Romans 14:14-23

A very good morning. It's good to see you guys this day.

If you're wondering, our crowd is sparse this morning, not because people are celebrating St. Patrick's Day,

let's turn together in our copy of God's Word to Romans chapter 14.

Romans 14 · chapter mention

We're actually going to finish chapter 14 today by looking at verses 13 through 23,

but by way of reminder, recall how we've gotten to where we've gotten in the simplest way to summarize the first 11 chapters.

Paul sums it up in chapter 12 verse 1 by saying,

the mercies of God, which is everything he's presented prior to that,

I will say that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone forever.

In light of this, we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

Verse 1 of chapter 12, which is this vertical access response to what God has done for us in Christ.

We're to offer ourselves fully to him, right?

Vertical access here, and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds,

which then plays out in the horizontal access of that offering, right?

That now our lives are to be characterized by love.

Chapter 12 verse 9, Paul exhorts us to let love be genuine,

to abhor what is evil, and to cling fast to what is good,

and therein he summarizes for us godliness.

To be characterized by this, loving genuinely, right?

Which he then begins to play out for us throughout the rest of his letter to the Romans.

So last week we looked at the beginning of chapter 14, verses 1 through 12,

to see these exhortations he gives,

to welcome one another,

to not despise one another,

and to not pass judgment on one another.

You can see that in verses 1 through 3 and verse 5.

About particular things, right?

He's referring to opinions.

Notice that there in verse 1, right?

About opinions.

Not about doctrinal issues,

not about things that are clearly taught to us in the Scriptures,

but about those things that exist in the gray.

Those issues that are not clearly spoken to in the Scriptures.

He's exhorting us to welcome each other,

not despise one another,

and to not pass judgment on one another about opinions.

The examples from the text are about eating and drinking,

and the observance of particular days.

But of course we can see that that plays itself out in varying ways,

as our culture is shifting.

Certainly it does.

Now the teaching in here is not incredibly complex.

In fact, I told Wes earlier this week,

I really just want to get up and read the text to you and say,

okay.

How it plays out in our lives, though,

has a lot of complexity with it.

Lots of complexity.

The application of the truths found in chapter 14

are not going to be easy to walk out together.

So let's see if we can look at it together,

wrap our minds around it together,

so that we're best equipped to do so.

Let's begin by reading in verse 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.

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.

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.

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,

but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

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.

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine

or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

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.

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.

Join me in prayer.

Father God, we thank you for your holy word.

We thank you that it was inspired by the Spirit,

given to men to write,

that this day we might open it and feast upon it.

I thank you that it is the sufficient source of guidance for our lives,

that you have revealed to us in it all things we need to know to live godly before men.

That where it doesn't speak, we have latitude.

Where it does, we are certainly called to obey.

And so I pray this day that you'll help us each

to apply the truths contained in the last half of chapter 14

as we exercise liberty amongst one another.

And I pray this in Christ's name.

Amen.

Amen.

So, we talked again last week about how we're meant to be interacting with our liberty.

Right?

I think maybe I gave a fair amount of justification to be liberated.

In fact, Paul calls the stronger brother,

the one who practices liberty,

who recognizes that he's been set free from bondage to periphery things,

and now has freedom in Christ.

The weak brother is the one who abstains because he's afraid of what may happen,

who's still working out his faith in some sense by his work.

Right?

I think, though, we're too quick as Christians to stand in camps of the can-dos and the can't-dos.

We make lists, we make signs, and we beat each other up with them.

Right?

And, specifically, Paul begins to address those who are the stronger brethren.

Those who practice these liberties and how they ought to do so appropriately.

Now, before we get into the specific exhortation found in verse 13,

I want to make an overarching observation from the text.

Notice verse 14.

Paul says,

So notice Paul says,

So the question is,

how does a clean thing, right, as Paul says,

everything is clean, everything is permissible,

become unclean or impermissible?

How is it that that happens?

And what we must notice here is that cleanliness and uncleanliness,

or permissibility or impermissibility,

is a matter of conscience and motive.

Verse 14.

Anyone who thinks it unclean, to them it is, in fact, unclean.

Verse 22 and verse 23 speak to our conscience before God,

knowing that we've been given permission by him in the Spirit.

Let's look at some other texts.

Titus 1.15.

Paul writes,

To the pure, all things are pure.

But to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure,

but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

Mark chapter 7, verse 15.

Mark 7:15

There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him,

but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.

This is Jesus speaking.

There's nothing outside of a person by going into him can defile him,

but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.

And skip down to verse 18 and 19.

And he said to them,

Then are you also without understanding?

Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,

since it enters not his heart, but his stomach, and is expelled?

Right?

