Romans 14

At College of the Ozarks, I had a baseball coach that taught us a play. The play was a runner on second and less than two outs. The coach would call for a bunt. This was with a two man umpire crew.

The batter would square around to bunt. This pulls the 3rd baseman in. The goal was to bat it at the 3rd baseman so he would field the ball. The ball was fielded and thrown to first.

The runner from second would cut the infield and not touch 3rd. We would see what we could get away with. The rule says you have to touch 3rd in order for the score to count.

We would notice that the field umpires attention was on 1st base and the 3rd baseman was draw in to field the ball so who was watching to see if the runner touched 3rd?

NO ONE!

We would see if we could get away with it and it worked. I was a big runner and not a small fast guy so I liked this play and I liked to run it because I was always expected that a bunt with a runner on second I could not score on but when you cut through the middle of the infield I had a chance to score.

We would see if we could get away with it.

Today in Romans 14 this passage is not encouraging us to see how much we can get away with and not pass Judgement. It is giving us some liberty or freedom but the goal in the liberty and freedom is to seek Jesus

Romans 14:1 HCSB

1 Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues.

In Rome, you have many different house churches. I am sure some of these house churches are made of mostly Jews and some of them mostly Gentiles and perhaps you might have some that have both.

These churches may differ from each other.

Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues.

In chapter 13, he gave us some non doubtful issues and I appreciated Steve Connor’s approach to this last week. He was straight forward on these issues

Romans 13:9 HCSB

9 The commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and whatever other commandment—all are summed up by this: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Romans 13:13 HCSB

13 Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy.

Romans 13:13–14 ESV

13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

I think this is pretty clear and you can see that this is not an area that you can decide which way you go on these issues. Paul writes and says on these don’t do these things but put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

These are nonnegotiable things

Romans 14:1 there are some things that you may differ on opinions on and welcome the one who is weak in the faith.

Here are some of those things

Romans 14:2 HCSB

2 One person believes he may eat anything, but one who is weak eats only vegetables.

One person can eat (anything)

One person eats only vegetables

This second person might be concerned about how the meat was prepared. 1 Corinthians 8 and 10:23-30 meat that was offered to idols. One has a clear conscience when they eat it and the other does not.

How are we to handle this?

Romans 14:3 HCSB

3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him.

Must not look down on

to utterly disdain v. — to treat (someone) contemptuously as if completely worthless or despicable.

Criticize

to evaluate v. — to form a critical opinion of something (either positive or negative) by examination or scrutiny.

In this situation, both people are accountable. One is to not look down on and the other is not to criticize.

The reason

Romans 14:3 HCSB

3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him.

God has accepted him

Romans 14:4 HCSB

4 Who are you to criticize another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able to make him stand.

Who are you to judge someone else’s slave? Who is the one that is to judge the servant? It would be His own master.

Again when God puts everything to right that is He makes the final Judgement we will each be held accountable.

We don’t use these verses to see how much we can get away with. The goal of these verses so that you can not touch 3rd base so to speak. We are not using these verses as a poster to hold up and say you can’t judge me.

We read these verses and apply them to our lives and hold ourselves accountable to our Lord.

And he will stand

He will be made to stand for the Lord is able to make him stand. Even if a believer is judged by another believer for what the other one thinks is wrong the Lord can defend the one being judged.

Examples

Paul gives some examples of things they might be judging each other over.

Romans 14:5–6 HCSB

5 One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God.

Fully convinced in his own mind

Romans 12:2 HCSB

2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Unpacks this further observes it for

THE HONOR OF THE LORD

EATS FOR THE LORD

DOES NOT EAT FOR THE LORD

A believer’s individual accountability to the Lord in every area and experience of life is paramount or above everything else.

He Keeps Expounding on this

Romans 14:7–8 HCSB

7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Each Christian in both life and death is seen by the Lord and is accountable to Him.

Romans 14:9 HCSB

9 Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.

Christ died and came to life for this!

Christ is the judge. He is judge of the living and the dead. He is Judge. He will make all things right or put all things to the right. Our motives must be to honor him as Lord.

This is incredible that the judge came and died and lives. He could have remained on his thrown but our God came and died in order to be the Lord of the living and the dead.

Summary Statement

Romans 14:10 HCSB

10 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God.

Hold yourself accountable to the Lord.

Romans 14:11–12 HCSB

11 For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God. 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 HCSB

12 If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.