Individual Soul Liberty
Notes
Transcript
Intro
If we love like we ought to, we will see to it that those weaker in the faith than we are, will not be caused to stumble by our behavior.
The problem of the "weaker brother" is discussed in this section of Romans.
The problem is aggravated by the fact that the weaker brother often thinks he is the stronger brother!
The weaker brother is the one who abstains from certain things, judges by appearances and fails to distinguish between the outward act and the inward attitude.
Because someone does something with which he disagrees, the weaker brother at once concludes that this person’s motives must be wrong.
It is interesting that this is the lens through which Paul asserts this argument.
The Question of Accepting a Weak Brother (14:1-9)
Should this type of Christian be received into the fellowship of the local church?
There can be no question that a brother who has all kinds of scruples can be a very trying person to have in a local congregation.
He Is to Be Accepted Confidently (14:1)
Paul leaves no doubt about that at all.
He says, "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations" (v. 1).
The idea is that no questions are to be asked about his scruples, nor are those who are strong in the faith to argue with him about them.
In the church at Rome, to which Paul addressed this epistle, there were Christians who had been saved out of dark paganism.
These were shocked when Jewish Christians ate meat which had been offered to idols.
Commentators vary on the “who”
Paul could be referring strictly of Jewish believers…some of whom thought it to be sacrilegious to eat meat offered to idols because of their heritage and some who had come to the realization that it was ok.
Regardless there were believers (whether Gentile of Jewish) who had differing beliefs
They felt that although this meat was offered for sale in the public marketplace, still those who partook of it were in a definite way contributing to idolatry.
Jewish believers, strong in the faith, thought that such scruples were nonsense.
To eat meat offered for public sale, even though it had once been offered to an idol, did not constitute idolatry.
On the other hand, these Gentile Christians who had come to Christ without any of the background of Judaism with its rites and rituals, its feasts and fasts, its truths and traditions, could not see what bearing Judaism had on Christianity.
Their unwillingness to conform to certain days scandalized their Jewish-Christian brethren.
Each group was thus perturbed by the other.
Each judged and condemned the other. Each thought that his own background was the right one from which to view Christianity.
It is an old problem and one which is still with us.
Romans 3. Among the Weak and the Strong (14:1–15:13)
It is tempting to hold up for ridicule those whose lifestyle is more restricted than one’s own. In the broad spectrum of Christianity those to the right are often caricatured as hopelessly fundamental. The problem is that one person’s “overly scrupulous neighbor” is another person’s “libertarian.” It all depends upon where you happen to stand along the spectrum. The Christian is not to despise or treat with contempt those who are still working through the relationship between their new faith in Christ and the psychological and emotional pressures of a previous orientation.
Of course nowadays we are not concerned with the same specifics which plagued the early church.
However, we have our own taboos by which we judge our brethren.
Paul says that all such externals are not to be made the basis for criticism, especially when they have to do with things about which Scripture is not explicit.
Individual soul liberty is a Baptist distinctive
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Every believer is responsible for their own walk with the Lord and choices, since they have God the Holy Spirit living inside of them.
No other man can dictate their spirituality for them
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Be very clear though: this is not giving a believer a license to sin
Although no man can dictate how one ought to live
God through His Word and Spirit can and does
And although some may use this distinctive to live anyway they can, they will stand before God one day and have to give account for their choices.
People from different cultures have different customs, so where Christianity does not speak specifically, it is best not to be dogmatic.
This is especially true on the mission field.
Church in Hawaii is very different from church in Hong Kong which is very different from church in Papua New Guinea which is very different from church in America
So then, Paul says that the weak brother is to be heartily received, together with his scruples, and he is not to be mocked or martyred by the local fellowship because of his views.
We wouldn’t deny fellowship with a believer who came from Hawaii because he does things a little differently than we do it here.
Don’t get me wrong there is a time we ought to separate from a believer
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
He Is to Be Accepted Considerately (14:2-9)
Consideration for other people’s viewpoints is the outward manifestation of love’s merciful conduct.
Paul wants us to understand first of all that (1) uniformity is not imperative.
We do not all have to believe exactly alike, nor do we all have to behave exactly alike.
Paul, again, is not saying doctrine is not important
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Throughout the entire New Testament, Paul emphasizes the importance of correct doctrine.
But here he is saying that preferences, and even convictions are not a reason to separate.
If you like blue shirts but I like red shirts that is ok
If you like PCC music and I like Heartland music that is ok
God does not pour all people into the same mold.
To show how much room there is for difference of opinion on nonessentials, Paul deals with the two most vexing questions of the early church—those concerning days and those concerning diets.
In dealing with the problem of diets, he shows that there is wide latitude for the exercise of freedom in one’s personal devotion to the Lord. "For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand" (vv. 2-4).
The strong brother is not to despise the weak one as superstitious and narrow-minded, nor is the weaker brother to adopt a censorious attitude toward the stronger brother and label him as worldly and unscrupulous.
"God hath received him," says Paul, emphasizing that salvation is not based on any such grounds as the critic assumes.
Robert Mounce states: It is not up to us to judge the servant of another (cf. Jas 4:12). That prerogative belongs exclusively to that person’s own master. And that master is God.
In dealing with the problem of days, Paul shows that there is wide latitude for the exercise of freedom in one’s public devotion to the Lord.
Some people would like to regiment the church and make all men conform to their ideas about church truth.
They are quick to condemn those who will not mouth their "Shibboleths" (Judg. 12:6).
But where no vital issue of revealed New Testament truth is involved, there is wide room for difference of opinion. "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (v. 5).
The motive for what we do is not to be social pressure but personal conviction before the Lord.
What a wide variety of beliefs there is in Christendom as to what days ought to be observed! Some observe the Sabbath, others regard the first day of the week.
Some pay special attention to days such as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost; others pay little or no attention to them at all.
Some observe feast days and fast days and divide the calendar into special days about which they revolve all their religious duties.
Others regard any such system as legalistic and savoring of Judaism rather than Christianity. Paul says believers are not to quarrel about these things.
Uniformity is not essential since the tie that binds is love, not law.
In dealing with this problem of diets and days, then, Paul shows that uniformity is not imperative.
Next, he shows that (2) unity is not impossible.
There is a great deal of difference between uniformity and true unity.
The one is cold and lifeless; the other is vibrant, living and warm.
But how is unity to be obtained between believers who obviously differ on numbers of things even if they are not vital to true belief?
Paul’s answer is the lordship of Christ.
To begin with, he shows that the lordship of Christ unites believers in this life. "He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself’ (vv. 6-7).
The significance of a person’s conduct is not so much what other people think about it, as what the Lord thinks about it.
Consider for a moment the spokes of a wheel.
Take a movable point on any two spokes.
The closer the two points get to the hub, the closer they get to each other; and the farther they get from the hub, the farther they get from each other.
The Lord Jesus, so to speak, is the hub of the wheel of Christian fellowship.
The important thing is for each to move closer to Him, acknowledging His centrality and sovereignty.
The matter of unity will then take care of itself.
The lordship of Christ unites believers not only in this life but also in that life, the life to come. "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living" (vv. 8-9).
The point of Paul’s argument is that the believer is under the control of the Lord.
He cannot choose either the manner or the time of his death.
Nor, indeed, does death alter his relationship with the Lord.
Differences of opinion fade into insignificance when death enters the picture.
Beyond the grave the lordship of Christ is universally acknowledged.
And when we get to glory, it will be our greatest joy to cast our crowns at His feet (Phil. 2:9-10; Rev. 4:9-11).
Let every believer then maintain in his own life the lordship of Christ and unity will not be impossible.