SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 14
Bible Verses:
“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” (Romans 14:4)
“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans14:8)
“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’”So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (Romans 14:12)
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person 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 or sister to fall.” (Romans 14;19-21)
THE WEAK AND THE STRONG (vs. 1-22)
Among believers, there are those whose faith are weak. Those with strong faith should accept them without passing judgment on disputable matter. Show love to them and give them a chance to grow up. Each believer should keep his own account right without interfering with other’s account. We must not get everybody to agree with us. Instead, we must pursue peace and not cause others to stumble by helping others to mature in Christ. Do not destroy a brother’s faith just to conform to what you desire. We must be patient with one another.
THOUGHTS:
There are two groups of believers that disagreed on how the Christian is to live. The Jewish Christians wanted to cling to their special holy day and Old Testament dietary laws while the Gentile believers might consider this Christian liberty into license and offend their Jewish believers.
Paul explained to them the extreme legalism does not show strong faith. Strong faith are those who recognize truth in God’s Word.
Paul gave 6 basic principles for Christians to test and apply in their own lives:
- TRUE CONVICTION (vs. 1-5) – The stronger Christian is not to despise the weaker ones for his immaturity, while weaker believer is not to judge the more mature brothers and sisters for their liberty. Our lives should be decided by God, not by people’s ideas or judgment.
- DO EVERYTHING FOR THE LORD (vs. 6-9) – Christians should live to honor and please the Lord and not for selfish pleasures. In everything we do or say, it must be done “unto the Lord”.
- ABLE TO STAND THE TEST AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT (vs. 10-12) – All our works will be tested at the judgment seat of Christ. Since we do not have to give an account of our brother’s life, so we have no right to condemn him today. We are accountable to our lives and will start the fiery test before Christ.
- NEVER CAUSE OTHERS TO STUMBLE (vs. 13-21) – Believers should not abuse his Christian liberty and make others stumble. It is a serious thing to cause another person to stumble and fall to sin by our actions. We should not please ourselves but build up other Christians in love. It is selfish for a Christian to tear down another believer’s spiritual life because of his selfish living.
- DO THINGS BY FAITH (vs. 22-23) -0 The Christian life is between the believer and his Lord. The believer must be sure that he is right with God. Therefore, anything that we do should be backed up by the Word of God.
In summary, difference of opinion should not cause division in church. Christians must not base their moral judgment on opinions, personal dislike or cultural bias. It must be on the Word of God. Be strong in truth but sensitive to other’s needs. Treat others with love, patience and self-restraint. The principle should be: In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty, in everything, love.
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