Loving One Another

Introduction

Conflict in the Church. Last week we began Romans 14 which deals with conflicts in the early church. We looked at the first four verses of this chapter. The Apostle Paul is addressing “strong” and “weak” believers. This had nothing to do with sin issues, but rather opinions and things that could cause someone to stumble in the faith, which could lead to sin. The Apostle Paul in the first few verses addressed food. For the Jewish believers there were concerns over if they should stick with a Kosher diet for Gentile believers it was the food that had been offered to idols. Yet, the Apostle Paul writes that neither should be criticized. Remember this does not have to do with sin issues, but depending on how they are dealt with it, it could lead to sin. The Apostle Paul will touch on a couple of other areas as we move forward today. We will pick up in verse 4 of this chapter where we were looking at last week.

Verse 4

Romans 14:4 NKJV

Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

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.

God is the true Judge and He judges the hearts and motives of each believer. It is God’s strength that sustains us. We have liberty/freedom in Jesus Christ. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17 Yet, how we use our liberty our Freedom in Christ should not be used to put down a brother or sister. The goal is always to bring a brother or sister back into a right relationship with Christ and the church. Edification/Building up. We are all growing.

Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Lord Sustains Each Believer

What right do any of you, mature or immature, well taught or poorly taught, have to judge the servant of another, especially a fellow servant of Jesus Christ? A believer’s personal assessment of other believers does not in the least affect their standing before the Lord.

Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Lord Sustains Each Believer

It is to his own master, namely, Jesus Christ, that each believer stands or falls. And as far as matters of religious tradition and preference are concerned, every believer, strong and weak, will pass divine judgment, because the Lord does not take such things into account. Stand he will, Paul says of every believer, because the Lord is able, and obviously willing, to make him stand.

As we looked last week back at Romans 8

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

God has redeemed/saved us. He is our Master. God is able to make each one of us stand. What is the motive or what is your heart attitude?

Verses 5-6

The New King James Version Chapter 14

5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

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.

So the Apostle Paul transitions from food to days/feasts/holidays.

Our motives as a believer should be to give honor and praise to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. If we are sincere in our faith in Jesus Christ some might feel free to do certain things or not do certain things.

What day should we attend church? Should it be Saturday (Sabbath) or Sunday? Or could it be really any day?

They are all God’s days. For the Jew who became a believer in Jesus Christ they still had regard for the Sabbath (Saturday).

‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. ~ Deuteronomy 5:12-15

What about celebrating the Passover? Day of Atonement?

For a Gentile believer they might want to shed any connection to their former ways. Celebrating feast days that honored Zeus/Jupiter or Diana. They might want to distant themselves from these days.

Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Lord Is Sovereign to Each Believer

Paul admonished believers in Colossae: “Let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day” (Col. 2:16). He did not advise either the forsaking or the following of such customs, but rather reminded his readers of their unimportance. Those were “things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ” (Col. 2:17).

The Letter to the Romans (Second Edition) 1. Serving the Same Lord (14:1–12)

Some expositors trace the problem to the influence of the pagan environment, which might have led some Roman Christians to distinguish “lucky” and “unlucky” days,

We should not fear Friday the 13th or Halloween. They are nothing. The same God is on throne on Friday the 13 as on Thursday the 12 and Saturday the 14th.

Yet, if a believer is “weak” and these dates cause them to stumble and fall into sin and you are putting them down, are you helping your brother or sister? Once again it goes back to motive. We want them to grow in their faith, but there are ways to help and other ways which are not helpful.

Each be fully convinced (convinced fully) in his own mind (full being).

Don’t compromise your own conscience in order to conform to the conscience of another believer

Do not attempt to lead another believer to compromise his conscience to conform to yours.

Once again to restate this in matters that are NOT sin issues! There are many examples throughout Scripture about dealing with sin issues. These are issues that are not sin, but preferences. The goal is for bringing people to maturity, but how it is done is critical.

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (1 Corinthians 8:9-13)

Every day in the LORD’s day. It is not just Saturday or Sunday. It is every day.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2).

Our life is worship.

The day we observe, observes it to the LORD! And if you do not observe a day to the LORD

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, (Colossians 3:23). Once again it goes back to motive! Why do you do what you do?

If you are eating a certain way as some of the Jewish believers and Gentile believers that Paul wrote to, what is the motivation? That is what is boils down to. What is the motive? Do it as unto the LORD. Giving God thanks.

Application/Conclusion

This whole passage and as we continue looking through this section of Romans going into Romans 15. It comes down to how you treat your brothers and sisters in the faith. We are the body of Christ. We are to build each other up and grow in faith. Sometimes we are to help with God’s pruning process, but it comes down to motive. Why do you do what you do? Is it out of love or is it being hauty? Paul throughout this letter to the church in Rome has brought us from showing how sin destroyed and how Christ redeemed and now he has brought us into practical Christian living starting in chapter 12. We as believers are in all this together and we will each give an account before our Master, Jesus Christ. Let us continue to grow in maturity, but not rip apart our brothers and sisters in the process.