I want to do from God?
2. Can I do this thing as unto the Lord? Will he be pleased with this action?
In “disputable matters” answer those two questions and be convinced in your own mind before the Lord.
Then fully convinced in our own minds what are we to
do in our relationships with those who disagree?
We must
accept and not reject each other because Jesus is Lord and we each answer
to him.
Verses 8 and 9 both remind us that Jesus is Lord of our lives.
We are not lord of each other’s lives.
And since he is Lord, we will
each stand before him to account for the things we have done.
Now verse 13 is the fulcrum
of the passage:
The first part of the verse summarizes verses 1-12 and addresses both the “weak” and the “strong” – both those with more liberty and those whose consciences restrict them – 14:13 “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on (condemning) one another.
But now in the second part of the verse and in the rest of the text, Paul turns his attention to one group alone – the “strong”:
Those who consider themselves to have more freedom - those who are more liberal - those who see nothing wrong with certain kinds of activities which others consider wrong.
And what is the command here?
14:13b “Make up your mind not to put any
stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”
What does that mean?
Paul walks
us through it with some principles:
14:14 “As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself.”
Paul uses the specific example of those who did or did not think eating meat was okay for a Christian.
But he could have used any example of “disputable matters” - matters on which the Bible doesn’t give any specific instruction.
And what is he saying in this principle?
Many things that some have called wrong, because of their cultural bias, are not in and of themselves wrong - they are perfectly legitimate things for believers to do.
Do you remember the time the apostle Peter was told by the Lord to eat food that Peter had all his life considered inedible?
Jesus was communicating that a new day had dawned.
Changes had come - Peter now had freedom to eat those foods.
But Peter struggled greatly with the idea.
Eating the meat was not wrong but Peter struggled with his cultural heritage.
Drinking alcoholic beverages is certainly one of those issues in our evangelical sub-culture.
I grew up believing that a man could hardly be a Christian if he drank alcohol.
But I became convinced that while the Bible says much against being intoxicated to any degree - it does not altogether prohibit alcohol for Christians.
I personally think there are some very good reasons for being a teetotaler but I must admit it is an area of Christian freedom.
I personally consider dancing, theater attendance, tattoos, body piercing and many other things to be in this category of Christian liberty.
While I
might think some of those things are just dumb, I have to admit there is
nothing inherently spiritually negative about those actions.
Principle #1: Some
lifestyle choices are truly neutral - in and of themselves they are neither
good nor evil.
But there is a 2nd principle mentioned
immediately: Some things that are right, may be wrong for you.
How can something be right and wrong at the same time?
Listen to
verse 14b: “But if anyone regards
something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.”
What he is saying is that just
because something is objectively okay doesn’t mean that it feels okay for some
people.
If you look at the last part of verse 22 and 23 you will see that Paul is addressing the same issue when he writes:
Romans 14:22-23 “Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 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.”
In other words, happy is the person who acts consistent with his/her conscience.
Wrong is the person who violates his/her own conscience - even when his conscience may be ill-informed.
We are not dealing here with objective right and wrong.
We are
dealing with people’s consciences.
If it’s wrong for you, don’t do
it.
Some things that are right may be wrong for you.
Principle #3: Love trumps liberty!
14:13 “make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way…. 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. 16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”
The Kingdom of God is not most of all about our
personal liberties but about our contribution to the welfare of others.
Look at verse 16 again: “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.”
Don’t take what is okay in and of itself and use it in a way that harms others; don’t flaunt your freedom to the detriment of others.
And so after stating those three principles, he restates the basic command of verse13, but now in a positive way:
V19 “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” - to what helps others grow in their relationship to Christ.
And how does that work:
Principle #4:
When necessary, forsake freedom for the sake of others.
Romans 14:20-21 “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. 21 It is better not to eat meat or
drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
I may have perfect liberty to drink alcoholic beverages.
But I will restrict that freedom in a heartbeat for the sake of those who don’t have that freedom and whose consciences will be offended if I exercise my freedom.
I have perfect liberty to see some movies.
But I will restrict that freedom quickly for the sake of those who don’t have that freedom and for the sake of those who may otherwise be harmed by my example.
And then Paul takes us right back to the instruction he gave us in chapter 13 about loving our neighbors as ourselves, when he says in 15:1-2
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings (weaknesses) of those who are weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”
And the grand conclusion of the whole passage is in
15:5-13, with verses 5-6 summarizing it so well:
“May the
God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among
yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I want to close with a letter I received about three months ago from a regular attendee of our church.
I have
changed the names to provide appropriate anonymity.
December 7, 2007
“Good
morning! As we go through the book of Romans, I know we'll be approaching
chapter 14 before long.
