INTRODUCTION
“I just can’t believe a Christian would do (believe, support, etc) such and such…”
Ever hear that?
What sort of spirit lies behind those words?
Example: Halloween
Halloween – some believe it is an evil, Satanic holiday and no Christian should be involved in it at all. Others seem not to have thought about it much. Others try to turn it into an opportunity for outreach. Different opinions, different conclusions.
Should what we believe about Halloween allow us to judge, condemn, belittle, scorn, or question the sincerity of other believers who do not think as we do?
Paul was aware of a situation within the Roman church that was creating some trouble between believers. The issue at stake isn’t an issue we care about much today, but the principles Paul lays down for dealing with the resulting disagreement are important for us today. They would apply to how we treat believers who disagree with us about celebrating Halloween.
We’ll discover the first principle to guide our behavior and the reasons for it in Romans 14:1-12 today.
This passage starts with a command (or commands) and then goes on to give the reasons for the command.
I. The commands: , don’t or those whose convictions differ, 1-5
A. The specific issue: personal about eating meat, drinking wine (17, 21), and observing certain days, 2, 5
As Paul points out, the issue involved is not a or o issue. Instead, it deals with about issues over which Christians could have .
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In Paul’s description of the problem and how to deal with it, it is clear that moral issues are not involved. There is also no potential spiritual confusion about what people chose to do. It was some in the church who did not share their own opinions that concerned Paul. Some were others and some were others over their sincerely held beliefs.
Perhaps it would help to illustrate with some contemporary issues over which sincere Christians can have sincerely held but differing opinions.
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I am calling our beliefs about these issues . That word has a wide range of meaning but here it means the decisions believers make that can’t be based on clear Bible teaching.
It is to these sorts of issues and disagreements over them that Paul issues his commands.
B. The commands: , don’t or one another, 1, 3, 4
Welcome
14:1, 3; 15:7
Προσλαμβάνω – to extend a welcome, receive in(to) one’s home or circle of acquaintances
Despise
14:3, 10
ἐξουθενέω – to show by one’s attitude or manner of treatment that an entity has no merit or worth, disdain
Judge
Pass judgement: 14: 3, 4, 10
Esteem: 14:5
Κρίνω – to set apart so as to distinguish, separate
(1) pass an unfavorable judgment upon, criticize, find fault with, condemn pass an unfavorable judgment upon, criticize, find fault with, condemn(14:3, 4, 10)
(2) to make a selection, select, prefer (14:5)
Note:
The strong (those who eat meat) are not to (distain or treat as having no worth) those who abstain from eating meat.
The weak (those who abstain from meat) are not to (criticize, find fautl with) those who eat.
C. The ruling principle: be about what you do, 4
Note that in verse 2 Paul calls those who do not eat meat ‘weak in faith’ or just ‘weak’. (This may not be Paul’s own term for these believers. He may be using the term he knows some in Rome are using. In contrast are those who consider themselves strong (15:1).) Paul clearly identifies himself with those who are strong in faith, and shares information that could help the weak become strong, but he never puts down those who are weak in faith. He models the behavior he asks the Romans to practice.
This puts the burden where it belongs: on the individual Christian to get with his/her Lord, scripture, and godly counsel to make a decision he/she feels is what God wants for them personally.
General rules about disagreements about scripture and Christian living:
1. The Bible is clear.
Obey and seek unity of thought and action among all believers. Seek agreement. fellowship from those who will not or do not align with clear Bible teaching.
2. The Bible is clear.
Allow room for disagreement. Pursue , not full agreement. You may choose your church and fellowship at least partly based on agreement or disagreement about the issue.
3. The Bible is .
Apply as much of the Bible as possible, seek God’s direction, and maintain a clear conscience in forming a judgment. Allow others to come to other conclusions withdrawing fellowship.
(This is the sort of issue addressed in Romans 14:1-15:7.
II. The reasons for the command, 3b-12
A. Reason one: God each of us, 3b
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B. Reason two: We have no business judging , 4
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C. Reason three: Each of us intends to with our beliefs, 6
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D. Reason four: We all have the same , 7-9
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E. Reason five: We all will , 10-12
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CONCLUSION
How should we respond to a Christian who thinks celebrating Halloween is OK when we think it is very wrong?
How should we respond to a Christian who thinks celebrating Halloween is very wrong when we think it is OK to do so?
The truths to remember:
That person is servant, not ours.
We have no right another person’s servant.
We both should be in our own minds of what we are to do and should be doing it only if we each can honor the Lord by doing so.
Jesus is Lord of both of us, so he can direct us if he needs to.
Each of us is going to have to give an account , not those of another, to God.
Lastly:
We cannot justify or having an attitude of or a attitude toward those who differ with us on Biblically uncertain issues. Instead we must them as brothers and sisters in Christ.