Christian Differences and Liberty

Introduction to Chapter 14

Romans chapter fourteen talks about how you should treat a weak brother. We need to help those that are weak in their faith. We see the need to be charitable. We need to live for God, and all that we do needs to be unto God. We should not judge one another, for one day every man will give an account of his own life.

How should we treat Christians with differences of opinion? (v. 1)

There are differences in the health of our faith and there are also differences of opinion (weak and strong). There is clear instruction given in Scripture:

• "Thou shalt not" in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17)
• Salvation is through Jesus (John 8:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12)
• You cannot serve both God and riches (Proverbs 28:22; Ephesians 4:19; 1 Timothy 6:10; Matthew 6:24)

But There is also a lot of opinion of interpretation and application that fill in-between the lines. Christians divide over things such as:

• Politics (Can you be a Christian and be registred as a Democrat/Republican/etc?)
• Woman in ministry (Can a woman be a preach or be a pastor?)
• The internet (Can a Christian remain holy while using an unholy thing?)
• The blood of Jesus
• The authority of the Word of God
• The baptism of the Holy Ghost (What is it? What does it look/sound like?)
• Saturday/Sunday debate

Receive him that is weak in the faith, but not so that you can argue with him

Most often our opinions are inspired by Scripture, but we tend to fill the gray (unclear) areas of Scripture with our opinions. The differences of opinion should not be cause for division or an excuse for quarreling.

Is it even reasonable to expect that everybody should be just like me?

What is a weak brother in this context? (v. 2–4)

The weakness Paul mentions here carries the very ideas of disease and impotence. Those weak in faith are likened to a lame man needing a crutch, a blind needing a guide, or a paralyzed man needing help with every necessity of daily life. Disease ultimately will snuff out life if it is not cured. This weakness of faith is as a sickness that must be understood and handled with grace, but also must be administered healing. Weakness must not be left alone, but must be strengthened (James 5:16).

Weakness in eating

In I Corinthians chapter 8 Paul had to deal with this same issue with the Corinthian church. This may sound trivial and kind of a non-religious dispute to the modern Christian, but The Layman's Bible Commentary gives insight into this controversy:

It was a different kind of religious question in the Roman Empire. The fact is in a Roman market you could hardly find a steak or a roast or any kind of meat that had not come from some animal slaughtered in a heathen temple. The animal would be killed as a sacrifice; then the priests (who, numerous though they were, could not possibly eat all the animals the people offered) would sell the meat through retail outlets. This being the major source of meats on the market, the Christian shopper was faced with a problem: in buying and eating this meat, am I or am I not helping out the heathen worship?

Servants — Who are you to judge another man's servant?

Judgment — Every man must give account to God and not to another.

Days

The spirit of the law does not ask "did you remember the day?", but it asks "did you do it as unto the Lord?" They worshiped on certain days, they fasted and feasted on certain days, and they were putting unbiblical emphasis on days instead of on the Christ.

We are brethren and not judges (v. 5–12)

Verse six clearly states that both sides of the argument know the Lord. Remember that we are brothers and sisters approaching holy and eternal matters.

What we are supposed to be doing for others:

• Show honor and preference (12:10; 15:7)
• Admonish one another (15:14; Col. 3:16) We are to love the heart of men, and reach out to the heart of men. We put our heart into other people by loving them. We show compassion by encouraging other people. Love corrects, encourages, and teaches. In order for us to teach someone the difference between right and wrong, we first need to know the difference ourselves.
• Forgive one another (Col. 3:13)
• Stop judging our Brother, but Rather be a Helper to His Journey (Romans 14:13)
• We are to carry each others burdens (Gal. 6:2)

Do not put a stumbling block in my brother's way, (v. 13–17)

We are told to pursue after peace in our differences (v. 18–20)

The blessing of Liberty (v. 22–23)

It is Much more blessed to have liberty before God which we do not use on account of our brother's weaknesses, than to insist on liberty, though it is distinctly given.

Galatians 5:1 ¶ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

1 Corinthians 10:23 ¶ All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Consider this Chapter One "Bite" at a Time

• verse 1. “Him that is weak in faith” receive but not to “doubtful disputations”

Receive him that is weak in faith in tenderness and not engage him in arguements to his hurt concerning disputable matters.

