On Convictions Romans 14:1-12

-Christians are called to unity, in spite of our differing convictions.

It is said that when the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750s, Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, was told to anchor outside Quebec. He was given orders to wait for the British land forces to arrive, then support them when they attacked the city. Phipps' navy arrived early. As the admiral waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, so he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships' cannons. No one knows how many rounds were fired or how many statues were knocked out, but when the land forces arrived and the signal was given to attack, the admiral was of no help. He had used up all his ammunition shooting at the "saints."

I. Convictions are Matters of Opinion v. 1

Paul calls the Romans to welcome “weak” believers into fellowship

What does he mean by weak?

He is referring to brothers and sisters who are less mature, less confident in their liberty as children of God

They are not “lesser” in the Kingdom

They do, however, have concerns about freedom turning into license to sin that dishonors God

We are to come together, but not for the sake of quarreling

These are differences of convictions; a matter of opinion!

Even where we disagree, we must find ground for unity

It is critical that we separate opinions from facts, convictions from commands

We can think of these issues in terms of tiers of importance

Primary- issues of orthodoxy

Secondary- issues of denomination

Tertiary- issues of local fellowship

Convictions fall somewhere just below these!

II. We are all Servants of the Lord vv. 2-4

Next, we see a command from Paul

The mature brother must not despise the person who does not share in his freedom

The weak brother must not pass judgment on the mature brother

All of this matters because we are all servants of the Lord

It is entirely possible for me to have an opinion on the behavior of a brother or sister and it be invalid

In light of the fact that all of us are servants of the Lord, issues that are between an individual and the Lord should be left right there: between them

Because we are servants of a great master, we can count on the Lord to uphold each of us as we seek to serve Him!

III. Intention to Honor the Lord Matters vv. 5-6

Third, Paul goes to the matter of the heart

It is possible that two people can have separate convictions that fulfill the same desire of honoring the Lord

One brother wears a suit to church because he wants to give the Lord his best

Another brother dresses casually, because he wants to welcome others into the fellowship of the church, which honors the Lord.

Both of these are good and honorable desires and can be celebrated!

We need to recognize this and give others space to honor the Lord according to their own convictions

Are there exceptions to this notion?

When the “conviction” moves past the expressed commands of God

When the “conviction” is bearing rotten fruit in the life of a believer or is impacting others negatively

When the practice of the conviction is connected to a life that is not motivated to honor God

Charles Wesley wrote some of his hymns to promote his brother John's doctrine of entire sanctification. The second verse of his "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" asks God to "take away our bent to sinning." This was too much for Calvinist Augustus Toplady. In a magazine of which he was editor, Toplady wrote an article in refutation, detailing a picture of man's potential for sinning. He arrived at the mathematical conclusion that a man of eighty is guilty of many millions of sins, a debt he can never hope to pay but for which he need not despair because of the sufficiency of Christ. He closed the article with an original poem. "A Living and Dying Prayer for the Holiest believer in the World." This poem, now one of the most beloved hymns of all time, and know under the title, "Rock of Ages," was born out of party spirit

IV. We all Belong to the Lord vv. 7-9

Ultimately, all of this is summed up in the reality that we belong to the Lord

We do not live to ourselves or die to ourselves

In all of life or death, we are His

This ought to be more than a little humbling

It ought to impact our self-image and bring us down a peg

It ought to impact our treatment of others and cause us to recognize their position before Him

This “ownership” of the Lord is fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus

He is Lord of the dead and the living

All authority belongs to Him over His people

V. We Will all be Judged by the Lord vv. 10-12

Finally, we see that many of us are guilty of a misplaced sense of self-importance

We are brothers, not judges

The truth is that we will all stand before God, who is the judge

If I will live under the same examination as my brother, I ought to give more thought to preparation than speculation!

We will each give an account to God and the only person that we have responsibility for is ourselves

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 346: Judgment

After a three-month summer recess, on October 3, 1994, the Supreme Court of the United States opened its 1994–95 term. According to the New York Times News Service, the court’s legal business for that first day could be summed up with one word: no. The court announced it had refused to hear more than 1,600 cases. The names and docket numbers of the rejected appeals covered sixty-eight typewritten pages. For those cases, that was the last court of appeal, the final word.

There’s something terribly final about judgment. The Supreme Court says no, and that’s it. No appeals. No arguments. The books are sealed, and the decision is final.

On the great day of judgment there will also be a terrible crescendo of no’s. “No, you cannot enter my kingdom.” And the doors will be shut forever. No appeal. No time to change one’s mind. Those who have rejected Jesus Christ will have forever lost their opportunity for eternal life.