And then Mark adds the commentary,

Thus he declared all foods clean.

So notice that what Jesus is saying is it's not those exterior things that ultimately really matter.

What ultimately matters is our heart.

And so the question must be asked,

What do our actions, and in this text here, particularly about our liberty,

say about our hearts?

What do they say about our faith?

Do our actions say that our hearts are resting in God as our portion,

our sufficiency, our satisfaction, our treasure?

Or do they say something else entirely?

I'll give you an example from my own living.

Many of you may not have noticed this, and that's quite alright,

but I have tended to dress a little nicer as the years have gone on here when I preach.

There was a day, if you've been around for a while,

that I wouldn't have tucked my shirt in,

would have been collared,

probably would have had my sleeves rolled up.

I never wore open-toed shoes, so I kept the shoes on.

This is not how I like to dress, though.

And as time has gone on,

I've felt the conviction that

if somebody's going to not hear the gospel

because I'm not wearing a tie,

how dare I?

If this was a crowd that I thought required a jacket,

I would do that too.

I would stand up here and sweat

because the gospel is that important to me.

What do our actions say about where our hearts are?

What do our actions say about what is ultimately important to us?

If I were to travel and speak,

I would take a jacket with me,

just to be sure I could cover that.

If a King James-only church ever asked me to come speak there,

I would probably talk to them about the scriptures,

but I would do it from a King James-only Bible,

because I would want them to hear

the things that I'm saying to them

because that is what is ultimately important to me.

My tie also gives me a place to clip my mic,

which I appreciate.

Verse 17 of our text says,

the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking.

So we get too wrapped up into these periphery things

and we miss the main point.

Proverbs 4, 23 says,

keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flows the springs of life.

So it's a matter of our heart.

The clean becomes unclean

because we have improper motivation.

Our consciences cannot be clean before God

because our hearts are not clean before God

and we must get this part of it right.

All the judgmentalism,

all of the unwelcoming attitudes,

all of those things would just dissipate

if our hearts were right

about these unclear issues in the scriptures.

So here's the exhortation,

verse 13.

Therefore,

therefore,

retaining back to the previous verses,

verses 10 through 12,

it talks about God's ultimate and final judgment.

So in light of that,

knowing that God is the final and ultimate judge,

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.

Now it's important to know here

that the stumbling block he's referring to

is not the same way in which Christ

is referred to the stumbling block for Israel.

So know that is the case.

That's not the same thing he's talking about here.

In fact,

instead,

he's talking about,

the Greek here is

apolomai.

Right?

Excuse me.

I'm going to back up just a little bit.

The idea of the stumbling block

is the idea of tripping over something.

A hindrance would be something like a fence

that would have been used in that way.

Something that would have kept the brother

from progressing in spiritual nature.

Right?

That would prevent their well-being.

This is what the stumbling block or hindrance is

that he's referring to.

We see again in verse 20,

the last half in verse 21.

It is wrong for anyone to make another brother stumble

by what he eats.

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine

or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

1 Corinthians 8-9 says,

But take care that this right of yours,

your liberty,

does not somehow become a stumbling block

to the weak.

Right?

So the exhortation is,

do not do something

that causes a weaker brother

to stumble into sin.

The weaker brother who has decided

that their conscience is not clean

before God for doing something.

They've decided that they ought not to.

And yet by the way we practice our liberty,

we draw them into it.

We cause them to stumble in that way.

We cause,

we weaken their faith

in that way.

And Paul gives in the text

for this exhortation

at least four reasons

why we shouldn't.

Past judgment.

Why we should decide

never to put a stumbling block

or hindrance

in the way of a brother.

Firstly,

because it destroys the one

for whom Christ died.

We see this in verse 15.

Alright?

And here's our Greek word,

apollomai.

Apollomai.

It means devastation.

The Greek squalor W.E. Vines explains,

the idea is not extinction,

but ruin,

loss.

Not of being,

but of well-being.

It destroys the well-being,

the spiritual well-being

of the weaker brother.

Matthew 18, 14.

Jesus says,

So it is not the will of my Father

who is in heaven

that one of these little ones

should perish.

That's the parable

of the lost sheep.

Right?

He's not talking about

those who are not already saved.

He's talking about

those who are.

The sheep.

And when one goes astray,

we go and we search it out

and we bring it back in

because we don't want it

to perish.

Apollomai.

To not be of good being

spiritually.

That's what he's referring to.

Those of you familiar

with the Pilgrim's Progress,

there's a famous character

in the book

named Apollyon.

This is where

Bunyan got this name for him.

We understand him

to be the devil.

And what does he do

with Christian?

He fights with Christian

to bring him back

into his kingdom.