I have been praying
about whether to share our story with you or not, but it is a life story
right out of Romans 14. You may use it…as part of the sermon, if you
believe it to be useful.
Tom and I had been
Christians for only a few years. We were going to church and Sunday school and developing
relationships at our new church. We were saved out of a life in the world,
nightclubs and partying as teens and young adults. We still went to a nightclub
now and then after being married.
But the Lord
convicted me and I began to seek His guidance in what he wanted me to believe
about those activities. He worked a very definite work in my heart that gave me
a deep desire to live only for Him and obey His guidance. He convicted me
that nightclubs and drinking, etc. belonged to my old life and didn't fit with
a life seeking his holiness. I submitted and had perfect
peace.
In time Tom became
aware of some people at church that went to nightclubs and drank alcohol in
their homes. It didn't take long before Tom’s thinking started
changing. I didn't realize how much until a couple years later when he
informed me he was leaving us. I was shattered. We went through 2
years of 'hell on earth' as Tom would move home and then out again,
and work on me the whole time trying to destroy my convictions and
beliefs.
He said he didn't
understand why I changed and why I couldn't just change back! I'll spare
the details, but my son and I went through an extremely painful time. The
Lord was awesome to provide prayer support for us and Christian friends that
stood by (my son and me)…
(By setting some
very strong boundaries, Tom was finally) ready to stop and admitted to me that
he had tried to break my faith.
I only share this
story because of the HUGE effects we suffered as a result of the (lives) of
other believers… using their liberty in Christ…
I am fully aware
that we are all at different places in our walk with the Lord and I accept
people as having different convictions. But studying Romans, I felt it
might be a time to share our experience… (The Lord) has brought us all a long
ways since those days and I praise Him for the things He taught me through the
whole ordeal!”
And she signed her name.
1. Some
lifestyle choices are truly neutral - in and of themselves they are neither
good nor evil.
2. Some things that are right, may be wrong for
you.
3. Love trumps liberty
4. When necessary forsake freedom for the
benefit of others.
Hear again, Romans 14:13-18 “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. 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. 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. 16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of
as evil. 17 For the kingdom
of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and
joy in the Holy Spirit, 18
because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by
men.”
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approved by SoundLiving.org.
Additional Notes:
Broad Outline:
A. 14:1-13a Accept one another, not judging one another.
B. 14:13b-15:4 Nurture unity, don't cause others to stumble.
C. 15:5-7 Conclusion: Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you
Detailed Outline:
A. 14:1-13a Accept one another not judging one another.
14:1 Basic command: accept and don't judge.
14:2 First illustration of eating
14:3 The first Illustration is applied to the command of verse 1.
14:3c-4 Why judging in these disputable matters is
wrong: because each of has been accepted by God, belongs to God and answers to
God not each other.
14:5a An illustration of holy days
14:5b-9 Our conduct in disputable matters is between us and God and we must remember that we live and die FOR THE LORD not for ourselves. (This latter note makes it clear that the principle is not unlimited human freedom but service to the Lord. He is Lord; our own inclinations or desires are not “lord.”)
14:10-13 We must realize we all stand on level footing before God and we will each give an account for ourselves not for others. So stop passing judgment!
B. 14:13b-15:4 Nurture unity, don't cause others to stumble.
14:13b Basic command: don't be an obstacle to others.
14;14 Illustration: no food is unclean but if someone thinks it is, for him it is.
14:15 Therefore if you encounter someone like that don't harm him by your freedom but love him for whom Christ died.
14l16 Don't turn something good into something evil by abusing your freedom.
14:17 The Kingdom of God is not personal freedoms ast the expense of other but is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
14:18 That is what pleases God and is approved by people.
14:19 Command restated: Therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and edification.
14:20 Restates v15-16
14:21 Principle: It is better not to do what will cause your brother to fall.
14:22 You don't have to make every issue a test of fellowship.
Blessed
is the man who doesn't cause a larger problem of disunity by flaunting his freedoms.
14:23 Violating your conscience is sin.
15:1 Command restated: The strong ought be patient with the weak and live not just to please ourselves.
15:2 Command spelled out: we live for our neighbor's good - to build him up.
15:3-4 Christ is an illustration of that
C. Conclusions: Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you
15:5 May God give you a spirit of unity
15:6 So that together we may glorify God
15:7 Accept one another as Christ accepted you Jews and Gentiles alike.
“Believe
as I believe,
no more, no less;
That I am right,
And no one else, confess.
Feel as I feel,
Think only as I think;
Eat what I eat,
and drink what I drink.
Look as I look,
Do always as I do;
Then and only then,
Will I fellowship with you." (Hughes, Romans, 259-60)