Romans 14

1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 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. 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. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.

Map the Passage:

• 1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

  • 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

    • 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.

      • 4 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.

  • 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.

  • 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.

  • 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

  • 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

  • 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother?

  • For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

    • 11 For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me,

    • And every tongue shall confess to God."

    • 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

  • 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather

    • resolve this,

    • not to put a stumbling block or

    • a cause to fall in our brother's way.

Interpretation:

• What does "doubtful things" mean?
  1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

  • In Greek the word doubltful is called dialogismos (G1261).

    • It means

      • the thinking of a man deliberating with himself

        • a thought, inward reasoning

        • purpose, design

      • a deliberating, questioning about what is true

        • hesitation, doubting

        • disputing, arguing

    • In the KJV Bible it is translated as thought (9x), reasoning (1x), imagination (1x), doubtful (1x), disputing (1x), doubting (1x).

    • In New International Version (NIV) it is translate as disputable matter:

      • NIV: Romans 14:1 - Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.

    • In New American Standard (NASB) it is translated as opinions.

      • NASB: Romans 14:1 - Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.

    • In general this is called as matters of secondary importance or minor (not core) teachings in the Bible.

  • In the Bible there are many commandments clearly defines right or wrong in a simple statement or same truth will be repeated through out the Bible:

    • (Warren Wiersbe) Some activities we know are wrong, because the Bible clearly condemns them.

      • Other activities we know are right, because the Bible clearly commands them.

    • Most of the Ten commandments are clearly defines what is wrong/sin and defines what to do to be right.

      • For example murdering, committing adultery, stealing, coveting. ... are wrong and sin against God and so all believers must not do these. Almost all will accept these commandments without opposing or disputing because there is no doubt or confusion in these.

    • This also include all core teachings/theology of Christianity. Read more in Are these following statements disputable/secondary/minor matter?

  • At the same time there are some commandments given in Old Testament but now they are not followed, kept or observed by Christians for many valid Biblical reasons.

    • For example one of the ten commandment is keeping the Sabbath holy or set apart the seventh day of the week i.e. Saturday for God to worship Him. But now not all church are keeping or observing it because of valid Biblical reason. We will see this in detail when we go through

      • Romans 14:5a - One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.

    • Another common confusion arise among believers is "What to eat? or What not to eat?"

      • Romans 14:2 - For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

      • We will see this in detail.

    • That is why these are called doubtful things or disputable/secondary/minor matter. These sounds like "gray area" for those who weak in faith due to lack of knowledge and these leads to arguments/disputes among Christians.

      • (Warren Wiersbe) Unfortunately, we have similar problems today with many "gray areas" of life that are not clearly right or wrong to every believer.

      • (WM) Romans 14:1-15:13 deals with important principles to guide God's people in dealing with matters of secondary importance. These are the things that so often cause conflict is quite unnecessary, as we shall see.

• Are these following statements disputable/secondary/minor matter?

  • Does the statement "faith in Jesus alone is enough to get saved or enter into heaven" is disputable/secondary/minor matter?

    • No,  because Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by faith in Jesus alone:

      • Eph 2:8-9 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

      • What is faith?

        • Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

      • Why this faith is so important?

        • Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

      • Faith in what? or What anyone need to believe or put their faith on to go to heaven or to get saved?

        • John 6:28 - Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

        • 1 Cor 15:3-5 - 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

        • Romans 1:17 - For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

        • Romans 9:30 - 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

        • NIV: Romans 3:22 - This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,

        • Phil 3:9 - 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

        • 2 Cor 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

        • Romans 10:9-11,13 - 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

  • Does the statement "Jesus is God" is doubtful thing or disputable/secondary/minor matter?

    • No, even though some believe that Jesus is a good teacher or guru, but through out the Bible, it clearly teaches that Jesus is God.

      • Jesus accept worship,

      • Jesus forgave sins,

      • Jesus demonstrated God's power here on earth by doing many miracles,

      • Jesus tempted in all point but Jesus didn't sin at all,

      • Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the law by receiving punishment by dying on the cross for our sins in our place,

      • Jesus first person resurrected back from dead and removed the fear of death and proved that He is God not just ordinary human being,

      • Jesus lives now and give life to us.

      • Romans 9:5 - 1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

    • This is what Trinity teaches that Jesus is God, Father is God and Holy Spirit is God. They are one God in three person and they are inseparable like our body, soul and spirit.

  • These are core doctrines of Christianity. If anyone disputes/argues against these core doctrines then they are not Christian at all.

  • Christian need to stand firm in the core doctrines of Christianity and explain to those who challenging them.

• What does "strong in faith" mean?
  1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

  • Strong in faith are the matured believers who knows the over all counsel/knowledge of God. They have

    • right understanding of core doctrine/theology of Christianity,

    • knows the word of God,

    • grows in grace of God and

    • stays in the love relationship with God and people.

  • Those who are strong in faith or matured believers will grow or need to grow in knowing the truth about above disputable/secondary/minor matters. They will live in liberty that Jesus has given to us.

    • (Warren Wiersbe) Paul was addressing those who were "Strong in the faith," that is, those who understood their spiritual liberty in Christ and were not enslaved to diets or holy days.

    • 1 Cor 14:20 - Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

    • John 8:32,36 - 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

• What does "weak in the faith" mean?
  1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

  • Weak in faith does not mean that they do not have faith or they are struggling or have hard time to believe in Jesus Christ.

  • Here weak in faith means those who have their faith in Jesus but lack in right understanding of core doctrine/theology of Christianity and has only very shallow knowledge of God. These are called as immature believer.

  •  At the same time it also include those non-believers who comes to church regularly and they look and act like Christians because they are born and brought up by Christian family or some Christian environment.

    • 2 Tim 3:5 - 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away

  •  In general those who are weak in faith are not growing in the knowledge of God by reading and hearing the word of God. This may happen because

    • they didn't completely put their faith in Jesus,

    • they put their faith in Jesus Christ but got stuck in legalism, tradition, preoccupied knowledge about the god whom they followed prior to accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, ...

      • (Warren Wiersbe) The Jews, for example, were saved out of a strict legalistic background that would be difficult to forget.

        • The Gentiles never had to worry about diets and days. The first church council in history debated the issue of the relationship of the Christian to the Law (Acts 15).

        • The "weak in faith' were immature believers who felt obligated to obey legalistic rules concerning what they ate and when they worshiped.

        • Many people have the idea that the Christians who follow strict rules are the most mature, but this is not necessarily the case.

        • In the Roman assemblies, the weak Christians were those who clung to the Law and did not enjoy their freedom in the Lord.

      • (David Guzik) We should distinguish between someone who is weak and someone who is rebellious. There are many reasons why a Christian might be weak.