• verse 2. A) may **eat **all things B) (weak) **eateth **herbs.
• verse 3. A) may not despise B) && visa versa => for God hath received him.
• verse 4. Don’t judge another man’s servant => God is able to make him stand”
• verse 5. C) esteemeth one day above another: D) every day alike. “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” => CONSCIENCE
• verse 6. A) C) does it unto the Lord; and B) D) does it unto the Lord
• vserse 7. & 8) We do not LIVE or DIE unto “ourself” but “to the Lord”, we are the lord’s
• verse 9. Christ is Lord both of the dead and living.
• verse 10. Why do you judge your brother? = all shall stand before the judgment
• verse 11. &= every tongue shall confess to God
• verse 12. &= every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
• verse 13. Judge not one another any more: but j**udge this rather,** that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
• verse 14. there is nothing unclean of itself: him that esteemeth to him it is unclean/clean
• verse 15. SCENARIO: if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
• verse 16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
• verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
• verse 18. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
• verse 19. follow after the things which make for peace and edify
• verse 20. For meat destroy not the work of God. “All things indeed are pure” “it is evil for that man who eateth with offence”
• verse 21. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
• verse 22. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
• verse 23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Application of the Doctrine of Christian Liberty

Where else can we apply these principles taught in this chapter? We certainly can apply them directly to decisions regarding eating meat and drinking things once offered to idols, but does the application end there? Can we find principles here that we could apply universally, i.e, in the case of questions regarding music and entertainment and the Christian?

Verses 6,7, & 8 can be applied to things that CAN be done unto the Lord” and (v.14,16) are not particularly clear elsewhere in Scripture.

a. Christian Liberty Includes Things that can be "Done Unto the Lord"

It is just assumed in verses 6,7, 8 that the Believer would know how and could do such things "unto the Lord". The list, however exhaustive, of parallel questions we can associate with these verses cannot include things that could not be accomplished as unto the Lord.

• The Christian cannot be "unfaithful" as unto the Lord.
• The Christian cannot be "dishonest in business" as unto the Lord.
• The Christan cannot do "something forbidden by God" as unto the Lord.
• etc.

It may be an obvious point, but it is so important that it bears pointing out. Our Christian Liberty does not allow for activities that God has specifically forbidden.

b. The Principles of Christian Liberty Rule in Matters of Conscience

Verses 14 and 16 are specifically dealing with matters of conscience. These are questions that may not be entirely clear from Scripture. There are many things that Christians wrestle with that are not explicitly dealt with in Scripture. We may not find a specific "thou shall not ...." or "thou shalt..." in regards to your current question, but we are not left without guidance in these matters.

These matters of conscience are things God forgot to mention, but they are occasions to apply the principles of Scripture. If the will of God (the Holy Bible) is not explicit in a matter, then it is proper to dig a little dipper and seek to understand the "Spirit of the Law".

• What was God's intent in the things He specifically mentions in Scripture?
• Are those intentions relevant to other matters?
• If God forbids murder and hating your brother, it is consistent to conclude that just hurting your brother's feelings should at least be a point of concern for the Christian.

Consider this, although O.T. ceremonial laws are not regiven in the N.T. as universal Christian obligations, in the case of some of these matters we are not commanded to forsake them either. If a discipline, a rule of living, a ceremony, etc. truly strengthens our brother's faith and brings his heart closer to God, it is counter productive to focus our efforts on "freeing" him from this thing. It is entirely Biblically and logically consistent to conclude that your brother could be "free in doing" something that you are "free in not doing". I could be causing my brother to sin, if I encourage him to violate his own conscience.

In matters of conscience (no clearly apparent rule given), we must consider the question at hand in light of 1) what the Bible does say and 2) with a godly fear knowing we will give an account one day to God for such things.

• If you believe something to be wrong, you should not do it!
• DO NOT CAUSE OTHERS TO SIN by encouraging them to do things they cannot do in clear conscience.
• Respect each other’s views and CONSCIENCE. V.15 & v 20 For meat destroy not your brother or the work of God

The Gospel is Bigger and More Important than Our Disagreements