Romans - Chapter 14

THE DUTY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS – CONSIDER OTHERS

ROMANS 14

Application: Stop judging other Christians and follow Christ's example by considering the needs of others more than your own.

STEVE HAS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES IN HIS GREAT TEACHING SERMONS THAT ONE WAY WE CAN COME CLOSER TO THE LORD IN OUR LIVES IS TO REMEMBER AND LIVE BY THE ACRONYM J-O-Y

LIVE FIRST FOR JESUS, SECOND FOR OTHERS, LASTLY FOR YOURSELF.

THIS SMALL REMINDER IS AT THE HEART OF THE LESSON FOR TODAY. THIS LESSON PROVIDES US WITH BOTH OF THE FIRST TWO LETTERS OF JOY.

VERSES 14-23 ARE FOCUSED UPON THE KINGDOM WALK WITH JESUS AND THE FIRST 13 VERSES ARE FOCUSED UPON HOW WE ARE TO TREAT OTHERS, IN THIS CASE USING THE EXAMPLE OF A WEAKER BROTHER.

THE EXAMPLE OF A WEAKER BROTHER DOES NOT MEAN ONE WHO IS PHYSICALLY WEAKER, NOR DOES IT MEAN THAT THERE ARE BROTHERS OR SISTERS IN CHRIST WHO ARE SAVED BUT ARE LESS SAVED THAT WE ARE.

AS BROTHERS JOIN THE CHURCH, BEING YOUNGER IN FAITH, THEY NEED TO BE FIRST FED UPON THE MILK OF THE WORD BEFORE TRYING TO DIGEST THE MEAT OF THE WORD, EXACTLY LIKE A NEWBORN CAN ACCEPT ONLY MILK FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.

EACH OF US WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SALVATION THROUGH GRACE FOR SOME TIME HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ACCEPT THE YOUNGER BELIEVERS INTO THE ASSEMBLY, UNDERSTANDING THEIR NEEDS TO GROW AND WE ALSO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO EDUCATE THEM IN THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL.

MATTHEW 28-20 SO TEACHES IN THE WORDS OF JESUS:

“TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU...”

PAUL DEALS IN THIS CHAPTER WITH THIS MATTER BY USING TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF LESSONS, FIRST BY TEACHING CONCERNING THE FOODS WE EAT, AND SECOND BY THE HOLIDAYS WE CELEBRATE.

SOME OF THE NEWER MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH REFUSED TO EAT MEAT AT ALL, WHILE OTHERS ATE MEAT, AND MANY WERE NOT OFFENDED TO EVEN EAT MEAT THAT CAME FROM ANIMALS SACRIFICED TO OTHER GODS.

IN VERSE 3 PAUL USES VERY STRONG LANGUAGE ON THIS ISSUE, EVEN INCLUDING THE WORD DESPISE. HERE IS MEANT TO MAKE OF NO ACCOUNT OR TO TREAT WITH CONTEMPT, AND TO CONDEMN.

MANY OF THE CONVERTS WERE JEWS WHO HAD ACCEPTED CHRIST AND WERE NOW TRYING TO RECONCILE THEIR LIFELONG DIET RESTRICTIONS WITH THE LIBERTY & FREEDOM GRANTED ON THESE MATTERS IN THEIR NEW FAITH.

PETER HIMSELF HAD TO HAVE A DIVINE REVELATION ON THIS VERY ISSUE AND THE LORD PROVIDED THE VISION THREE TIMES TO PETER BEFORE HE WOULD ACCEPT. (ACTS 10:9-17)

THE LESSON PAUL BRINGS ON THIS MATTER IS THAT NOTHING THAT IS GIVEN BY THE LORD FOR FOOD IS UNCLEAN IN ITSELF. ALL FOOD IS A BLESSING FROM GOD.

WE SHOULD REMEMBER THE STRONG TEACHING JESUS ALLOWED US ON THIS MATTER IN MARK 7:20 WHEN HE SAID IT IS NOT WHAT GOES INTO THE MOUTH THAT DEFILES THE MAN BUT RATHER THAT WHICH COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH THAT DEFILES HIM.

NOW PAUL ALSO ENTERS INTO THE ISSUE OF DAYS OF CELEBRATION. 

SOME WANTED TO CELEBRATE NO HOLIDAYS AND BELIEVED THEY WERE HONORING THE LORD TO DO SO.

OTHERS WANTED TO CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE THE STANDARD JEWISH HOLIDAYS AND THOUGHT THEY WERE HONORING THE LORD TO DO SO.

REMEMBER THAT THE JEWS CELEBRATED THE 7 ANNUAL FEASTS, THE SABBATH OF THE LAND EVERY 7 YEARS, THE SABBATH OF THE JUBILEE EVERY 50 YEARS, AND LIFE WAS GUIDED BY THESE FEAST TIMES.

PAUL PROVIDES A NICE RESOLUTION IN VERSE 5 BY TEACHING THAT EVERY MAN SHOULD BE PERSUADED IN HIS OWN MIND. BUT PAUL WAS CLEAR IN HIS TEACHING IN COL 2:16-17 THAT THESE MATTERS WERE BUT SHADOWS WHICH HAD PASSED AWAY WHEN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST ARRIVED, FOR CHRIST WAS THE TRUE SUBSTANCE.