        • They may be a babe in Christ (babies are weak)

        • They may be sick or diseased (by legalism)

    • they may only listening messages from the preachers instead of opening the Bible and read,

      • Acts 17:11 - 10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

      • (David Guzik) They may be malnourished (by lack of good teaching)

    • they may growing in knowledge but not applying practically in their life.

      • (David Guzik) They may lack exercise (needing exhortation)

      • (Warren Wiersbe) In every church there are weak and strong believers. The strong understand spiritual truth and practice it, but the weak have not yet grown into that level of maturity and liberty.

    • they may not approaching the throne of grace (God) by faith and develop a love relationship with God

• Paul here in Romans 14:1-15:13 clearly explains how to handle these and still love each other.

  • What are the doubtful/disputable/secondary/minor matters that Paul gives here as the examples?

  • What should matured believers do to the immature believers (weak in faith) when they are not doing right in disputable/secondary matters?

  • What should matured believers not do to the immature believer (weak in faith) when they are not doing right in disputable/secondary matters?

  • What should immature believers not do to mature believer who ignore these disputable/secondary matters and live in God given liberty?

  • Why should believers must not judge each other?

  • Why should matured believers receive/accept immature believers (week in faith) even though they are not doing right in disputable/secondary matters?

  • (Warren Wiersbe) He explained how believers could disagree on nonessentials and still maintain unity in the church. He gave his readers three important admonitions. Receive One Another (Rom 14:1-12), Edify One Another (Rom. 14:13-23), Please One Another (Rom. 15:1-7)

• What are the doubtful/disputable/secondary/minor matters that Paul gives here as the examples?
  Paul here gives two doubtful/disputable/secondary/minor matters as the examples:

  • 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

    • What does Bible teach about eating?

      • God commands to eat vegetables to Adam as a part of initial blessing or initial part of Adamic Covenant (2nd part is given as a result of sin in Gen 3:16-19),

        • Gen 2:16-17 - 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

      • After the flood God commanded Noah to eat everything except the human being as a part of Noahic Covenant.

        • Gen 9:3,6 - 1 So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. 6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.

        • NLT: Gen 9:3,6 - 1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth. 2 All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power. 3 I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables. 4 But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it. 5 “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. 6 If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.

      • Later when God gave laws through Moses in that some animals are considered to be unclean such as Pork.

        • Leviticus 11 clearly gives the big list. Here is the general rule

        • NLT: Leviticus 11:2,3 - 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “Of all the land animals, these are the ones you may use for food. 3 You may eat any animal that has completely split hooves and chews the cud.

          • Chew the cud means the portion of food that a ruminant returns from the first stomach to the mouth to chew a second time.

        • NLT: Leviticus 11:7 - The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean.

    • Why then Christians now eating pig/pork and other unclean meats?

      • Now these restrictions are not applicable to the Christians because

        • Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the law:

          • Matthew 5:17 - "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

          • NIV: Romans 10:4 - Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

          • NLT: Romans 3:31 - 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. 29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

          • Romans 3:31 - 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

        • Now we are back to Noahic Covenant (Gen 6:1-6). So, pork is not considered as unclean.

        • God sanctified these through His word and prayer. So, eat freely by giving thanks:

          • 1 Tim 4:4-5 - 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

        • Jesus Himself said that there is nothing unclean because God has cleansed (Acts 10:15):

          • Acts 10:9-16 - 9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

        • These are the reasons that Paul is fully convinced that there is nothing unclean now.

          • Romans 14:14a - I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself;

    • Now you say, "Is it right to eat all things without any restrictions?"

      • Yes.

      • For this reason strong/mature believers believe that they can "eat all things".
        2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

        • What does "eat all things" mean?

          • Here it is mainly talks about the any kind of meat and vegetables. Those who are non-vegetarian. NIV translates this as eats meat.

            • NIV: Romans 14:6 - Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

          • Eat anything that are edible i.e. fit to be eaten which are non poisonous.

            • NLT: Romans 14:6 - Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.

      • For Example: Based on this truth Airlines does not offer "Christian meal" as a special meal like they provide Hindu meal, Muslim meal, Kosher meal.

  • 5a One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.

    • Is it right to treat all day alike without considering one day as a holier than other?
      5a One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.

      • Is Sunday a special day than rest of the day? Why?

        • Sunday is very important day to Christians because Jesus Christ resurrected on the first day of the week i.e. Sunday.

          • We can see this in Matthew 28:1, 9, 10; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:1, 13, 15; John 20:19, 26.

          • Mar 16:9 - Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

          • (WM) We see in the NT that

            • it was the day of our Lord's resurrection (Luke 24:1-9).

            • On the next two Lord's days, Christ met with His disciples (John 20:19,26).

            • The Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost, which was on the first day of the week;

              • Pentecost occurred seven Sundays after the Feast of Firstfruits (Lev 23:15,16; Acts 2:1), which symbolizes Christ's resurrection (1 Cor 15:20,23).

        • When did the early Christians meet?

          • Traditionally, Christians have held their primary corporate worship services on Sundays, the first day of the week, This is done in celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

            • Acts 20:7 - Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

            • 1 Cor 16:1-3 - 1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem

            • (WM) The disciples gathered to break bread on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

              • Paul instructed the Corinthians to take a collection on the first day of the week.

              • So the Lord's Day does stand out in the NT in a special way. But rather than being a day of obligation, like the Sabbath, it is a day of privilege. Released from our ordinary employment, we can set it apart in a special way for worshiping and serving our Lord.

          • Sunday is also called the Lord's day:

            • Rev 1:10 - I [John]  was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

            • The day that belongs to the Lord.

            • We have also similar phrase the Lord's Supper (breaking bread together) in 1 Cor 11:20 and it also defines that phrase "the Lord's Supper" in details. This is what early Christians do as in Acts 20:7 when they gather every first day of the week to worship the Lord.

              • 1 Cor 11:20 - When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper.

        • Does the Bible teaches or Jesus asked Christians to worship only on Sunday?

          • No, but it is important to understand, though, that Sunday is not the commanded day of corporate worship, either.

          • There is no explicit biblical command that either Saturday or Sunday be the day of worship.

            • Acts 2:46-47 - 46 So continuing daily [NIV: Every day] with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

            • (WM) Nowhere in the NT are Christians ever told to keep the Sabbath.

          • God’s desire is that we worship and serve Him continually, every day, not just on Saturday or Sunday.

        • For more details you can read Sabbath day rest, Sabbath day and Sabbath keeping from GotQuestions.org

      • Is Sunday holier than rest of the days?

        • No, even though it sounds very special or important but scriptures such as Romans 14:5–6 and Colossians 2:16 give Christians freedom to observe a special day or to observe every day as special.

          • Col 2:16-17 - 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

          • Romans 14:5,6 - 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.

      • What is Sabbath day?
        5a One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.

