Last week we looked at , and we are looking at the area of restoration of lives from sin. What we find is that we are to love someone enough to come up beside someone and walk along with them in gentilness to restore.
We sometimes we find ourselves in two extremes. One extreme, the world often sees Christians as hypocrites and judgemental. We go out of our way to point out the sins of others while ignoring the sins we commit internally. The other is to not pointing out anything and even going so far as saying that sin is OK (especially if it is culturally difficult to speak against the sin.)
So the culture of Rome we have to speculate, but were some cultural clashing between Jewish and Gentile. One refused to eat pork and the other loved to eat pork. And now they are coming together as Christians, and they now have to deal with these issues.
So Paul asks, “Why are you dividing over these trivial things?” He then follows up with reminding them that everyone will have to answer to God. One thing to note, and this is speculation, is that these are not eternal judgement, but is instead judgement on those sinful areas that we have not taken care of in this life we have been given.
So when we have these areas that have not been worked out specifically in the Bible, we are to live without it dividing us, and we let the Lord work it out. We as Christians have had this problem for a long time. How long your hair is cut, what clothes we wear, what music we listen to, what food we eat, etc… These rules do not signal a right relationship with God.
So we are not to judge one another when we see these differences. But we are to ask the question, “When I make a decision to do something, will I become a stumbling block to someone else?” Here Paul uses the word “obstacle” and in our English language it can be described as unknowingly setting up a trap for someone else.
So now we have a conflict. Nowhere in the Bible is there an absolute rule to not drink alcohol. But there is a mutual respect that has to be given for those those choose either to drink or to refrain from drinking. We cannot look down on those who choose to drink at the same time those who drink cannot look down on those who do not drink.
So we have those things that unify (Jesus, principles, Bible) and those things that create diversity (preferences and practices.) And we see here that Paul repeat himself by instructing us to not repeat to not be a stumbling block.
Paul then says to to keep our opinion of these things between you and God. Don’t let it be something to divide. We have to think things through. What we do should be between us and God, and we have a great responsibility on how we live, what we do, and what choices we make. But we are also responsible for how our actions effect others. Do you know the struggles of the person next to you? Are you doing your best not to be a stumbling block?
This is important, and it is probably one of the most difficult passages of the Bible. Let’s make this a prayer, that we are excited to see how God is working in us and we are looking forward to how God will work through us.
14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. (ESV)
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.” (ESV)
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. (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. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. (ESV)
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. (ESV)
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. 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. 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. (ESV)