Sept 6, 2026 - The Conscience
Notes
Transcript
If you were with us last week, you heard Paul help us handle brothers and sisters in Christ who are weaker in faith.
And the way that Paul helped us with this - is that he gave us 2 specific scenarios to look at.
The overall theme for our passage last week was to - Welcome those weaker in faith, but NOT to quarrel with them over non-essential issues.
Paul said - DON'T use your strength of faith to try to convince someone to live as YOU live...IN MATTERS of NON-ESSENTIAL things.
And Paul gave us 2 scenarios...
1. Food
1. Food
Paul said - a Meat Eater should not DESPISE a vegetarian, and a vegetarian should not pass judgment on a meat eater.
Paul was speaking to an audience filled with both Gentiles and Jews...
...and so he had some Jewish people before him who would have still adhered to the dietary laws...those being Jewish converts...
...and he also had some before him who would not adhere to the dietary laws...those being the Gentile believers.
So basically, what Paul had before him was - confrontation...quarreling...OVER what should and should not be eaten as Christians...
And GOD said - the Gentile who ATE whatever he wanted - that was a person of STRONG faith.
The Veg - who had these rules still in place - were WEAK in the faith!
2. The other scenario that Paul mentions regards DAYS...
2. The other scenario that Paul mentions regards DAYS...
The Jewish converts probably still adhered to the Jewish festivals...
...while the Gentile believers would NOT have done so...
Again, what Paul had before him was - Confrontation...quarreling...OVER what days were important and which were NOT...
How does Paul respond to these things...?
Paul looks at the NATURE of the issues (Essential or Non-Essential) and IF they're NON-ESSENTIAL...he says...
"Don't quarrel over these things!"
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.
Paul says - Listen, in matters that are NON-Essential, Non-Moral, God can be glorified in your eating of meat, and He can be glorified in your ABSTAINING from meat.
Each person of faith, doing opposite things....BUT EACH THING they're doing...grounded in what?
The HONORING of God...FAITH
And as we'll see today...this is IMPORTANT...
Paul has told us that WE WILL ALL (individually) stand before the Lord...and...
SLIDE:
1. God Will Be Our Judge
2. God Has Accepted Us in Jesus Christ
3. God Will Make Us Stand in the Last Day
1. God Will Be Our Judge
1. God Will Be Our Judge
verse 4 told us - Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own Master that he stands or falls...
Each of us will give an account to Christ our Master...
We all will stand before Him...alone.
HE is our judge.
That is not our job in these matters...
Not only will God be our judge...but Paul takes it a step further...
2. God Has Accepted Us in Jesus Christ
2. God Has Accepted Us in Jesus Christ
When it comes to opinions on non-essential topics in the church, we can disagree with others, AND YET...both sides glorify God in what they do.
The strong in faith and the weak in faith should welcome each other, because Christ has welcomed us.
3. God Will Make Us Stand in the Last Day
3. God Will Make Us Stand in the Last Day
Every believer...whether strong in faith, or WEAK in faith...WILL BE UPHELD in the final judgment!
That even the weakest of faith will be UPHELD by God...and stand accepted, justified, loved, righteous on the last day...
THEREFORE - welcome those weak in faith...
NOW, this week, Paul's going to rely on what we talked about last week, and EXPOUND on it!
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.
15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
After last week, and after hearing us talk about eating certain things and NOT eating certain things...
...it may seem as though Paul is taking it easy on us...
...NOT giving us too much THEOLOGY to chew on...
But that's actually not the case...AT ALL!
What I want us to focus on while we walk thru these verses is -
How much the CONSCIENCE of a believer in Jesus Christ factors into that believers obedience.
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
You remember what we talked about last week?
Paul gave us a command that we should embrace those who are weaker in the faith...WHEN it comes to non-essential matters...(OPINIONS)
You remember we mentioned that DREADED book that we all like to read - the book of 2 Opinions...
We all have OPINIONS on various NON-ESSENTIAL matters in the church...
Paul says - Don't quarrel over those things...
Paul gave 2 scenarios - FOOD and DAYS...
Paul told us - embrace each other in LOVE, BECAUSE each of us will stand before God ALONE, and be judged by HIM...
And then verse 13 today starts with the word - - Therefore!...
That word points to the truth that proceeded it...
Since all the content of verses 1-12 is TRUE...
THEREFORE...
"let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather....WHAT?
NOW - pay attention...
What Paul says after this RATHER in verse 13 - Is what would happen if we decided NOT to embrace those weaker in the faith...
...and decided it was best TO QUARREL with them, to try and get them to believe what we believe in these non-essential matters...
Don't pass judgment - BUT RATHER - decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
This is HUGE!
Why?
Because we DO NOT think this way.
WE think - "OK, here before me is someone who BELIEVES that they are NOT ALLOWED to eat meat BECAUSE they're a Christian...
...I need to help them see that they're wrong in thinking that way..."
We think - we're HELPING THEM...
But what does Paul say?
You could very EASILY place a stumbling block in the way of a brother...
NOW - is that a big deal?
Listen to what Jesus said in Luke 17:1-2
1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
The same word used at the end of this verse "to sin" - in the Greek the word is 'Stumble'...
