Lesson 31 – Romans Chapter 14:1-11
In chapter 13 we learned that we are to obey the government regardless of how corrupt and perverted it might be, that is unless the government is forcing us to sin. Also, we must pay our taxes. The model citizen of society ought to be a Christian citizen. We closed out the chapter with the knowledge that fulfillment of our salvation is at hand (being closer to our salvation than ever before), meaning that Jesus could come back at any moment. We are to live our lives accordingly, by “putting on” Christ and “taking off” the things that so easily entangle us.
Chapter 14 deals with the problem of questionable things in the Christian life, and what to do when sincere Christians disagree about their personal practices. Paul will tell us how to function through disagreements within the church family.
Rom. 14:1
“Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.”
“Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions.” (LSB – the Legacy Standard Bible)
“Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.” (NLT)
To start out, the words receive or accept in their grammatical tense, make this a command from scripture.
Then, we should ask, who are the weak brothers and sisters in this case?
These people may have weak faith, but they do have some faith, in fact, they have enough faith to believe in Jesus for their salvation.
Matt. 17:20
“So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
A mustard seed is very small, it’s about the size of the tip of a number 2 pencil point. Jesus is saying, even if a person has the smallest amount of faith, it’s enough for a person to be saved. When you see someone whose faith isn’t as much as yours, pray for them and then perhaps tell them how God has increased your faith over time.
Paul may have been dealing with some Roman believers that might not have accepted the apostle’s teaching concerning certain eating practices, such as accepting that all food was clean. Which brings us to verse 2.
Rom. 14:2
“For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.”
“For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.” (NLT)
I Tim. 4:1-4
“Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth… since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.” (NLT)
Crystal would add; unless it’s liver and beets! 😊
The ones that only eat vegetables were weak in their understanding.
The controversy for them was that the meat that was being sold in the open market had been offered up to godless idols beforehand… to them (the legalistic ones) this was just unacceptable to them.
Such believers are to be fully and lovingly accepted by those who are spiritually mature. Let’s go back to verse 1…
“Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.”
The strong in faith are told to receive the weak ones and not to dispute over doubtful things, which literally means “reasonings” or “opinions.” In other words, those weaker ones that aren’t mature in their faith yet, don’t be debating them about things that aren’t really worth arguing about. Too often these little disagreements cause people to walk away from the church. The only time to confront someone like this is when they might be touting some kind of incorrect doctrine.
Rom. 14:3
“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.”
“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.” (NLT)
This is pretty straight forward for us, it’s really about the body of Christ getting along with each other. All that are in the body legitimately (meaning, truly born-again), God has accepted each and every one as His children. And, just like within a regular family, there are most certainly going to be differing points of view.
In today’s church we’re really not going to run into debates about what people are eating… well, perhaps a few do, but if we bring up the subject of being pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib, then sparks begin to fly.
Warren Wiersbe; “Not everyone who grows old, grows up. There is a vast difference between age and maturity. Ideally, the older we are, the more mature we should be; but too often the ideal does not become the real. The result is problems… problems in personal lives, in homes, and in churches. As a pastor, I see more problems in these areas caused by immaturity than by anything else. If Christians would just grow up, they would become victors instead of victims.”
As we walk down the narrow path with our Lord, over time, we should get to the place where we find ourselves becoming more mature in our character and integrity, and having less and less weak spots.
Rom. 14:4
“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.”
“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.”
When we were kids and someone else was interfering with us or just being nosey, we would say, “mind your own bees wax.” Perhaps this is God telling us to mind our own bees wax. Who are we to step in and try to do God’s work when it comes to someone else’s life?
Here are two interesting schools of thought;
The liberated believer observes the legalist and says that they are so rigid and self-righteous, that they are missing out on so much personal joy and are limiting their usefulness to God.
The legalist looks over at the liberated believer and thinks that they are so self-centered and living so loosely, they can’t possibly serve the Lord and be effective for His kingdom.
Perhaps a blend of both worlds might be most effective. Paul confronts both groups with a rhetorical question, Who are you to judge the servant of another? What right do any of you, mature or immature, well taught or poorly taught, have to judge the servant of another, especially a fellow servant of Jesus Christ?
Our “thoughts” about another believer do not in any way affect their standing before God.
I Cor. 4:3-5
“As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord Himself who will examine me and decide. So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time – before the Lord returns. For He will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.” (NLT)
Are we evaluating others according to our ways? Paul says he only cares about how the Lord sees him, which is good advice for us all. Each of us will have to give an account as to how we live. Did we live for our own satisfaction or did we live for the kingdom of God?
Continuing with Paul’s question… Who are you to judge the servant of another? We see a similar question back in chapter 8, verses 33 and 34. “Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one – for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself.”
“Who then will condemn us? No one – for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”
The answer to both questions is, no one! Each believer belongs to God, and every person has their own individual journey with God.
Psalm 91:2,4,11
“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.”
“He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”
“For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go.”
God has all His children in His hand. When we’re tempted to intervene into someone else’s life, step lightly and prayerfully, even when you see them in some kind of sin.
Rom. 14:5
“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.”
This verse probably relates to the many holy days of the Old Testament ceremonial laws. This controversy was not only about what people were eating, but as to what day of the week they chose to worship.