“LET NO MAN THEREFORE JUDGE YOU IN MEAT, OR IN DRINK, OR IN RESPECT TO ANY HOLYDAY, OR OF THE NEW MOON OR OF THE SABBATH DAYS:

WHICH ARE A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME; BUT THE BODY IS OF CHRIST”.

PAUL USES THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND THE ROMAN MEMBERS THAT NOTHING IN THE LAW OF MOSES WAS AN END OF ITSELF, BUT RATHER ALL PARTS OF THE LAW WERE SHADOWS OF THE TRUTH TO COME IN THE MESSIAH.

PAUL IS ESSENTIALLY SAYING THAT THESE ARE MATTERS OF PREFERENCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL, AND ARE NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH SERIOUS DOCTRINE.

EACH OF US SHOULD NOT JUDGE OTHERS FOR THEIR PREFERENCES, NOR ARE WE TO IMPOSE OUR PREFERENCES ON OTHER BELIEVERS. PREFERENCES ARE SMALL ISSUES, NOT TO BE THOUGHT OF AS MOUNTAINS OF FAITH.

PAUL GOES EVEN FURTHER TO SAY THAT CHRIST HAD DIED FOR ALL BELIEVERS AND WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THIS IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT.

OUR LIVES AND ACTIONS AND FOCUS SHOULD BE ONLY ON BRINGING GLORY TO THE LORD, NOT CENTERED UPON OURSELVES OR THE PREFERENCES OF OTHERS.

HERE PAUL WANTS TO REMIND US AGAIN THAT ONCE WE ARE IN CHRIST, WHETHER WE LIVE OR DIE, WE ARE HIS AND NO LONGER OWN OURSELVES.

OUR BODIES ARE THE LORD'S AND WILL BE PRESERVED BY HIM UNTIL THE RAPTURE WHEN THEY WILL BE RETURNED TO US IN HIS GLORY.

OUR SOULS ARE THE LORD'S AS WELL ONCE WE ARE SAVED AND WILL RESIDE WITH HIM IN HAPPINESS AND GLORY UNTIL HE REUNITES THEM WITH GLORIFIED BODIES.

WE ARE HIS, EITHER WAY.

NOTICE THE STRONG LESSON GIVEN TO US IN VERSE 17, THAT GIVES BOTH A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT.

IT IS NOT MEAT OR DRINK.

IT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE AND JOY IN THEIR HOLY GHOST.

NOTICE HOW THESE THREE THINGS PAUL MENTIONS ALL OPERATE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS:

RIGHTEOUSNESS MEANS OUR STANDING WITH GOD, IMPUTED TO US THROUGH THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST AND THIS HAS AN UPWARD DIRECTION.

PEACE MEANS A STATE OF UNITY AND FELLOWSHIP BETWEEN BELIEVERS AND ITS DIRECTION IS OUTWARD.

JOY HAS TO DO WITH OUR OWN ENJOYMENT OF THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD AND ITS DIRECTION IS INWARD.

PAUL IS REMINDING US TO BUILD UP THOSE WHO ARE YET WEAK IN FAITH OR HAVE NOT YET BECOME STRONG IN THE WORD BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SEPARATE HERE, IN THE LATER KINGDOM, WE SHALL ALL BE TOGETHER FOREVER.

A FAR MORE INVOLVED LESSON IS GIVEN US IN VERSES 21-23.

WE ARE NOT TO DEMAND OUR OWN PREFERENCES BE ACCEPTED BY THE NEWER BROTHER, WHO IS TEMPORARILY WEAKER UNTIL HE LEARNS.

OUR ACTIONS AND ASSISTANCE IS MEANT TO STRENGTHEN HIM, NOT TO MAKE HIS GROWTH DIFFICULT OR MAKE HIM DOUBT.

WE ARE TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE PREFERENCES OF OTHERS AND ARE NOT TO JUDGE THEM ON SMALLER THINGS, THAT ARE NOT IN OFFENSE TO GOD'S WORD, BUT ARE SMALL CONSIDERATIONS THAT JUST HAPPEN TO DIFFER WITH OURS.

OUR HELP TO OTHERS IN CHRIST IS TO BE INCLUSIVE AND NEVER TO BE DIVISIVE. 

WE ALL LOVE THE LORD AND WE ALL SEEK TO DRAW CLOSER TO HIM AS EACH OF US SEEKS TO KNOW HIS WILL FOR OUR LIVES.

WE MAY NEED TO GIVE UP OR NEGLECT SOME OF OUR OWN PREFERENCES AS WE HELP THE WEAKER BROTHER. 

ARE WE WILLING TO DO SO TO BE OF HELP?

WILL WE SEE THIS EFFORT AS A BLESSING OR A BURDEN?

DO CHURCH MEMBERS TEND TO JUDGE ONE ANOTHER OVER MINOR MATTERS?

DO EACH OF US CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AHEAD OF OUR OWN?

DO WE VIEW BEING JUDGMENTAL AS SOMETHING THAT IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS NOT HELPFUL IN OUR CHARACTER AND SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE LORD IN PRAYER ASKING FOR HIS HELP TO ALLOW US TO OVERCOME IT?

ARE WE WORKING ON ALL THESE MATTERS CONSISTENTLY SO THAT WE ARE DEVOTED TO LIVING A LIFE THAT BRINGS GLORY AND HONOR TO THE ONE WHO GAVE SO MUCH FOR US?

LET'S THINK ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS IN LIGHT OF THE LESSONS PAUL GIVES US IN ROMANS 14.