        • God rested on seventh day after creation. God commanded to keep the seventh/Sabbath day as holy. This is the 4th commandment of the Ten commandments:

        • Exodus 20:8 - "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 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 cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

      • Why then most Christians or many churches not considering Sabbath as holy day and set apart for the almighty God?

        • The various elements of the Sabbath symbolized the coming of the Messiah, who would provide a permanent rest for His people. Once again the example of resting from our labors comes into play. With the establishment of the Old Testament Law, the Jews were constantly "laboring" to make themselves acceptable to God. Their labors included trying to obey a myriad of do’s and don’ts of the ceremonial law, the Temple law, the civil law, etc.

          • Mark 2:23-28 - 23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat, except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?" 27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

          • Matt 12:1-8 - 1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? [NLT: haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?] 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

          • Also Luke 6:5 has this "The Lord of the Sabbath".

        • What does "The Lord of the Sabbath" mean?

          •  As God incarnate, He decides/defines the true meaning of the Sabbath because He created it, and He is our Sabbath rest in the flesh.

          • Jesus can be our Sabbath rest in part because He is "Lord of the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:8).

          • As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus had the right, power, and authority to dispense it in any way He pleased, even to the abolishing of it and reinstituting it as the Lord’s Day, a day of worship. Since the Lord of the Sabbath had come, He who is the only true “Sabbath rest” made the old law of the Sabbath no longer needed or binding.

          • When the Pharisees criticized Him for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus reminded them that even they, sinful as they were, would not hesitate to pull a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath. Because He came to seek and save His sheep who would hear His voice (John 10:3,27) and enter into the Sabbath rest He provided by paying for their sins, He could break the Sabbath rules. He told the Pharisees that people are more important than sheep and the salvation He provided was more important than rules. By saying, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27), Jesus was restating the principle that the Sabbath rest was instituted to relieve man of his labors, just as He came to relieve us of our attempting to achieve salvation by our works.

        • So, believers in Christ are no longer rest for only one day, but forever cease our laboring to attain God’s favor.

          • For more details you can read Jesus our Sabbath rest  from GotQuestions.org

          • Now Jesus is our Sabbath rest

            • God revealed this in the Gospel:

              • NLT: Heb 4:1-2a - 1 God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2a For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them.

                • Heb 4:1-2a - 1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2a For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them;

              • Romans 1:17 - For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

              • Romans 3:21 - But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

              • NIV: Romans 3:22 - This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,

            • Those who hear the gospel/good news and put their faith in Jesus will receive this rest when they continue in their faith:

              • Heb 4:2b-11 - 2b but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,' " although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; 5 and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest." 6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

          •  So, let us rest from all our works. Just as He is the door to heaven, where we will rest in Him forever.

          • We can receive His Sabbath rest by going to throne of grace by faith:

            • Heb 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

        • These are the reasons Paul was not concerned about the specific day. And so he left this matter based on their conscience or their maturity level.

          • Romans 14:5,6a - 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6a 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.

• What more disputable/secondary/minor matters that the believers face in addition to Paul listed here?

  • Here are the few disputable/secondary/minor matters that the believers face even today:
    Heb 6:1-2 - 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

    • Water Baptism,

      • Is water baptism necessary to be get saved?

        • Salvation is only through grace by faith not by any works (Eph 2:8-9). So, to get saved does not require water baptism:

          • Mark 16:16 - He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

          • For example the thief on the cross put his faith in Jesus at the last minute of his death but he didn't baptize. Now he is in heaven:

            • Luke 23:43 - And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

      • Is water baptism necessary to receive/fill/baptize by the Holy Spirit or to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?

        • No, first gentile believer Cornelius received/filled/baptized by the Holy Spirit and received the gift of the Holy Spirit before they baptized in the water:

          • Acts 10:44,48 - 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

      • Did God really commanded to baptize in water?

        • Yes, this is the only ritual God Commanded to do as a part of great commission:

          • Matt 28:19 - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

        • Marriage is a public declaration to your family, friends and community same way water baptism is also public declaration that you are Christian.

        • So, do this as a obedience to Christ command.

      • If you are baptized while you are child just ask God. If He leads then baptize in water otherwise do not worry.

      • If you are really concerned/worried about this then better baptize in water instead of continue living in guilt/worry.

        • Romans 14:14 - I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

    • Laying on of hand,

      • "Laying on of hands" is a biblical action; however, there is no biblical mandate requiring the physical laying on of hands for a particular spiritual ministry. Jesus certainly laid His hands on many of those He healed; however, He also healed without laying His hands on people. In fact, there were times when He was nowhere in the vicinity of those He healed. Matthew 8:8 describes Jesus healing the servant of the centurion without going near the centurion’s house.

        • Praying by laying Hands:

          • Luke 4:40 - When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

          • Acts 19:4-6 - 4 Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

        • Praying by rebuking the sickness:

          • Luke 4:39,40 - 38 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. 39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

        • Praying for one another by calling the elders:

          • James 5:14-16 - 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

        • Praying for others remotely or intercessory prayer:

          • Matt 8:8,13 - 8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour.

          • 1 Tim 2: 1,2 - 1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

          • Romans 10:1 - Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

    • Resurrection of dead:
      There are two resurrections in two different time.

      • First Resurrection: All believers of God from Adam till Jesus second coming will resurrect from dead with the new immortal bodies to rule and reign with Jesus Christ for 1000 years and then live with God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

        • Rev 20:5 - 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

      • Second Resurrection: After 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ with believers all the non-believers of God come back to life to receive punishment for their sinful deeds and suffer in hell or lake of fire forever and ever..

        • Rev 20:12,13 - 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

    • Eternal judgment (final white throne judgment Vs Believers Rewarding ceremony or Bema seat judgment)

      • Read How God will deal with believers/Christians who sin occasionally or continuously? for more details.

    • Circumcision:

      • Peter has clearly shared that faith alone through the grace of God is enough to be get saved and they do not have to circumcise or keep the law. They have added this in writing

        • Acts 15:24 - Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you [Paul] with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law"--to whom we gave no such commandment--

        • Romans 2:29,29 - 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

        • Phil 3:3 - For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, a rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

    • Eating things offered to the idols:

      • In general Christians need to keep away from eating food offered to idols:

        • Acts 15:28-29 - 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

      • Is this mandatory to keep it all the time? Why?

        • No, because

        • 1 Cor 10:25,27-32 - 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; 26 for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness." 27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness." 29 "Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

        • Romans 14:14 - I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

        • 1 Tim 4:4-5 - 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

    • Gifts of the Holy Spirit especially the speaking in tongues:

      • Do all get every gifts? or Do all receive the speaking in tongue gift?

        • No.

        • 1 Cor 12:28-30 - 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

        • 1 Cor 14:5 - I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

      • Who gives the spiritual gifts to the Believers?

        • The Holy Spirit gives the gifts as per His will.

