Romans 14 Personal Study Lesson 1

Romans 14 Personal Study Lesson 1

Do you think people today are crazy?!

Okay maybe it’s just me. But it seems so many are going off the deep end, so easily wounded, making mountains out of molehills, expecting everyone around them to walk on eggshells to keep them from being offended or feeling criticized or judged or…Let me get to my topic because I could really get distracted with all this required sensitivity for everyone about everything. I just want to say “grow up”! Get a backbone. Sorrrryyyyy!

Let’s go to Romans 14 before I say something I should not say. By the way, Paul has quite a bit to say about taking offense, giving offense, judging etc in Romans as well as in Ephesians, Acts etc.. Paul’s writings are a very good source for our culture’s crazy all over the place politically correct verbiage. That’s another study. But, seriously are we losing our cotton pickin’ minds?

Romans 14 (NLT)

1 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.
5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.
10 So why do you condemn another believer[a]? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
    and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.[b]’”
12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

Here in Romans 14, Paul says we should not get caught up on trying to change one another to agree with our own personal preferences or opinions. Instead he writes here that the stronger in the faith should amend their behaviors so as to not offend the weaker brother. Reading through Verses 1-12 it appears to me that Paul says we are to be respectful of a brother’s or sister’s convictions rather than spend our time and efforts trying to convince them to change.

As I’ve prayed over and read and read again, then studied these few verses, I’m surprised by what I’ve come to understand about who the weaker in the faith and stronger in the faith are according to Brother Paul. You may be as surprised as I. Paul clearly spells it out, but as is often the case when studying a passage in the Bible more deeply, I see it now when I did not before.

Those who have a weaker faith are doing something about a certain food by avoiding it. They believe they are more God-honoring in their behavior by abstaining.  Perhaps their faith is not as strong, is not developed to trust in their salvation or have had different experiences with the food they choose to not eat. But they have chosen a different path to walk out their faith. Paul warns all believers to be cautious around those who have made the choice, in this case, to not eat meat. For the sake of this teaching, it could be pig, chicken or steak. The point is in their understanding of what is godly conduct, these folks don’t eat it. Paul says: you in the church, who don’t believe this is an issue, should just leave them alone. Do not try to persuade them by arguing with them to indulge in what will bother their conscience. (Vs 6)

We need to be very cautious with getting caught up in being distracted by commenting, judging, arguing on what the weaker of the faith consider to be bigger issues. These may not be big issues to others who are equally committed to the Lord and the Gospel Truth. For those who live for Christ knowing there is a huge purpose which Jesus gave to the church thinking about what others eat, drink, etc is not worth a giant commotion to set everybody straight and marching on the same pathway of thinking.

We will cover this later but Paul charges us in verse 17 to get our priorities straight: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The heart of Christianity is not making everyone to act, think and feel the same about every single topic or issue. Except for the Gospel and the specific commandments and teaching on what is sin, much of the business of life is personal preference. Does God condemn behaviors, attitudes, and thoughts? Certainly. Murder is not up for debate. It is wrong. It is sin. The same for fornication, adulter, drunkenness, gossip and stirring up trouble. We do not have liberty with the things God hates.

But as love, mercy and grace are the tools of salvation we must employ these liberally.
Making a mountain out of eating meat?
Not a big enough deal to cause division or arguments.

What else? More to come tomorrow.
Who is the stronger in the faith? Are they much different than the weaker?

Caution: These are just my notes from my initial study of Romans 14. Please know that I’m writing these with the sincere humility before God,as my witness, that I do not want to think of myself more highly than I should. I can be in error. God never, never, ever is wrong. 

thank you for understanding. 
And for being here!
God bless
Joneal

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