Romans 14:2-23
Romans 14:2 For one believes that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs.
The question is the level of faith that resides within each of us. One believes he or she can do something while the other person thinks that something is a sin.
- The great questions in Paul’s day were:
- What to eat or drink?
- Where to eat?
- Where to buy meat?
- What day was the Sabbath?
- Whether to be circumcised or not?
- Whether to keep the Mosaic Law or not?
- What to wear?
- What customs to observe?
Romans 14:3 Let not him that eat despise him that eat not; and let not him which eat not judge him that eat: for God hath received him.
1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us from all sin.
Romans 14:4 Who are you that judge another man’s servant? to his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall be held up: for God is able to make him stand.
It is not we who hold ourselves up, but rather it is the power of God by which we stand.
Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Romans 14:5 One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Paul is a minister of the New Testament and is explaining that the Sabbath of the Old Testament has been done away with.
1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till he come.
Romans 14:6 He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eat, eat to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eat not, to the Lord he eat not, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us live to himself, and no man die to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
Acts 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, You must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 14:10 But why do you judge your brother? or why do you set at naught your brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
2 Corinthian 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, said the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
God does not take stumbling blocks lightly
Zephaniah 1:3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, said the Lord.
It is good to exercise faith and freedom in the sight of God, but when one’s freedom becomes a stumbling block it is despised in the sight of God.
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteems any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Acts 10:11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12 Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15 And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not you common.
Romans 14:15 But if your brother be grieved with your meat, now walk you not charitably. Destroy not him with your meat, for whom Christ died.
We must be careful that we do not destroy the weaker of the faith. It is our responsibility to grow our weaker brothers and sisters in love.
2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
The kingdom of God consists of:
RIGHTEOUSNESS
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
PEACE
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
JOY
Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Romans 14:18 For he that in these things serve Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
Peace is not the absence of bickering, Peace is the presents of the Holy Spirit and believers adhering to the will of God.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you.
Romans 14:20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eat with offence. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.
It is neither the meat nor the day of the week that is offensive to God, but rather the bickering over meat and the day of the week that is offensive.
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Romans 14:22 Have you faith? have it to yourself before God. Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows.
Exercise your faith judiciously as to not become a hindrance to your brother or sister.
Romans 14:23 And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eat not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
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