        • 1 Cor 12:11 - But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

      • Can the believers in Christ desire and ask God for a particular gift of the Holy Spirit?

        • 1 Cor 14:1 - Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

      • How and when to use the gift of tongues?

        • 1 Cor 14:2-15 - 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

        • 1 Cor 14:13-19 - 13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

        • 1 Cor 14:27,28 - 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

    • ... ...

  • Those who are strong in faith or matured believers will grow or need to grow in knowing the truth about above disputable/secondary/minor matters. They will live in liberty that Jesus has given to us. Read more about qualities of matured believers in What does "strong in faith" mean?.

• What should matured believers do to the immature believers (weak in faith) when they are not doing right in disputable/secondary matters?
  1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

  • If anyone consider that he/she is matured believer then receive or accept those who are weak in faith who does the disputable matter due to lack of knowledge of God. Accept them without disputing, arguing, quarrelling or teaching them.

    • NIV: Romans 14:1 - Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.

    • NLT: Romans 14:1 - Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.

    • (Warren Wiersbe) You will note that this section begins and ends with this admonition (Rom. 15:7).

      • Romans 15:7 - Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

• What should matured believers not do to the immature believer (weak in faith) when they didn't keep the disputable/secondary matters correctly?

  • Matured believers should not argue or dispute with the immature believer (weak in faith) when they didn't keep the disputable/secondary matters correctly:
    1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

    • (Warren Wiersbe)  They must not argue over these matters

  • Matured believers should not despise or hate the immature believer (weak in faith) when they didn't keep the disputable/secondary matters correctly:
    3a Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat,

    • (Warren Wiersbe) They must not despise the weak and call them immature.

    • Matured believers should not force them to do secondary/minor matters in a right way.

• What should immature believers not do to mature believer who ignore these disputable/secondary matters and live in God given liberty?

  • Immature believer should not judge or condemn the mature believer:
    3b and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats;

    • (Warren Wiersbe) The weak Christians were judging and condemning the strong Christians

    • The sad part is even though they are wrong but still they judge/condemn the mature believer.

  • Why do you think immature believer even though they are wrong judge/condemn the mature believer?

    • They truly believe what they are doing is right based on some particular scripture which already Jesus fulfilled in His death and resurrection.

    • They do not want to learn because they are not self-righteous

      • They judge/condemn mature believer because they teach or correct them

      • They want to proactively judge/condemn the mature believer before they teach or correct them.

• Why should believers not judge(condemn) each other?

  • Here Paul list few important reasons why believer should not judge each other:

    • Both mature and immature believers even keep the minor, secondary or nonessentials for Lord's sake:
      What is the main intension for both mature and immature believers are to keep/do even the minor, secondary teachings?

      • The main intension for both mature and immature believers are to keep/do even the minor, secondary teachings for Lord's sake

      • 6a 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.

      • 6b 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.

      • (Warren Wiersbe) What is it that makes a dish of food "holy" or a day "holy" It is the fact that we relate it to the Lord. The person who treats a special day as "holy" does so "unto the Lord." The person who treats every day as sacred, does so "unto the Lord."

        • The Christian who eats meat gives thanks to the Lord, and the Christian who abstains from meat abstains "unto the Lord." To be "fully persuaded-or assured-in his own mind"

        • (Rom. 14:5) means: Let every man see to it that he is really doing what he does for the Lord's sake, and not merely on the basis of some prejudice or whim.

    • Both mature and immature believers not belong to themselves but belong to the Lord once we put our faith in Jesus:
      To whom both mature and immature believers are belong to when they put their faith in God?

      • 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. God redeemed/purchased us

      • 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

      • John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name

      • Romans 8:16 - The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

    • Both mature and immature believers are bondslaves/servant to our Lord Jesus Christ.
      What does that mean we belong to Lord Jesus?

      • 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

        • Jesus obedience to God's plan i.e. His death on the cross made Him to become Lord for all who is living and all who has died:

          • 1 Cor 15:27 - 27 For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

          • NLT: 1 Cor 15:27 - 27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

        • Jesus died and redeemed/bought us for a price i.e by giving His life for us and gave a new life by resurrecting from the death

          • 1 Cor 6:20 - 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

      • The day we commit our life to Jesus Christ our Lord God will set us free by opening our spiritual eyes:

        • John 8:32,36 - 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

      • God set us free not to live in sin or live a selfish life but believers has choice to surrender their life as bondslave/bondservant to Him and server or love others:

        • Gal 5:13 - 13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

        • That is why Paul Said in

          • Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

          • Note: Bondslave/bondservant means voluntarily become slave/servant to Lord Jesus out of gratitude because He purchase us from the slavery of sin and set us free. (Exodus 21:5-6).

        • Gal 2:20 - 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

    • Both mature and immature believers are dealt by the Lord Jesus. He is Lord we are not.

      • 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

      • 4 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.

      • Read following topic How God will deal with believers/Christians who sin occasionally or continuously? for more details.

  • So, (Warren Wiersbe) It was wrong for the weak Christian to take the place of God in the life of the strong Christian. God is the Master; the Christian is the servant. It is wrong for anyone to interfere with this relationship.

    • It is encouraging to know that our success in the Christian life does not depend on the opinions or attitudes of other Christians.

    • God is the Judge, and He is able to make us stand.

    • The word "servant" here suggests that Christians ought to be busy working for the Lord; then they will not have the time or inclination to judge or condemn other Christians. People who are busy winning souls to Christ have more important things to do than to investigate the lives of the saints!

    • The word "Lord" is found eight times in these verses (V5-9). No Christian has the right to "play God" in another Christian's life. We can pray, advise, and even admonish, but we cannot take the place of God.

  • That is why Paul ends with this admonition:

    • 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather

      • resolve this,

      • not to put a stumbling block or

      • a cause to fall in our brother's way.

• How will God deal with believers/Christians who sin occasionally or continuously?

  • 4a Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls.

  • 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

  • Does God really judge(condemn) believers to Hell?

    • Does these verses in Romans 14:10-12 say that God will judge(condemn) believers?

      • 10a But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother?

      • 10b For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

        • 11a For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me,

        • 11b And every tongue shall confess to God."

          • (WM) The certainty of our appearance before the bema of Christ is reinforced by a quotation from Isaiah 45:23,where Jehovah Himself makes a strong affirmation that every knee shall bow before Him in acknowledgement of His supreme authority.

        • 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

      • These verse doesn't say that God will judge/condemn believers but it says that all believers need to physically appear or stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give their our accounts. And it also says that everyone including non-believers will bow and confess to God.

    • Is there any other verse in the Bible talks about "believers presenting their accounts before the judgment seat of Christ?

      • In addition to these 2 Cor 5:10 says that the believers may receive the things done in the body, according to what they have done, whether good or bad.

        • 2 Cor 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

    • What will believers receive once they present their account before the judgment seat of Christ?

