Romans 14:1-12

Main idea: Three reasons why pursuing holiness includes equal treatment of all Christians.

Accepting others based on our preferences hurts the body of Christ.

Romans 14:1–4 ESV

1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Twelve people sitting at a table in a Bible study equals twelve different stages of faith development. It might seem obvious which people are the leaders and which people are young in their faith. Time together reveals those things. But, our faith is never superior over another Christian’s faith. We are equally redeemed as true followers of Jesus Christ. Because of this truth, all Christians are to be warmly accepted by all Christians.

Paul tells this group of Romans Christians to accept weaker brothers and sisters, to embrace them, to remove any thoughts of a church clique and let anybody in that wants to come in. Automatically, we need to careful of arrogance and pride. To think another is weaker concludes we think we’re stronger. If you always want to put yourself at the top of the spiritual pecking order, you need to deal with that. Oh, that more of us thought that we were the chief of sinners like Paul.

Look at verse 1. Who are the weak in faith? One commentator suggested those weak in faith might be the Christian who constantly struggles with how to have freedom in Christ. They require themselves to live in a religious box, so they don’t come close to violating Scripture. That sounds like a Pharisee to me. Another commentator suggested those weak in faith might be the Christian who needs to grow in their understanding of the gospel and how to live in a way that spills Jesus. One last commentator said those weak in the faith want to argue and debate over topics that might divide Christians. In my years of being part of a church, those topics are many and they come quickly. I think the weak in faith might be people who are trying to figure out Jesus. They might be people that have been hurt by a church and not sure if they to come back. They might be people who grew up in a church with so many rules and they look at their lives and they just don’t measure up. They see a God who is angry with them instead of a God who loves them.

Paul is not biblical issues in these verses. He’s addressing everything in churches that explode from somebody’s opinion. The things that happen that make you wonder what just happened. If there is false teaching, confront, debate, and seek to restore. If there is sin, confront the person individually and bring others into the conversation as necessary. If we had a “vegetarian” potluck, and you brought a steak, that would fall into these verses as a “warmly accept all Christians” issue.

That’s one of the things New Testament Christians were trying to figure out. Before Mark 7, the rules said don’t eat this or this or this or this. After Mark 7, plenty of traditional Jewish Christians said “this is how we have always eaten our food. we don’t like change, so let’s keep eating the same way. By the way, if anybody joins us, they have to eat they way we do.” All the new Christians said, “we can eat whatever we want. it’s doesn’t matter.”

Look at verse 3, Paul told them not to treat Christians differently because of their food choices. Don’t despise them. Don’t cast judgment. Welcome them with open arms and find your commonality in Jesus Christ. The end of verse 3 says God has welcomed them.

Some of the harshest words ever spoken to me were from fellow Christians. Some of the ugliest attitudes I have witnessed were at church business meetings. None of those instances were biblical matters. They were all preferences and opinions, and people just let their words go. The sinful attitudes exposed during those conversations hurt the body of Christ.

It’s interesting to me what conversations we prayerfully prepare for. When we have to confront sin, correct doctrine or false teaching, we try to approach those conversations humbly and lovingly. I wish Christians used that same approach when talking through opinions and preferences. I wish Christians loved each other as much as we love getting our own way.

Look at verse 4. If our master is what enables us to stand or fall, Jesus must be master over our opinions AND we must be servants Jesus and not to our opinions.

The hills I’m willing to die on should honor the Lord and make the body of Christ stronger.

Romans 14:5–9 ESV

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Here is another topic New Testament Christians were trying to figure out. Is one day of the week more sacred than other days of the week? For centuries, traditional Jews celebrated the Sabbath; sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. Every major festival began with a Sabbath celebrate. They had specific rituals that aligned with celebrating the Sabbath. They didn’t know any different and they struggled with the tension of change and different ways of worship. There were Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians gathered together to worship on Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Look at verses 6-7. Both groups were honoring the Lord. Both groups were giving thanks to God. Both groups understood life was about serving the Lord. Paul wanted them to understand they were on the same team.

For me, verse 8 is the key to life. If we live, we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Our opinions, our rituals, our personal convictions, our response to change and how we communicate to other Christians should honor the Lord and make the body of Christ stronger.

Improper judgment assumes God’s role.

Romans 14:10–12 ESV

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Hebrews 4:13 says, “no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

The Lord will settle all disputable matters that weaken the body of Christ. He doesn’t need our help in this area. Rather, Hebrews 10:24 tells us “to consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” so we can honor Jesus, give thanks to God and make the body of Christ stronger.

Look at verse 11. Put up the slide. Do this.

In the context that Paul is writing to how Christians treat each other, there is a focus on honoring Jesus. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. Every Christian will give an account to the Lord.

Application:

I think there are three take-aways from this passage.

Do you have a strained relationship with another Christian because you allowed opinions to get in the way? The relationship status is your fault. You poked the bear. You crossed the line. You chose not to stop. You refuse to reconcile your differences. If that’s you, I want to challenge you to make it right before that person and the Lord.

Can you biblically articulate your personal convictions? If not, I want to challenge you to make a list of your personal convictions and begin studying each one of them for accurate, biblical support. We will spill Jesus all over the place when our convictions honor Jesus and make the body of Christ stronger.

Are judging people in areas that aren’t yours to judge? I challenge you to take Hebrews 4:13 and consider the disputable matters in our own life this week.