Sound serious?
Absolutely...
"Woe to the one through whom these STUMBLING BLOCKS come!!"
Beware how you handle those weak in faith...
...those new to the faith...
Remember - Paul's talking about non-essential matters...Beware how we handle these things.
So just to be clear...Paul is equating =
You have a vegetarian next to you...and they're a vegetarian because they BELIEVE that they're not allowed to eat meat because God is more glorified in their abstaining from it.
In their own mind, they're honoring the Lord by not eating meat...
I come along and see this...and say - You know you're allowed to eat meat right?? Yes you are....Yes you are...Yes you are...
...God does NOT forbid that...
...and then I walk away...
Paul would look at me in that situation and say - Hey Mike, you very easily could have just laid a stumbling block in front of that person who is weak in faith...BY SAYING WHAT YOU SAID...
So the problem is - WE look at it as though we're HELPING them....
Paul says - No...you're probably not helping at all...
And we would all say - Why Paul? Why would me trying to put someone of the "right" path be a bad thing??
Ok, so just like last week, when we jumped ahead and saw the answer first before we marched thru the verses....
...we're going to do the same thing today.
What's Paul's answer?
Why would trying to help someone see the "right" path in NON-ESSENTIAL matters be a dangerous thing...to be approached cautiously?
Let' jump to verse 23...
23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Paul takes us to the FOOD scenario and says - whoever has doubts about whether or not they should EAT this "meat"...and they DO EAT, they're condemned.
WHY?
Because their eating is not from FAITH....
Why does that matter?
"For whatever does not proceed from FAITH is....SIN"
See the connection now - between CONSCIENCE and OBEDIENCE?
Last week we heard Paul tell us - That a meat eater who HONORS the Lord in their eating, thanking the LORD, and the vegetarian who HONORS the LORD in their abstaining, thanking the LORD that He satisfies them more than the meat...
...Paul told us that each of those people of FAITH can glorify God in what they're doing...
...that each person HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY GOD....
....and so we should do the same...
But do you remember what Paul said that each person should do???
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.
Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
WHY?
Now we see...
Because if you're NOT convinced...in these NON-ESSENTIAL matters...and you begin acting (eating, not eating, celebrating days or NOT celebrating days)...
...If you begin doing those things with DOUBTS...
You're no longer acting on FAITH...
...which means you're sinning...
OR
...What if you're the one who is trying to convince someone to live like you do (eating meat or NOT eating meat)...
...and that person begins eating with DOUBTS or NOT eating with DOUBTS...
...and you are now the one that has laid a stumbling block before that person...
Now we go back to Luke 17:1-2
1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
This is important...
Paul wants us to KNOW this...
So that we can be changed BY this...
NOW - I would say that there definitely seems to be some GRAY area in this...
Why?
Because we know instances in Scripture where Paul stands up and DEFENDS TRUTH...
You remember the Judaizers in the early church?
They were those who taught Salvation came by God's grace AND man's effort.
They insisted that Gentiles could not be saved unless they were first circumcised and obeyed the Law of Moses.
Now, how did Paul handle this teaching?
The teaching itself was handled in ACTS 15 at the Jerusalem Council...
But Paul also said this in Galatians 2:16
16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Paul tells us in Romans that there is now no distinction between Jew and Greek...IN Christ.
And so we see Paul stand up and DEFEND truth...by why in that situation and not in the food situation?
Here's what I think helps....
When it comes to me living my life, believing that I can eat meat IN Christ...
...I will do my best to welcome those who choose NOT to eat meat...IN Christ...
I will not get up on a pedestal and declare that ALL Christians MUST eat meat.
If someone wants to argue with me about the fact that i DO eat meat...I will do my best to explain to them what Paul says in Romans 14...
I won't quarrel with them...
BUT....
BUT....
If a meat eater begins declaring that ALL Christians MUST eat meat...OR...
...if a vegetarian begins declaring that ALL Christians MUST ABSTAIN from eating meat...
THEN i will stand up and lovingly defend truth...pointing people to Romans 14...
When the weak in faith try to DICTATE what the Body of Christ NEEDS to do, and they're wrong...
...then it's time to help guide people...
See, we can't forget that the Command that Paul gives us to WELCOME the weaker in faith...it goes both ways.
Each side should welcome the other.
If one side starts DECLARING that ALL Christians MUST do what they're doing (IN NON-ESSENTIAL MATTERS)...
...then we need to stand up and lovingly defend truth...
And while defending that truth, we tell them that they're free to (NOT eat meat, or EAT meat)...
that they're free to do that...
...and that no brother or sister in Christ should despise them for that...
But at the same time, they shouldn't be despising those who don't live like they do in these matters...and then you point to Romans 14...
...and say "SEE, Paul says so"
SO...we can see how important the CONSCIENCE is in the life of a Believer...
SO...we can see how important the CONSCIENCE is in the life of a Believer...
Paul highlights this more as we continue...
14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.
15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
So here Paul goes back to the FOOD scenario...
...and he says -
'I' KNOW and am persuaded in Christ that NOTHING is unclean in itself....