      • Based on these verses once the believers present their accounts to God and then we think that

        • God will  punish them for their bad deeds and reward them for their good deeds.

        • God even condemn them to Hell if they have only bad deeds and not have any good deeds.

      • Is this what God is going to do?

        • Not exactly.Let us see why?

    • Let us see what God will do:

      • God never condemn any true believer to Hell:

        • If God judge (condemn) believers like this then we are saved by our works not by His grace. Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace not by our works:

          • Eph 2:8-9 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

        • Not only that if we are saved by our works by keeping the law then Bible says that Christ died in vain:

          • Gal 2:21 - I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

        • By birth we are sinners inherited from our parents and we all are condemned and destined for hell after our death. Only by believing in Jesus we can come out of condemnation.

          • John 3:18 - He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

          • Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

        • So, believers will not go through the condemning judgment with non-believers which is called White throne judgment referred in Rev 20:11-15:

          • John 5:24 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

        • God has given the choice to all people to choose their final destiny. Those who believe in Jesus goes to heaven and those who didn't believe in Jesus will definitely suffer in hell forever. God will not decide but each and everyone have to decide and choose our destiny while we live on the earth.

      • God forgives and forgets believer's sins

        • Hebrews 8:12 - For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

        • Hebrews 10:17 - then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

        • Jeremiah 31:34 - No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

        • Psalm 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

        • Is :43:25 - "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

        • Is 1:18 - "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

      • God remembers only believer's good works/services to our God

        • Hebrew 6:10 - For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
          NLT: Hebrew 6:10 - For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do.

        • 1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
          NLT: 1 Corinthians 15:58 - So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

        • Galatians 6:9-10 - 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

      • God will reward believers:

        • God will not remember any believer's sins but remembers only their good deeds and God will never condemn believers with non-believers.

        • Once all the believers appear before Jesus Christ and present their accounts and they will receive rewards form the Lord based on their good deeds they have done in this body on the earth.

          • Rev 22:12 - "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

          • (WM) This judgment has to do with a believer's service, not his sins (1 Cor 3:11-15). It is a time of review and reward, and is not to be confused with the Judgment of the Gentile nations (Matt 25:31-46) or the Judgment of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). The latter is the final judgment of all the wicked dead.

    • So, God will never judge(condemn) any true believer to Hell but they all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and each of us will give account of himself to God and receive the rewards.

  • Why then it is called as judgment seat of Christ? or What is judgment seat of Christ?

    • The judgment seat in Greek called bēma (G968).

    • In King James this is translated as judgment seat (10x), throne (1x), to set (one's) foot on (with G4128) (1x).

    • It means

      • a step, pace, the space which a foot covers, a foot-breath

      • raised place mounted by steps; a platform, tribune: used of the official seat of a judge

      • Herod built a structure resembling a throne at Caesarea, from which he viewed the games and made speeches to the people

    •  We can call this as bema of Christ or the throne of Christ.

    • (Warren Wiersbe) The word for "judgment seat" in the Greek is bema, meaning the place where the judges stood at the athletic games. ... ... ... At the end of the contests, the judges gave out the rewards (see 1 Cor 9:24-27).

    • 1 Cor 9:25 - And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

  • How God will reward Christians?

    • All believers will appear before the judgment seat or throne of Christ and He will reward every believer who does according His leading of His Holy Spirit:

      • 1 Cor 3:11-15 - 4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

  • Do believers/Christians sin?

    • Yes, believers/Christians will sin physically or mentally.

      • 1 John 1:8 - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

      • 1 John 1:10 - If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

    • Christians definitely in their thought process either deliberately or subconsciously covet, envy, lust, be prideful, ...

  • We just saw God will not condemn/judge the believers but rewards them and we also saw that believers also sin occasionally or continuously. This raise two question:

    • Does this mean that believers/Christians can live a sinful life?

      • No

      • Romans 6:1-2 - 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

      • If a person live that way then it means that we need question their salvation, i.e. whether that person really accepted Jesus Christ or not? Genuine faith will produce fruit/work.

        • James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

        • Matt 13:23 - But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

    • Does this mean that God will not deal with believers/Christians who sin occasionally or continuously?

      • No, God will deal with believers/Christians who sin occasionally or continuously.

  • So, God expects believers to correct or discipline themselves. It is believer's responsibility:

    • 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

    • 1 Cor 11:31 - 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

  • What happens if a believer continue to live in sin without repenting?

    • If a believer continue to live in sin instead of repenting and confessing then God will discipline them:

      • 1 Cor 11:32 - 31 For if we would judge [GK:diakrinō - decide/determine] ourselves, we would not be judged [GK:krinō - condemn/determine]. 32 But when we are judged [GK:krinō - condemn/determine], we are chastened [NIV: disciplined] by the Lord, that we may not be condemned [GK:katakrinō - condemn/damn] with the world.

    • Heb 12:5 - And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

      • Rev 2:5-7 - 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'

  • So, God will deal with believer while they are living on the earth.

  • Why God is disciplining the believers instead of respecting their free will and allow them to backslide and leave their faith?

    • God loves all the believers so much because they are His children. So, God will not allow them to perish instead discipline them and draws them closer to Him:

      • Prov 3:11 - My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

      • Heb 12:6-11 - 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

    • God promised all the believers to confirm to His image. So, He disciplines/corrects us, blesses us, make our enemies to reconcile with us for His name sake. God is faithfully working on our behalf:

      • Romans 8:29 - 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

      • Romans 14:4 - 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.

      • 2 Cor 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

        • NLT: 2 Cor 3:18 - And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.

      • Phil 1:6 - being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

      • Our God is the author and finisher of our faith:

        • Heb 12:2 - 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

        • (Morris) "Paul is saying that God is the author of our salvation, and that from beginning to end. We are not to think that God can take action only when we graciously give him permission."

  • How God judge the non-believers?

    • God will come and reward the believers and judge/condemn non-believers to Hell i.e. they suffer in lake of fire forever and ever:

      • Rev 11:18 - 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth."

    • Non-believer's will come back to life to receive the punishment based on their sinful deeds:

      • Rev 20:11-15 - 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

    • For more details read Believer Vs Non-Believer Judgment article.

  • (Warren Wiersbe) Sin in our lives keeps us from serving Christ as we should, and this means loss of reward. Lot is a good example of this truth (Gen 18-19). Lot was not walking with the Lord as was his uncle, Abraham, and as a result, he lost his testimony even with his own family. When the judgment finally came, Lot was spared the fire and brimstone, but everything he lived for was burned up. He was saved "yet so as by fire."

  • So, never take God's grace for granted:

    • 1 Cor 9:24-27 - 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

    • 1 John 2:28 - And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

    • Let us all receive the great welcoming appreciation from our Lord Jesus Christ saying "Well done, good and faithful servant":

      • Matt 25:23 - His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

• Do the mature believers really condemn other immature believers?

