Romans Part 14: A Matter of Conscience

**Robert** · January-11th-2012, 02:05 AM

In Part 13, the Lord explained to us (via Paul) that not only are we to be subject to the human authorities that have power over us, but that unless their commands and laws directly contravene the Lord's direct word in scripture, we are to obey. Additionally, we are reminded to obey what God has commanded regarding our neighbor, as well as to be ready for the coming of the Lord.

Now, we pick up in chapter 14, and as Paul writes, he touches upon how we are to treat other believers when it comes to "matters of the conscience":

"Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:1-4, NASB, emphasis mine)

A bit of background: it was not uncommon for meat that was sold in ancient times to have been offered to idols and pagan "gods" before being put on the market. It also wasn't uncommon at feasts and such for cooked dishes to be offered up as sacrifices. And as a matter of course, many believers wouldn't think of eating meat that had been offered because of such. But while that was true, other believers didn't put much stock in these "idol gods", as they believed in only the Lord. The problem was: when it came to believers coming together, the ones who abstained considered the ones who didn't to be "idolaters", while those who did felt that the ones who abstained were "weak in their faith".

What Paul tells us here in frank, blunt manner is that each has no right to judge the other. If someone didn't want to eat meat offered to an idol, then they were abstaining for the Lord. They did not want to give an idol any honor whatsoever, so rather than have their consumption of the mean be considered honor unto the "god" the idol represented, they abstained and thus honored the Lord God. On the other hand, if a believer did eat the meat, then they were doing so disregarding any "sway" that an idol could hold, and their faith in the Lord was such that they considered any such "offering" to be utter nonsense. They gave the false gods (demons) behind the idols no regard whatsoever, and thus honored the Lord by recognizing the meat came from Him alone.

Either way, both types were being faithful to the Lord, and neither had the right to look poorly on the other for what they did. God had accepted them both, and because both are His servants, they did not have the right or the authority to judge the other.

Paul then gets into the regarding of "holy days" (holidays to us):

"One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." (Romans 14:5-9, NASB, emphasis mine)

Once again, the Lord speaks through Paul, and gets right to the point: as with the eating of meat, there was also (and still is today) much friction over the celebration of certain days. Some did not regard them, considering them to be "pagan" or not ordained by the Lord. Others celebrated certain days, wishing to honor God by doing so. But as before, Paul instructs us not to judge one another on the matter, and adds in that whatever days we honor (or not), we do so unto and for the Lord. The one who celebrates is celebrating and eating unto the Lord, and the one who abstains from it is also doing so for God; thus both types are honoring God Almighty the best way they know how. And as before, the Lord will accept both in their choices.

Then the Lord cuts to the heart of the matter, and as Paul writes, God Almighty reveals the issue that lies at the center of all the fuss:

"But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 13: 10-12, NASB, emphasis mine)

The issue is: why are we judging or despising our brethren? Is it because the issues truly bother us, or is it because we seek some avenue by which to assume power over another and control them? The Lord informs us that we will all stand before him in judgment, and therefore, we are all His servants. In such fashion, He reminds us of our place and that in the end, it is He alone who will judge; not us.

The Lord then points out that it is not the food or the days, but the heart:

"Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food." (Romans 14:13-20a, NASB, emphasis mine)

Because we either regard or do not regard a day or food in our hearts, for us to judge or revile another for doing either is to do grievous harm to a believer. And if we do so, then we are not walking with the Lord! God's kingdom isn't built on food, nor on holidays or on traditions. What it is built on, however, is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary, and the reunion of man with God as Christ's blood sanctifies and justifies us. If we are focusing on a matter of conscience rather than the work of the Lord, then we are losing sight of the fact that Jesus alone atoned for our sin. Things that are not a question of salvation, but instead are a matter of decision for the believer do not figure into how we should treat another, because how we love and value our brethren is going to be visible to the world. And as in chapters 12 and 13, the way we walk in this world will reflect to the Lost what kind of God we serve.

Paul finishes out the chapter with this thought:

"All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:20b-23, NASB, emphasis mine)

If what we choose to do is going to cause another to sin, Paul tells us then that we should not do it around them. It is better to strengthen those that are weak than to lead them into something that will cause them to slip; we can do as we have chosen in private, but not where another who is not as strong as ourselves will start to question himself and thus fall into sin. As Paul tells us, if we do not do what we do in faith, we are sinning. So to cause someone to question their choice before the lord is to weaken them and to cause them to slip and stumble.

Overall, what this chapter is telling us is that if we choose to honor a day, eat a food, or in any regards to do a thing or not to do a thing that scripture does not directly speak of, then the decision is between us and the Lord. No one has the right to chide another for their choice, as all of us who believe do so in the Lord and we do so as we are able to, and with the measure of faith that has been given. It isn't our place to judge a fellow believer for what they have chosen, and if we do, we are doing a grave wrong to them and the Lord. And if our actions will lead another to sin, while we are not being told we cannot do as we have chosen altogether, we are being told to be considerate of our family in Christ and refrain.

In short: it isn't our say whether someone celebrates Christmas, eats pork, or whatever. We don't win "brownie points" with the Lord for trying to play "ritualistic police" in the Body, one way or the other.

In Part 15, Paul continues on how we should treat one another by accepting one another as we are, working to strengthen one another.

I bid you all peace.

YBIC,

-Robert