But Christian is secure.

Christian is secure

because of what

the Lord of the kingdom

he's walking in

has done for him.

What Christ has done for him.

And he's given him

the tools to fight off

Apollyon.

Right?

That his walk

would not be devastated.

It's a fun connection

for you

to the other night

when we read that together.

That's the Greek word

that that name Apollyon

comes from

in the Pilgrim's Progress.

So we ought not judge.

We ought to decide

not to put a stumbling block

or a hindrance

in the way of our brother

because it destroys

the one for whom

Christ died.

Do you feel the weight

of that?

That as you practice

your liberty

as you say

I've been set free

to do this

or dress this way

partake of this thing

that if you don't do

so carefully

you will cause

your brother

to be weak.

You will cause

your brother

to strain

spiritually.

That is

antithesis of love.

Right?

That's the opposite

of what we're being called

to do.

To walk as children of light.

To walk in love

the end of chapter 13.

It's the opposite of that.

We ought to be

seeking each other's

mutual upbuilding

as he says later here

in the chapter.

The second reason

is because

not passing judgment

not putting the stumbling block

or hindrance

in the way of a brother

is acceptable to God

and it is approved

by men.

It's verse 16

through 18.

1 Corinthians 9

19 says

For though I am

free from all

I have made myself

a servant to all

that I might win

more of them.

Martin Luther once said

a Christian man

is the most free

Lord of all

and subject to none.

And at the same time

he said

the next sentence

a Christian man

is the most

dutiful servant of all

and subject

to everyone.

So serving Christ

in this way

not passing judgment

being sure

that we walk

carefully

in our liberty

it's acceptable to God

and it's approved

by men.

He says to us

to not let anybody

call something

that we find

clean, good,

acceptable, evil.

He's talking about

generally

about mankind

don't let people

look at you

and say

he practices evil.

Be very careful

how you walk.

Something might be

permissible to you

but it's not always

beneficial.

is it?

Thirdly

not passing

the judgment

not putting

stumbling block

or hindrance

in the way

of our brothers

pursues

the work

of God.

Verse 19

through the first

half of 20

let's read that together

so then let us

pursue

what makes for peace

and for mutual

upbuilding

do not

for the sake

of food

destroy

the work

of God.

We can look

previously

in verse 18

excuse me

verse 17

the kingdom of God

is not a matter

of eating

and drinking

but of righteousness

and peace

and joy.

so it pursues

the work

of God

to live

in this way

namely

it pursues

righteousness

and peace

and joy.

Ephesians 4

3 says

that we are

to be eager

to maintain

the unity

of the spirit

in the bond

of peace.

1 Corinthians 8

12 and 13

reads

thus

sinning against

your brothers

and wounding

their conscience

when it is weak

you sin

against

Christ

therefore

if food

makes my brother

stumble

I will never

eat meat

lest I make

my brother

stumble.

I mentioned

this last week

what was happening

at this time

that there were

some meats

that the Jews

found impermissible

according to

old Mosaic law

and for the Gentiles

meats that were

offered to idols

they saw as

dirty.

So many of the

weak brethren

wouldn't partake

of these meats.

In fact

as we see

in the beginning

of verse 14

some of them

became vegetarians

because they so

wanted to avoid

these meats

and Paul here

says in 1 Corinthians

that he himself

would become

a vegetarian

in order to be

sure that he

didn't put

a stumbling block

in the way

of his brothers.

Do we orient

our lives

like that?

Everything we do

seeking the good

of those

who are part

of the family.

So it pursues

the work of God

this building up

of righteousness

and peace

and joy

it brings

to earth

the kingdom

of heaven.

Fourthly

it promotes

a clean

conscience

which leads

to joy.

Verse 22

and 23

the faith

that you have

keep between

yourself

and God

blessed

or happy

or joyful

is the one

who has no

reason

to pass

judgment

on himself

for what

he approves

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.

So 22a

the first part

of that

is aimed

at the

stronger brother.

The faith

that you have

keep it

between

yourself

and God.

Blessed

is the one

who has no

reason to pass

judgment

on himself

for what

he approves.

If you have

the faith

to believe

the gospel

to the degree

that you have

liberty

and you

practice it

or don't

you can also

in your liberty

not do things

keep that

between yourself

and God

don't make

issues

out of

non-issues.

We're so

apt to do

this

because we

will be

blessed

we will have

joy

if we're

clean

we have

clean

consciousness

before God

for what

we

approve.

The same

applies

the joy

that's at

stake

here

to the

weaker

brother.

Notice

verse 23

we get

this

segue

the last

half

of 22

into 23

23

says

but whoever

has doubts

is condemned

if he eats

because his

faith doesn't

permit it.