  • Most probably believers will not condemn other believers but believers are very good in putting stumbling blocks to the immature believers.

• What are all the ways matured believers can put a stumbling blocks to immature believers?
  13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.

  • Telling list of dos and don'ts

  • Dumping with many answers for a single simple question and confuse them so that they cannot follow or keep up with.

  • Controlling them by making them to come to you always for every small matter in their life instead of directing them to God.

  • Commenting after prayer and making them uncomfortable so that they never pray next time in front of others.

  • 
    

• What happens when the matured believers put stumbling block to immature believers?

  • Stumbling block leads the believers to fall/sin:
    Mature believers can teach right things to them but they cannot make them to accept the truth and apply in their life.

    • 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.

    • If a leader or matured believer keep on asking/compelling/urging them to do immediately then they may do that because of their pressure. By doing this matured believers are causing to do evil.

      • 20b All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.

    • If they are not fully convinced and do that without believing/faith then they are sinning. In a way matured believers are forcing/leading/causing them to sin.

      • 23a But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

• How the Bible warns those who put stumbling block to any believers in Christ?

  • Warning: Never put a stumbling block to other believers:
    Most mature believers may not judge/condemn other believers but they are very good at causing guilty conscience or put a stumbling block to the immature believer:

    • 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.

    • Acts 15:1-12 - 1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. 4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

      • Before even Paul and Barnabas end their testimony and present their concern in

    • 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

      • Here one of the fundamental and important theological question arise among the early church ... Based on Acts 15:1,5 the real question is...

      • Is faith alone is enough or do we need to circumcise and keep the law to get saved? or Do we need to circumcise and keep the law to get saved in addition to having/putting our faith in Jesus Christ?

      • Let us see how the elders and the apostles handling this and answering this challenging question...

    • 6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they." 12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.

    • Eph 2:8-9 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

    • Romans 10:9-10 - 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

    • Work is the outcome of our genuine faith in Jesus Christ. In other words truly saved people will produce work:

      • James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

      • Matt 13:23 - But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

• Is this a serious warning to those who put stumbling block or cause believers to sin?

  • Yes, it is. Even Jesus points out how serious this is

    • NIV: Luke 17:1-2 - 1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Map the Passage:

• 14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but

  • to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

• 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love.

• Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.

• 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

  • 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but

    • righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

• 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

• 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

• 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.

  • All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.

  • 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

• 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God.

  • Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

  • 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith;

• for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Interpretation:

• Why should matured believers receive/accept immature believers (week in faith) even though they are not doing right in disputable/secondary matters?

  • Matured believers should receive/accept immature believers because:

    1. God received/accepted them:
       3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.

       • Why God received/accepted them even though they are not doing right in disputable/secondary matters? or What makes a person to become Christian?

         • Is their eating habits makes God not to receive/accept them?

           • No.

         • God received/accepted everyone who put their faith in Him but not based on their deeds/works or what they eat. Just believing in Jesus alone makes a person to be a Christian.

         • God received/accepted believers just as they are.

         • Same way we need to receive/accept every Christians just as they are.

    2. They are our brothers/sisters in Christ:
       13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.

       • Not only they are children and servant of God they are brothers and sisters in Christ to all matured believers.

       • Whether we like them or not we need to receive/accept them as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

    3. We need to accept their convictions even though they are not right in disputable/secondary matters.

       • Even though immature believers are not doing right in disputable/secondary/minor matters but if they do that with their personal conviction (believing that they are doing right) then they are right.

         • 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.

         • 14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

         • 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.

         • 23a But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

       • Why Paul is saying nothing is unclean while Leviticus 11 says Pork and few more things are unclean?

         • Read Why then Christians now eating pig/pork and other unclean meats? for more details.

    4. We are not fully responsible for their walk with God:

       • 4a Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls.

         • Each believer in Christ has responsibility to walk with God and stand for God. Faith without works is dead.

           • James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

       • 4b Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

         • Read How will God deal with believers/Christians who sin occasionally or continuously? for more details.

         • Phil 1:6 - being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

         • Heb 12:2 - 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

         • Romans 8:29 - 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

         • 2 Cor 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

           • NLT: 2 Cor 3:18 - And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.

• Can the matured believers keep on reminding/teaching/exhorting/urging immature believers to do right in disputable/secondary/minor matters?

  • In a way matured believers may bug, nag or put stumbling block to the immature believer saying that they are keep on reminding/teaching/exhorting/urging.

  • Do not bug nag, or put stumbling block to any one by saying that you are keep on reminding/teaching/exhorting/urging.

• Does this mean that matured believer never remind/teach/exhort/urge immature believers?

  • No.

  • 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

  • (Warren Wiersbe) If we stopped with the first admonition, it might give the impression that Christians were to leave each other alone and let the weak remain weak. But this second admonition explains things further. The emphasis is not on "master-servant" but on "brother." It is the principle of brotherly love. If we love each other, we will seek to edify each other, build each other up in the faith. Paul shared several facts to help his readers help their brethren.

  • God has given gifts to equip/teach/edify/exhort the saints to grow in the grace of God:

    1. Eph 4:11-16 - 11 And He [Jesus] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

    2. Romans 12:7,8  - 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

       • Read more details in The gift of Exhortation (Exhorting means encourage people to apply God's word in their life).

    3. Titus 2:1-6,9-10 - 1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 6 Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded, ... ... 9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things

  • God even given authority to rebuke our fellow believers:

    1. Proverbs 27:5 - Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.

    2. Proverbs 28:23 - He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue.

    3. Luke 17:3 - 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

    4. Gal 2:11-16 - 11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

  • Do not Teach/Edify them for the sake of service to God as chores but do it out of true/genuine Love:

    1. Make sure your intension is right.

       • "Are you teaching/advising them to correct them out of love?" or

       • "Are you teaching/advising them to tell them that you are right and they are wrong?"

    2. Love always requires more labor or extra effort to show to immature believer:

       • 2 Cor 5:14a For the love of Christ compels us,

       • 1 Thes 1:3 - 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God

    3. Gal 5:13 - For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

  • Do not Teach/Edify them in your timing but do it as per God's leading/timing:

    1. Matured believers needs to wait for God's timing/opportunity. In His time He leads us through His Holy Spirit to teach/ask/urge/edify them. At this time do it out of love.

    2. Romans 7:6 - But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter

    3. Gal 5:16 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

    4. John 16:13,14 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

• How do a mature believer can teach/edify/exhort immature believer out of love?
  15a Yet if your brother is grieved (NASB: hurt , NIV/NLT: distressed) because of your food, you are no longer walking in love.
  21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

  • A mature believer can edify immature believer out of love by living a sacrificial life.

