Strong and Weak: How to Get Along

The Letter to the Romans

The Believer’s Daily Behavior

The Weak and Strong Believer: How to Get Along

Don’t Judge God Has Welcomed Them (vv. 1-12)

Don’t Destroy — Love Limits Liberty (vv. 13–21)

Don’t Sin Against Conscience (vv. 22-23)

Introduction

Good morning and welcome to Countryside Vineyard!

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Joe Fager, one of the pastors here.

Today we’ll be continuing our study of Paul’s letter to the Romans

Chapter 14:1-23

The Weak and Strong Believer: How to Get Along

We’ve been walking through Paul’s letter to the Romans, and today we arrive at chapter 14.

This chapter is very practical, but also very challenging, because it deals with something we all face: what do we do when Christians disagree over disputable matters?

Paul describes two groups in the church:

The weak in faith — those with a stricter conscience, often Jewish-background believers who still felt the need to observe dietary laws, Sabbaths, or festivals.

The strong in faith — those with a freer conscience, often Gentile believers who felt liberty in Christ to eat anything and not be bound by those observances.

Now — Paul is not insulting one group or elevating the other. Weak and strong are not value judgments. Some people need more structure to walk faithfully with Jesus. Others experience more liberty. Both groups belong to Christ.

Paul divides this chapter into two parts:

Verses 1–12: Words especially to the weak — don’t judge the strong.

Verses 13–23: Words especially to the strong — bear with the weak.

Let’s walk through this together.

POINT 1: DON’T JUDGE — GOD HAS WELCOMED THEM (vv. 1–12)

Paul begins:

“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” (v. 1)

Disputable matters = gray areas where Scripture gives freedom.

Paul gives two examples: meat sacrificed to idols, Jewish festivals, Sabbath observance. explain

The weak were tempted to judge the strong as careless.

The strong were tempted to despise the weak as legalistic.

Paul says both attitudes are wrong. Why?

God has welcomed them. (v. 3)

If God has accepted them, who are you to reject them?

They answer to their own Master. (v. 4)

“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall.”

Christ is Lord of them. (vv. 7–9)

Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

We will all face the judgment seat of Christ. (vv. 10–12)

“Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”

This is huge. At the end of the day, you won’t answer for your brother’s convictions. You’ll answer for your own obedience.

Don’t read your Bible to win an argument!!

Takeaway: Stop judging one another’s devotion by your own yardstick. Christ is Lord — not you.

POINT 2: DON’T DESTROY — LOVE LIMITS LIBERTY (vv. 13–21)

Now Paul shifts to the strong. Yes, you have liberty. But your liberty must be

governed by love.

Verse 13:

Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

No one really wants to do that. In fact, our motive is usually thinking hey I’m going to help you out, right? I’m going to be the example of maturity so I’m going to have a beer in the restaurant along with my group of Christian friends. I’m going to show them that it’s ok.

Verse 15:

If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.

So, I should worry about what other people think? Yes. Yes. Yes.

But not for the reason you may think. It’s not because of what they think of you, it’s about what they think of themselves, and their own convictions. (1 Cor 9) To the Jew

Paul is blunt: If your freedom leads another believer into sin, you’re not walking in love.

If my liberty causes someone else to stumble then I should not use my liberty.

Verse 17 is key:

The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

God’s kingdom is not about who’s right on food laws, holidays, or personal freedoms. It’s about living in righteousness, peace, and joy together under the Spirit’s rule.

Verse 20:

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.

Paul’s context

Our context: alcohol, entertainment,

The answer: Should I care about what others think? Yes, because I love them more than myself.

The principle here is not to get all legalistic about this either.

When something is brought to your attention that you have offended a brother or sister and it is in fact an opinion and not a direct command for or against from God then we should be sensitive to that, for the sake of the other. Alcohol. example

Application: Love limits liberty. It’s not about “how much can I get away with?” but “will this help or hurt my brother?”

POINT 3: DON’T SIN AGAINST CONSCIENCE (v. 23)

Paul closes the chapter with a principle that is easily misunderstood:

But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

This does not mean you can declare sin okay if you believe hard enough. It means: if your conscience says “no,” and you do it anyway, it’s sin for you.

God expects us to live with a clear conscience before Him.

If you can’t do something in faith — confident it pleases God — then don’t do it.

WORD OF CAUTION

Paul is talking about disputable matters — gray areas. He is not talking about clear biblical commands.

God’s Word is clear on some things. Clear on sexuality. Clear on idolatry. Clear on gossip, greed, and hatred. A Christian doesn’t have to wonder if God’s okay with sex before marriage — even though our culture preaches ‘try before you buy.’ Isaiah 5 warned Judah of destruction because they called evil good and good evil. Paul says back in Romans 1 that God is angry because we traded His truth for a lie.

So let’s be clear: Paul in Romans 14 is talking about disputable matters. He is not talking about the things God has already defined as evil, wrong, or damaging. You can’t just slap a nice label on sin and carry on. Sin is sin. And we cannot let it creep into the church.

That’s why we read the Word of God. That’s why we teach the Word of God.

When you first come to Jesus there is a lot you don’t know, you have been living culture’s way, and when you start to see things God calls sin in your life you must submit to God’s Word and remove those things as best you can, with his help of course. He wants to replace all those things with his love truth and light.

Just let him, but in the disputable areas, let love win and do not destroy one another for the sake of an argument.

CONCLUSION & INVITATION

Romans 14 calls us to live with conviction and love:

Don’t judge — God has welcomed them.

Don’t destroy — love limits liberty.

Don’t sin against conscience — walk by faith.

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

And the reason we live this way is because of Jesus. He bore our sins. He welcomed us when we were far off. He gave up His own rights out of love for us.

Next week, Pastor Bill will show us how Paul drives this home in chapter 15 — pointing directly to Christ as our ultimate example of bearing with one another.

But for today, the question is: Have you surrendered to Christ?

The same Jesus who bore with your weaknesses also bore your sins on the cross. He rose again to give you new life. Today He invites you — come, be welcomed by Him.

Will you surrender your life to Him?