There were some who suggested that the proper day to worship was on Saturday as it was the traditional Sabbath day. Still, others insisted that worship should take place on the first day of the week, resurrection day, Sunday. This debate still goes on even today. The Seventh Day Adventists, who tend to adhere to the Old Testament traditions, believe that those who worship on Sunday are in danger of losing their salvation. I really think the Lord would like it if we worshiped Him 24/7, the same as praying at all times. No, we’re not on our knees praying all the time, but we should live each day with an attitude of prayer. The same can apply with worship, that we go through our day with God in our thoughts. Make everyday a worship day!
Col. 2:16-17
“So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.” (NLT)
Let each be fully convinced in his own mind… “You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.” (NLT)
Every one of us has our own way of doing things. Not everyone is going to be the same. Don’t let your freedoms interfere with the freedoms of others. Live your life for Christ the best way you know how, and then, when people see the fruits produced in your life, perhaps people will ask you about what you have going on in your life.
Rom 14:6
“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.”
“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.” (NLT)
God acknowledges that you have a mind in which you think… with that, you need to think for yourself on your knees. Meaning, try to pray over all your actions, include God in every aspect of your life.
One person says, “I go to Saturday night church service, it fits perfect with my schedule.” Another says, “Wednesday night works for me.” Another says, “thank you Lord for this big juicy medium-rare steak.” Another says, “thank you Lord that I don’t have to eat some old dead cow, and I can enjoy this delicious green salad.” And Paul says both are right, you have the freedom in Christ.
Rom. 14:7-9
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.”
“For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 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. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose – to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.” (NLT)
II Cor. 5:15
“He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” (NLT)
We, as believers, live and die according to who we are in Christ, those who don’t belong to Christ are living just for themselves.
Warren Wiersbe; “Our first responsibility is to the Lord. If Christians would go to the Lord in prayer instead of going to their brother with criticism, there would be stronger fellowship in our churches.”
I Cor. 6:20
“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Eph. 1:7
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
Col. 1:13-14
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
It’s silly for us to get caught up in any form of legalism. What really matters is that we were purchased by the blood of Jesus… nothing else should matter… only Jesus should matter to you. He loved us, He suffered and died for us… Jesus wanted us, and now we are His.
Now it’s time to give yourself wholly to Jesus!
In John 21 after the resurrection of Jesus, He was with His disciples, and Jesus had just restored Peter back by asking if Peter loved Him, would he feed His sheep? Then Jesus prophesizes about how Peter will die.
John 21:21
“Peter, seeing him (John), said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to Peter, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
Jesus is making the point that Peter had to worry about Peter and not anyone else. Jesus said to him, “You follow Me,” meaning that from this point forward, Peter was to live a life fully devoted to Jesus… and Peter did just that.
We need to take the directive from Jesus when He says, “You follow Me.”
• Yes, Peter followed Jesus, but what does it mean for you to “follow Jesus”?
Rom. 14:10
“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.”
In this verse, Paul is again (as in verse 3) addressing the weak and the strong (the differing maturity levels). The weak are not to judge the strong, and the strong are not to show contempt for the weak, it is the same word that is described as “despise.” Another way to say this would be, “Why do you write off the brother who doesn’t see things exactly the same way you do, or who has some regulations in his life that you don’t?”
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Here’s a verse that just jumps out at you, “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Also in verse 12, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
This verse has a tendency to intimidate some believers, and it shouldn’t. Please understand, The judgment seat of Christ does not determine salvation, our salvation is secure in Christ, remember He purchased us with His blood…
I John 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
All of our sins have been forgiven, and we will never be condemned for them, remember Rom 8:1.
So, we should not look at the judgment seat of Christ as God judging our sins, but rather as God rewarding us for the lives we lived, for all the things we did for Him, for His kingdom, and His glory. Perhaps, if you ever had to go through a review at work, it might be similar to something like that.
Personally, I don’t think Jesus will bring up our sins. I could be wrong, but maybe Jesus might talk about some of our missed opportunities in life.
James 1:12
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
The Bible speaks of believers receiving crowns for different things based on how faithfully they served Christ.
There is; The crown of life, a crown of righteousness, a crown of glory, the imperishable crown, and a crown of rejoicing.
II Cor. 5:9-10
“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 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.”
I Cor. 3:11-15
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have – Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials – gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ…
Heb. 4:13
“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
As we have said before, all means all, none of us will be able to avoid the Bema seat of Jesus. But, if we’ve been following Jesus like He has told us to do, we have nothing to worry about. Remember, we serve a God who loves us!
Rom. 14:11
For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”
Paul is quoting from Isaiah 45:23, the day is coming when everyone will submit to God’s authority. He will judge all people before His great throne.
Rev. 20:11-15
“And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
For those of us whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, take comfort that you will not face any condemnation whatsoever.
Phil. 2:10-11
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Tonight, we’ve looked at how we differ within the Body of Christ. We come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, we’re a very interesting lot. Our take-away tonight is, we need to get along. How do we do that? It comes back to “love.” Please don’t get tired of hearing about love. If it wasn’t for God’s love, none of us would be here.
By showing God’s love to a weaker brother or sister in the faith, we will be doing our part to make God’s kingdom on earth just a little bit stronger. Plus, it will feel good when you see someone growing in Christ, because you were willing to love.
The effort we put into this will most likely come up at your review.