  • Learn to sacrifice your tasty food (or anything you love) for the sake of your immature brother if they grieved/hurt by your food (or anything you loveto do):

    1. (Warren Wiersbe) Note the possible ways we can affect each other. We can cause others to stumble, grieve others, or even destroy others. Paul was speaking of the way the strong Christian affected the weak Christian. Paul dealt with a similar problem in 1 Corinthians 8-9, where the question was, "Should Christians eat meat that has been offered to idols in heathen temples?" There he pointed out that knowledge and love must work together. "Knowledge puffs up. but love builds up" (1 Cor. 8:1, NIV). The strong Christian has spiritual knowledge, but if he does not practice love, his knowledge will hurt the weak Christian. Knowledge must be balanced by love.

       • Often little children are afraid of the dark and think there is something hiding in the closet. Of course, Mother knows that the child is safe; but her knowledge alone cannot assure of comfort the child. You can never argue a child into losing fear. When the mother sits at the bedside, talks lovingly to the child, and assures him that everything is secure, then the child can go to sleep without fear. Knowledge plus love helps the weak person grow strong.

    2. 1 Cor 8:1 - Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.

    3. St. Augustine put the matter best: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity,"

  • List few examples in the Bible who teach/edify/exhort other believers out of love:

    1. Acts 18:23-27 - 23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia (Paul’s third missionary journey begins) in order, strengthening all the disciples. 24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

    2. 1 Tim 4:11-15 - 11 These things command and teach. 12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

    3. 2 Tim 1:6-8 - 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

    4. Titus 2:7-8 - 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

    5. 1 Tim 6:11-12 - 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

    6. 2 Tim 2:15 - 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.

    7. 
       

  • Applications:

    1. Are you willing to sacrifice watching some secular movie which you loved to watch as a group but one person in that group is stumbles/grieves or not comfortable watching it?

       • 
         

    2. Are you willing to give up watching a game in a series for the sake of a immature believer?

       • 
         

    3. Are you willing to miss watching an episode of a TV serial that breaks your continuity for the sake of a immature believer?

       • 
         

    4. Are you willing to give up your liberty for the sake of a immature believer?

       • 
         

• What happens when the believers didn't sacrifice their rights/liberty for the sake of others?

  • If the believers in Christ didn't sacrifice their rights/liberty for the sake of others then

    1. they will destroy someone by their food for whom Christ died:

       • 15b Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.

         • (WM) A dish of food isn't as important as the spiritual well-being of one for whom Christ died. And yet if I selfishly parade my rights in these matters, I can do irreparable damage in the life of a weak brother. It isn't worth it when you remember that his soul was redeemed at such a towering cost - the precious blood of the Lamb.

       • Warning: They even destroy the work of God in them by their food or by their liberty:

         • 20a Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.

       • How believers can be stumbling block to the work of God?

         • God is lovingly revealing Himself to the non believers and working in them and drawing them to Him just as they are. God also giving believers opportunity to show your love sacrificially without offending/hurting/grieving them and saying that

           • remove your bindi from your forehead (Hindus who have a round dot on their forehead) otherwise God will not accept you.

           • throw all your idols away from your home otherwise God will not accept you.

           • change your name otherwise God will not accept you.

           • baptize in the water otherwise God will not accept you.

           • by eating their sacred animal such as beef to demonstrate them your freedom/liberty in Christ.

           • 
             

         • This is one of point Jesus describes in sowing the seed parable.

       • Paul is giving this a sever warning because

         • we may be the stumbling block to those who heard the gospel and not really committed their life to Christ (non believer who was exploring Christianity):

           • Matt 13:7,22 - 1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" ... ... ...
             18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

         • we may be stumbling block to weak or immature believers:

           • For more details read What are all the ways matured believers can put a stumbling blocks to immature believers? and few related question and answer.

    2. they will lose their testimony even though they might have done great things by faith in the Kingdom of God:

       • 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

       • NLT: 16 Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.

       • (WM) So the principle here is that we should not allow these secondary things, which are perfectly permissible to condemn us for our "looseness" or "lovelessness." It would be like sacrificing our good name for a mess of pottage [a thick soup made of vegetables, with or without meat].

       • That is why Paul clearly explains this in

         • 1 Cor 13:1-3 - 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

         • 1 Cor 13:13 - And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (GK: Agape, sacrificial love, KJV: Charity).

    3. they didn't clearly understand the Kingdom of God:

       •  What is the Kingdom of God?

         • The Kingdom of God is not just living a life in liberty focusing on you and your possessions.
           17a for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,

           • Do not fix your eyes on material physical things:

             • Do not be focused on yourself, your appetite, your freedom/liberty in Christ, instead fix your eyes up on spiritual things.\

               • Col 3:1-4:1 - 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

               • Eph 2:6 - 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

               • Heb 12:2 - 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

             • (Warren Wiersbe) Like the Pharisees of old, we Christians have a way of majoring in the minor (Matt. 23:23-24). I have seen churches divided over matters that were really insignificant when compared with the vital things of the Christian faith. I have heard of churches being split over such minor matters as the location of the piano in the auditorium and the serving of meals of Sundays. "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink" (Rom.14:17). "But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do" (1 Cor. 8:8, NIV)1 Cor 8:8 - But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

             • NLT: 1 Cor 8:8 - It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.

         • The Kingdom of God is not just living a life in liberty as you want instead denying ourselves take up the cross and follow Christ as per the leading of the Holy Spirit.

           • 17b but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

           • Kingdom of god is staying in the presence of God or the being filled in the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18 )always and produce fruits:

             • Peace:

               • Peace from God:

                 • Romans 1:7 - To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

                 • John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

               • Peace with God:

                 • Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

               • Peace of God:

                 • Phil 4:6-7 - 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

                 • Col 3:15 - And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

               • Gal 5:22 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

             • Righteousness:

               • God's Righteousness:

                 • Romans 3:21 - 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

                 • Fix your eyes up on Jesus and seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

                 • Matt 6:33 - But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

               • As believers in Christ we need to produce fruit of righteousness by abiding in Holy Spirit ie by practice righteousness as per the leading of Holy Spirit:

                 • 1 John 2:29 - If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

             • Joy:

               • What is the difference between Joy and happiness?

                 • Joy is often presented as “true” contentment based on faith. Happiness, in contrast, is emotion dependent on circumstances.

                 • Happiness bases on circumstance but joy not based on circumstance.

                 • Joy is based on relationship with God. So, we can be joyful or rejoice in the Lord always.

                 • (David Guzik) We could say that this is joy of the Spirit, because it is a higher joy than just the thrill of an exciting experience or a wonderful set of circumstances. It is a joy that can abide and remain, even when circumstances seem terrible. Paul knew this joy personally; he could sing when manacled in a dark prison dungeon (Acts 16:25).

                 • Barclay on chara, the ancient Greek word used here for joy: “It is not the joy that comes from earthly things, still less from triumphing over someone else in competition. It is a joy whose foundation is God.”

