Liberty and Community Romans 14:13-23

-Christian liberty must be practiced in the context of biblical community.

Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

As we live in liberty, we are called to...

I. Walk in Love vv. 13-15

At this point in his discussion of liberty, Paul shifts gears considerably; instead of focusing on individual conscience, he puts the spotlight on community relationships

First, he encourages us to move from judgment to love

Instead of focusing on fault-finding and criticizing the convictions of others, we need to reset

We ought to be looking for ways to help others in their faith

When I approach these questions from a position of love, it will impact how I practice liberty in my convictions

Paul practices this himself

He is confident in the cleanness of all things

Yet, he consistently walks in love

We must take care, because we can, in practicing our liberty destroy people who Christ died for!

From his book Daily Gems comes this story by D.L. Moody: “A blind man in a great city was found sitting at a street corner with a lantern beside him. Someone went up to him and asked him why he had the lantern, since he was blind and the light of it was the same to him as the darkness. The blind man simply replied, ‘So that no one may stumble over me.'”

We who know Christ, of course, are not blind. But like that man, we too must be providing light so that those who are lost can find their way to heaven. Without the light of Christ shining through us, His followers, they will stumble in their search for peace and satisfaction.

II. Pursue Peace vv. 16-19

Second, we see that our freedoms have the potential to introduce controversy into the life of the church

There is a certain kind of joy that is found in Christian liberty

Food and drink are good!

However, the experience of the Kingdom is a call to greater joys that food or drink cannot replace

When I serve the Lord by pursuing peace within the fellowship of the saints, I live in a way that is acceptable to God

I must always ask myself:

Am I pursuing peace?

Am I building up others?

III. Steady the Stumbler vv. 20-21

Paul circles back around here and reminds us of a serious danger: we might destroy the work of God by our practice of liberty

How is this possible?

Paul uses the image of a stumbling block

In this scenario, my practice of liberty introduces an opportunity for sin to another brother

It is a practice that may carry the appearance of evil

It is a practice that another brother might not be able to endure without engaging in sin

It is a practice that is not, by necessity, beneficial

We need to find ways to honor the convictions of others, even if we do not hold them ourselves, especially in the context of our local fellowship; this is the responsibility of the mature in the faith

Further, we must recognize that our adoption of stricter convictions than another brother is not a sign of maturity or confidence in the Gospel, even if it is what is the wisest choice

When I was at my first church, I had a pastor from a sister church engage me in a conversation about mixed bathing. I didn’t even know what that was! I don’t doubt his conviction on the matter, but it was not a sign of his greater maturity in the faith!

IV. Keep the Faith vv. 22-23

Finally, Paul comes back to the issue of personal conviction; he appeals to the nature of our faith

Conviction of sin, where the Scripture has been silent, is ultimately a matter between us and the Lord

If our conscience is unsure, we are best served to hold back from participating in what might well be inappropriate

If we proceed with an action with a weak conviction of freedom, we are walking into it with doubt that we ought to heed

There are 3 ways to sin:

Do what God says not to do

Don’t do what God says to do

Pursuing a path of uncertainty

All of this requires a sensitivity:

Informed by the Scripture

Led by the Spirit

Connected to the Body

R. L. Sharpe

Isn’t it strange That princes and kings, And clowns that caper In sawdust rings, And common people Like you and me Are builders for eternity? Each is given a bag of tools, A shapeless mass, A book of rules; And each must make— Ere life is flown— A stumbling block Or a steppingstone.