Romans 14:1-12 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Romans 14:1-12. Let’s go!
Romans 14:1-12 (NIV)
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
11 It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'”
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
On verses 1-12: In the Christian faith, there are certain core truths that are indisputable – big things such as the truth that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that He rose from the dead, that He is fully man and fully God, and that our salvation is not something we can earn by our own good works but is 100% a gift we receive from God when we place our faith in His Son Jesus. On these points and other similarly important points, the Bible is extremely clear. You can’t really call yourself a Christian without acknowledging these core truths. These and other indisputable truths form the foundation of the Christian faith.
But there are other matters where the Bible is not as clear or firm in its position, matters which are not as important and do not go to the heart of the Christian faith. These are what Paul calls “disputable matters” (v1). On disputable matters, there is freedom for Christians to have varying approaches and beliefs. For example, back in Paul’s day, one disputable matter was whether it was okay to eat food that had been dedicated to an idol. Some Christians had no problem with it while others did (v2-3). Nowadays, disputable matters might include questions like: What type of music should be played in church? Should baptism always be done by immersion or is it okay to do sprinkling baptism? Is it okay for kids to go trick or treating on Halloween? On such matters, you can find some Christians who have very strong opinions, though the Bible does not explicitly give a position on the issue.
The Christian faith is like a pizza. You’ve got the core (the centre part of the pizza) which is the main thing. You wouldn’t have a pizza without the core. But there is also the crust, the part which is on the periphery rather than the centre. Some people love to eat the crust while others discard it. The key is understanding which matters are core and indisputable, and which matters are peripheral and disputable.
When it comes to indisputable matters, we are to promote unity among people in church, protecting, defending and reminding ourselves often of these truths. After all they form the foundation of our Christian faith.
On disputable matters, what should we do? Paul tells us to do a few things:
1. Prayerfully consider the different positions on the issue. Wrestle with them and with Scripture until you come to a reasonable conclusion on the matter. As verse 5 says, “each should be fully convinced in his own mind”.
2. Live out your conviction on the issue with faith and humility and “do so to the Lord” (i.e. to please God and not people) (v6-9).
3. Be respectful toward those who hold other opinions (v1) and don’t judge or condemn those whose opinions differ from yours (v3-4). Remember that God is the judge, not you (v10-12).
Praise God! We can have unity and diversity in the body of Christ: unity on indisputable matters and diversity on disputable matters. May the Holy Spirit give you wisdom to distinguish indisputable matters from disputable matters and may you glorify God in how you deal with both.
Holy Spirit, please give me a discerning heart to know when I’m dealing with an indisputable matter or a disputable matter and what position I best should take on the issue. On indisputable matters, may I promote unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ. On disputable matters, may I be respectful and not condemning of those who have a different opinion than me. And on all matters, may I conduct myself in a way that glorifies You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