                 • (Spurgeon) “Believers are not dependent upon circumstances.
                   Their joy comes

                 • not from what they have, but from what they are;

                 • not from where they are, but from whose they are;

                 • not from what they enjoy, but from that which was suffered for them by their Lord.”

               • Believers can be always joyful in Christ when they put

                 • J - Jesus first

                 • O - Others next and finally

                 • Y - You

           • (Warren Wiersbe) Not the externals, but the eternals must be first in our lives: righteousness, peace, and joy. Where do they come from? The Holy Spirit of God at work in our lives (see Rom. 5:1-2).

             • If each believer would yield to the Sprit and major in a godly life, we would not have Christians fighting with each other over minor matters.

             • Spiritual priorities are essential to harmony in the church.

• What happens when the believers sacrifice their rights/liberty for the sake of others and love sacrificially?

  • When the believers sacrifice their rights/liberty for the sake of others and love sacrificially then they will be acceptable by God and approved by all people:

    1. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

  • Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord, He will lift you up:

    1. 1 Peter 5:6 - 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

  • Saul pleased no God but only people. David please God and people.

    1. Heb 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

• What does believers in Christ need to do?

  • Paul is summarizing these important teaching to all believers to pursue for two main things:

    1. 19 Therefore let us pursue

       • the things which make for peace and

       • the things by which one may edify another.

  • How to accomplish this?

    1. Do not exercise your rights/liberty if it hurts others but practice to live a sacrificial life.

       • 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.

       • 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

       • (Warren Wiersbe) Both the strong believer and the weak believer need to grow.

         • The strong believer needs to grow in love; the weak believer needs to grow in knowledge.

         • So long as a brother is weak in the faith, we must lovingly deal with him in his immaturity. But if we really love him, we will help him to grow. It is wrong for a Christian to remain immature, having a weak conscience.

           • An illustration from the home might help us better understand what is involved. When a child comes into a home, everything has to change. Mother and Father are careful not to leave the scissors on the chair or anything dangerous within reach. But as the child matures, it is possible for the parents to adjust the rules of the house and deal with him in a more adult fashion. It is natural for a child to stumble when he is learning to walk. But if an adult constantly stumbles, we know something is wrong.

         • Young Christians need the kind of fellowship that will protect them and encourage them to grow. But we cannot treat them like "babies" all their lives! The older Christians must exercise love and patience and be careful not to cause them to stumble. But the younger Christians must "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). As they mature in the faith, they can help other believers to grow. To gear the ministry of a Sunday School class or local church only to the baby Christians is to hinder their growth as well as the ministry of the more mature saints. The weak must learn from the strong, and the strong must love the weak. The result will be peace and maturity to the glory of God.

    2. Walk by faith as per the leading of the Holy Spirit:

       • 22a Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God.

       • 2 Cor 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight.

       • Gal 5:16 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

       • Romans 7:6 - But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter

    3. Keep your conscience clear:

       • 22b Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

       • 23a But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith;

       • 23b for whatever is not from faith is sin.

       • Keep you conscience clear:

         • Acts 23:1 - Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”

         • Acts 24:1 - “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

         • Romans 9:1 - I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,

       • Keep your conscience sensitive and obey:

         • 1 Cor 8:10,12 - 10 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? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

         • 1 Cor 10:28,29 - 28 But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness." 29 "Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

         • Romans 13:5 - Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.

           • Acts 23:6 - Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”

           • Exodus 22:28 - “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

       • God writes His law in our heart:

         • Romans 2:15 - 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

         • Heb 10:10 - “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”

           • Heb 8:10 - 10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 “None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.

         • Heb 10:22 - let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

       • (David Guzik) Paul concludes with another principle by which we can judge “gray areas” – if we can’t do it in faith, then it is sin.

         • This is a wonderful check on our tendency to justify ourselves in the things we permit. If we are troubled by something, it likely isn’t of faith and likely is sin for us.

       • (Warren Wiersbe) There are certain truths that all Christians must accept because they are the foundation for the faith. But areas of honest disagreement must not be made a test of fellowship.

         • If you have sincere conviction from God about a matter, keep it to yourself and do not try to force everybody else to accept it. No Christians can "borrow" another Christian's convictions and be honest in his Christian life. Unless he can hold them and practice them "by faith," he is sinning.

         • Even if a person's convictions are immature, he must never violate his conscience. This would do great damage to his spiritual life.

           • For example, the mature Christian knows that an idol is nothing. But a young Christian, just converted out of pagan idolatry, would still have fears about idols. If the strong believer forced the new Christian to eat meat sacrificed to an idol, the younger Christian would experience problems in his conscience that would only further weaken it (see 1 Cor. 8-9).

         • Conscience is strengthened by knowledge. But knowledge must be balanced by love; otherwise it tear down instead of building up.

           • The truth that "all foods are clean" (Rom. 14:14,20) will not of itself make a Christian grow. When this truth is taught in an atmosphere of love, then the younger Christian can grow and develop a strong conscience. believers may hold different convictions about many matters, but they must hold them in love.

Summary:

• (WM) Three Principles:

  • The first principle is this: a weak Christian should be received into the local fellowship, but not with the idea of engaging him in disputes about his ultra-scrupulousness. Christians can have happy fellowship without agreeing on nonessentials.

    • A believer who walks in full enjoyment of Christian liberty has faith, based on the teachings of the NT, that all foods are clean. They are sanctified by the word of God and prayer (1 Tim 4:4,5). A believer with a weak conscience may have qualms about eating pork, or any other meat, for that matter. He may be a vegetarian.

  • So the second principle is that there must be mutual forbearance. The mature Christian must not despise his weak brother. Neither should the weak brother judge as a sinner someone who enjoys ham, shrimp, or lobster. God has received him into His family, a member in good standing.

  • The third principle is that each believer is a servant of the Lord, and we have no right to sit in judgment, as if we were the master. It is before his own Master that each one stands approved or disapproved. One may look down on someone else with icy condescension, sure that he will make shipwreck of the faith because of his views on these matters. But such an attitude is wrong. God will sustain those on both sides of the question. His power to do so is adequate.

• Do not major in minor issues. These are not going to add any value to our relationship but bring heartache or destruction to our relationship and make us to hate instead of love them.

  • (David Guzik) These are words to take seriously. Paul warns us to not make spiritual maturity a requirement for fellowship.

  • St. Augustine put the matter best: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity,"

• Do not bug nag, or put stumbling block to any one by saying that you are keep on reminding/teaching/exhorting/urging.

• Learn to sacrifice your tasty food (or anything you love) for the sake of your immature believer if they grieved/hurt by your food (or anything you love to do)

• Do not exercise your rights/liberty if it hurts others but practice to live a sacrificial life.

• By doing these you will be accepted by God and approved by men.