May 1, 2024
Romans 14
“Everything that is not from faith is sin.” Everything! I could almost stop with this statement and move onto chapter 15 but … Being in Christ has freed us to live in freedom from ceremonial laws. Today, freedom seems to abound in this country, everybody doing what seems right in their own hearts, Judges 21:25, as ignorance about Christ abounds too. The teaching of scripture is taken out of context with prosperity teachers. Other religions teach a false messiah with cues taken from the Bible to make it more believable. Souls are being condemned daily by these false teachers who have no fear of the Lord and we as “strong” Christian’s tear down new believers in Christ because of inconsequential things that they believe currently in their being led to Christ. For example, keeping the sabbath day. Scripture says verse 5, “One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.” So, based on this, the glory of Christ and His atoning work on the cross is not dependent on the days we keep sacred but by faith that Jesus came to die as a propitiation for us, and God raised Him from the dead to fulfill scripture to end the old covenant way of covering our sin by blood sacrifices, and to begin forgiveness of sin by the blood of Jesus. This is, foremost, our daily thoughts that drive our actions.
These laws of unclean and clean things, unto themselves, have been abolished by the law Giver and replaced by faith in Christ. The laws were to separate the Jews from the rest of the world but now all nations can be one in Christ and must come by faith. So, a strong Christian must become a mature Christian and not hold those convictions that a weaker Christian has as wrong. Because a “weaker” Christian may have good reason to avoid things that others are “free” to indulge in, they avoid those things. The easiest way to describe this would be an alcoholic. It would be good for them to avoid the drink least they fall back into temptation to become a drunk. Knowledge of ones weakness should be taken serious among the family of Christ. Not that rumors would need to be spread but to take care that our actions do not tempt others into a fall. Overindulging in anything is a sin, that is what is meant when Paul writes, “nothing is unclean in itself.” But overindulging in anything outside of Christ is sin because overindulging of the “thing” becomes a worshipped item.
Mostly, our consciences will guide us, by the Spirit, to let us know right from wrong. This is a gift some people trust, and others abuse. Those who abuse their conscience will consider evil ok. The seared conscience is God’s way of giving people over to their hearts desire. Those who have been called by God to be His own will hear the gospel and renew their consciences by the Spirit as it was when Peter preached at Pentecost, Acts 2:12, “They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But some sneered and said, ‘They’re drunk on new wine.’” Further, “So those who accepted his message were baptized” verse 41. At Pentecost some people were regenerated in spirit by the Spirit, and some were given over to their hearts desire as explained in an earlier study in Romans 2:28, “God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right.”
Now you strong Christian, have you become matured in Christ? Do things get on your nerves when people follow traditions to honor Christ? A strong Christian may have the freedom to do things such as occasional drinking of wine that a new, weaker Christian would deem sinful. Do you strong Christian create a stumbling block for this new Christian by drinking in front of them? Then your strength may appear to be a weakness and judgments follow from both the weak and strong Christian. Become mature and know that your freedom in Christ is between you and God but you are no better than the weaker Christian so do not become a stumbling block to your brothers and sisters in Christ but “Pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. Do not tear down God’s work because of food.”verse 19.
Now, if you are fully convinced that a certain thing will not honor Christ than be fully convinced that it will truly not bring honor to Christ so that you will honor Christ, verse 5. Be led by the Spirit that these things are right for you but be aware there is freedom in Christ that ceremonial laws no longer are laws that must be followed. “But by faith are we saved”, Romans 8, and in everything “give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”, 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Forgive us our sins and continue to strengthen us in Christ by walking by the Spirit; to obey Him and be pruned by Him. Help us to be weak so your power is strong in us. We desire Your will in our lives, and we desire to know Your will for us. Help us to be mature in Christ while we live in this fleshy weakness. Help us to help our Christian brothers and sister who are younger in the faith.
Amen
-David Mroz