So - he's saying that there's NO food that is UNCLEAN in and of itself...
But what?
But it IS UNCLEAN for anyone who thinks it unclean...
Isn't that amazing!!??
That our consciences, in a sense, DETERMINE what is right and wrong, when it comes to NON-ESSENTIAL matters...
That's why Paul says - BE fully convinced in your own mind...when it comes to these things.
God doesn't want you to go thru life DOING things with doubts (about whether or not you should or shouldn't be doing them, being a Christian)!
What's the implication of that?
BIBLE STUDY!
When Paul says - Be fully convinced in your own mind about these NON-ESSENTIAL matters, he's not promoting APATHY!
He's promoting PREPARATION...
be FULLY convinced...
HAVE NO DOUBTS...
Because if you do....you're no longer acting on FAITH....and that's sinful.
So when it comes to NON-ESSENTIAL matters...my conscience will dictate whether or not my actions are sinful.
SO - if you eat meat - and you have doubts about whether you should or not being a Christian....
GET INTO THE WORD!
PRAY!
Get to a place where you are FULLY CONVINCED ... either way!
If you eat meat, be fully convinced that eating that meat is:
NOT sinful
honoring to Christ
the best thing YOU can do in that situation...
If you don't put up a Christmas tree, then be FULLY convinced that NOT putting up that Christmas tree is:
NOT sinful
honoring to Christ
the best thing YOU can do in that situation....
BUT not only that...
Embrace those who DO put up a Christmas tree...
Embrace those on the opposite side of the fence.
But NOW listen to this...Paul takes it a step further.
Not only do we EMBRACE those on the opposite side of the fence...
But we're actually called to "Consider them more important than ourselves"
How does that play out?
15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
What Paul's saying here is this -
SLIDE:
Consider the conscience of those weaker in faith
If a brother or sister in Christ, views eating meat or drinking wine, as sinful...
...and you invite them over...
...and you proceed to go all BRASA Grill on them...
...piling up the meats on your plate...all the while knowing that they are GRIEVED by what YOU are eating...
Paul says - You're not walking in love...
You're GRIEVING their conscience...
And Paul says - Don't do that!
It's NOT worth it...
STEP AWAY from the MEAT - Paul says!
Don't eat it...WHY?
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
The kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit...
And so if you want to serve Jesus...
Know this -
Serving Jesus doesn't include abusing the liberty found in Christ.
Yes, there is liberty in Christ...FREEDOM in Christ...
BUT EVEN in that freedom, Paul teaches us that we still have a TARGET to try and hit....
21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.
Paul reminds us of this again in verse 20..
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
EVERYTHING is INDEED clean!
You're FREE in Christ, to eat what you please...
BUT...
BUT...
...it's wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats...
We mentioned it before...
If i try to convince someone who DOESN"T eat meat due to their faith...
If i try to convince them to eat meat, and they start to eat meat WITH DOUBTS...
Then they're sinning...
...and I'm the cause...
The same thing applies if my ACTUAL eating of the meat causes them to stumble...
My choice to eat meat in front of someone that I KNOW is grieved by my eating...
THAT is the same thing as me trying to convince them...
My actions at that point do all the talkin!!
And so we hear this....and may think...
REALLY??
WHY is this a big deal?
Here's why...
FAITH IS AT STAKE...
Romans 14:22–23 (ESV)
22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
The reason we want to be cautious in our handling of these situations is because FAITH IS AT STAKE...
So we know that these are HIGH stakes!
This should result in us STRIVING to get our own consciences in line with God's word!
We want our minds to be transformed...
RENEWED in line with the mind of Christ.
So what have we seen today?
We've seen that our CONSCIENCES play a part in our OBEDIENCE...
Yes there is ABSOLUTE truth, but in NON-ESSENTIAL MATTERS, NON-MORAL matters, our conscience will dictate what is right or wrong FOR US...
If I'm convinced that a Christmas tree should not be put up at Christmas....then PAUL says - Ok, then for you Mike, a Christmas tree is wrong...don't do it.
If someone else is convinced that a Christmas tree is fine to put up...then Paul says - Ok, for you Mike, it's right to put it up....so put it up.
So, we're called to:
SLIDE:
Consider the conscience of those weaker in faith
We should always filter...what we're doing thru the WORD of God...
We need to take into account those around us who are weaker in faith...
...And we should consider this because we know...
SLIDE:
Serving Jesus doesn't include abusing the liberty found in Christ
We are free to eat whatever we want...but it's not always helpful...
EATING things around the kids* - (THERE ARE THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T EAT)...SOOO there are times I need to decide NOT to eat those things
And we do all these things -
We think thru what the conversation is about (Essential or NON-Essential) things
If it's a NON-ESSENTIAL issue...
then we consider the conscience of the weaker brother or sister...
ARE THEY GRIEVED BY THIS ISSUE...?
IF SO...
Then i need to adjust what i do BASED ON THAT, and not based on my freedom in CHRIST...
Paul told us that the kingdom of GOD is about Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit...
WHEN we focus on those things...and NOT the NON-ESSENTIALS...
we'll walk in LOVE...
We'll walk like Jesus...
Let's pray...