He doesn't

believe that

what he's

allowed to

do

he's doing.

Because the

eating is

not

from

faith

for

whatever

does not

proceed

from

faith

is

sin.

And this

is often

used

the little

ending

here

of

verse

23

to

recognize

that what

is good

and what

is bad

what is

permissible

and

impermissible

is a matter

of faith.

How is it

that God

is leading

us?

So

me wearing

a tie

because I

feel that

God wants

me to wear

a tie

on this

Sunday

morning

proceeds

from

faith

and therefore

it's good

for me to

do this

very thing.

If I wore

this tie

simply to

please men

it wouldn't

be from

faith

and it

would be

sin.

If you

have decided

to abstain

from alcohol

and yet

you feel

this pressure

to practice

your liberty

as some

people we

know do

and therefore

you drink

just because

you just

want to

prove

I'm set

free in

Christ

I'm allowed

it's okay

but it

doesn't

proceed from

faith

from an

earnest

searching out

of God's

will for

your life

sin.

It's a

strong

exhortation

to the

weaker

brother.

1 Timothy

1.19

Paul writes

we are to

hold faith

and a good

conscience

by rejecting

this

some have

made

shipwreck

of their

faith.

We're to

hold to

that

we're to

search out

before God

I so wish

sometimes

that the

Bible just

had a simple

to do list

like the

appendix A

right we

could just

flip to the

back and

there would

be a

don't do

and a

do list

that sums

up for

us

everything

instructed

to us

and that

it goes

beyond

even what

the scriptures

go beyond

just so I

can be

sure

right

tie on

Sunday

got it

right

no tie

the rest

of the

day

the rest

of the

weeks

okay

I'm good

right

don't you

wish we

could just

do that

sometimes

just have

a new

law

handed down

to us

right

just make

it a little

bit simpler

do you ever

ask why

that hasn't

happened

for us

why is it

that we're

given very

specific

parameters

about some

things

and not

others

if treated

properly

it draws

us

to God

he wants

to know

you

and to

be known

by you

if I

had a list

of rules

would I

ever

implore God

for his

will for

my life

no I

had to

follow the

list of

rules

right

in that

way

our savior

could have

been

a pink

bunny rabbit

that comes

to the earth

hands us a

list of

rules and

says do

this

and you

will be

saved

right

that's not

what we've

been called

to in

Christ

we've been

called to

a relationship

we've been

called

brothers

we are

his adopted

children

now

right

and as

such

we've been

given

latitude

in some

things

we're meant

to come

close to

him

to know

how it

is

we're meant

to walk

out

our faith

what is it

that my

love

looks like

right

day to

day

moment

by moment

as I

said I

find this

teaching

rather

simple

I don't

think there's

a terrible

amount of

complexity to

it but

putting it

into action

in our

lives

can be

horribly

complex

but that

complexity

causes us

to depend

on him

for those

answers

to recognize

that we're

regenerate

we are new

creations

and therefore

we have the

spirit of

God

abiding in

us to

direct

our every

step

what is

permissible

what is

impermissible

right

it's a matter

of

conscience

ask

that God

would work

in you

the proper

form of

this love

that you

might not

cast

judgment

that you

might seek

to not

put a

stumbling

block

or a

hindrance

and walk

your faith

out

see how

it plays

out

so I

ask again

what do

our actions

say

about our

hearts

particularly

regarding

our liberty

what do

they say

about our

faith

do our

actions

say that

our hearts

are resting

in God

as our

portion

as our

completion

right

our

sufficiency

our

satisfaction

our

treasure

is that

what our

actions

say

as we

practice

liberty

together

or does

it say

something

entirely

different

does it

say that

our

God

is now

our

liberty

that we

have

in

Christ

Hebrews

3

12

through

14

says

take care

brothers

lest there

be in

any of

you

an

evil

unbelieving

heart

leading you

to fall

away

from the

living

God

but exhort

one another

every day

as long

as it is

called

today

that none

of you

may be

hardened

by the

deceitfulness

of sin

for we

have come

to share

in Christ

if indeed

we hold

our original

confidence

firm

to the

end

so you

see that

we're

meant to

work

together

on this

type of

stuff

right

not to

let

these

little

issues

the

non-issues

that we

make

issues

become

a dividing

thing

amongst

us

but to

exhort

one another

to see

that the

way we

live

matters

and to

walk

these

things

out

not to

let

the

deceitfulness

of sin

creep

in

even

as we

do

things

that

are

scripturally

permissible

but by

the way

we do

them

have

become

impermissible

we're

meant to

press

each

other

into

the

truth

that we

might

have

confidence

firm

to the

end

let's pray

together

turn

Thank you.