Romans Chapter Fourteen

Romans Chapter Fourteen

In review, Romans chapter twelve dealt with the Christian's relationship with people in GENERAL. Romans chapter thirteen dealt with the Christian's relationship to the government.

Romans chapter fourteen deals with the Christian's relationship to other Christians on an individual basis.

Romans 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, [but] not to doubtful disputations. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

The Christian in verse 1 is one "that is weak in the faith". We should avoid getting into discussions with this type of believer that can not be proven from the scriptures.

With all due respect to any Charismatics on this message board, some of the weakest in the faith are Charismatics. According to 1 Corinthians 3, they are babies in the faith. Some Charismatics have to have SIGNS and wonders to believe anything. They typically spend a great deal of time talking about themselves and their EXPERIENCES. That is a characteristic of an immature Christian.

Here are a few examples of how some Charismatics talk about themselves:

1. "I went to Brownsville . . ."
2. "The preacher laid hands on ME . . ."
3. "I was slain in the Spirit . . ."
4. "I began to speak with other tongues . . ."
5. "The annointing came on ME so strong that I couldn't stop laughing . . ."
6. "I believe I received an annointing under the kitchen sink . . ."
7. "I believe the Holy Ghost gave ME a message for you . . ."

It's me, me, me, and I, I, I. That is the mark of a spiritual baby.

A Christian becomes strong in faith by STUDYING God's Holy Scriptures (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 2:15). Little folks talk about people, big folks talk about things, great folks talk about ideas, spiritual folks talk about God and what He said.

We can sum up verses 2 and 3 with the following statement. Don't burden others with your convictions, and don't cause others to stumble with your liberty.
Verse 4 is a great verse. When a discussion among Christians is controversial and, perhaps, is getting contentious, simply "call the hand" of those who are messing with the scriptures and IDENTIFY them for what they are doing.

The last part of verse 4 is a great promise. If you are doing what God told you to do the way He told you to do it, then you can stand against any adversary.

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Romans Chapter Fourteen (Continued)

Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth [it] unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard [it]. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

There is no scriptural instruction to members of the body of Christ as to what day we should set aside to worship God. There certainly isn't any instruction stating that Christians should worship on Saturday as the Seventh Day Adventists advocate. Let's look at what the apostle Paul states concerning the Sabbath:

Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.

The Sabbath will be observed AGAIN in the great tribulation and in the Millennial Kingdom. This is another reason we KNOW that the great tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom concern the nation of Israel and Jews.

Notice in verse 5 that there is another group of people who regard ALL days as being the same. With that in mind, let's jump ahead to the following verse:

Romans 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

Whether we recognize it or not, some unsaved folks pay attention to what Christians do on Sunday. They expect Sunday to be a holy day to us. We have a testimony to keep before the unsaved.

Verse 6 indicates that if we regard a day as holy we should make sure we honor God on that day. There is much controversy concerning days such as Christmas and Easter. Even Christmas TREES can be made controversial. Here is an interesting aside concerning decorated trees that might have a lesson in it:

Jeremiah 10:3 For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They [are] upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also [is it] in them to do good.

Verse 7 illustrates a great truth. As we go through life, we influence OTHERS. The poets will recognize verse 7 in John Dunn's "No man is an island unto himself".

We also recognize that we can not go through life without offending someone. Our goal should be to let the offence come from doing what God wants us to do, the way He want us to do it, when He wants us to do it. We should certainly AVOID offending other through sin and willfulness.

So, verse 7 tells us that our lives are not our own in regards to OTHERS. Verse 8 tells us that our lives are not our own in regard to GOD. Here are the verses that substantiate:

1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Notice in the verses just above is yet another testimony that believers are INDWELLED by the Holy Spirit.

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Romans Chapter Fourteen (Continued)

Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Verse 10 is the first mention of the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is witnessed by the other appearance as follows:

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.

If you are reading from one of the corrupted modern versions of the bible, you might notice that they CHANGED "Christ" to "God" in verse 10. When confronted with almost the exact wording in 2 Corinthians 5:10, they switched back to "Christ".


Folks, this is how the modern versions of the bible can confuse the unlearned and unstable. Many of them confuse the Judgment Seat of Christ with the Great White Throne Judgment of God in Revelation 20:11. The Amillennial Calvinist's teach this false doctrine as the "General Judgment" of ALL.

The Judgment Seat of Christ concerns the judgment of a Christian's WORKS. A Christian's SINS have already been judged at the cross (see Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Even in verse 11 where Paul is quoting Isaiah 45:23 and adds "to God", he is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. Not convinced? Let's check out Paul's words in the following verses:

Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; 11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Verse 12 should be memorized and applied in our lives DAILY. We should keep in mind that we will answer to the Lord Jesus Christ for whatever we do, wherever we go, whatever we think, etc.

Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with [thy] meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

Verse 13 has nothing to do with the exercise of discipline within the assembly (1 Corinthians 5:3). A Christian is to judge what he has been told (1 Corinthians 10:15) and judge actions using common sense (1 Corinthians 11:13-14).

When it comes to minor points and unclear issues, we are not to judge those who may disagree with us.

Verse 16 is a great guiding principle which is difficult to achieve all the time. We are to try to do what is right in such a way that nobody can say anything bad about it.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ [is] acceptable to God, and approved of men.

Verse 17 is definitive concerning the "kingdom of God" being a SPIRITUAL kingdom. Yes, I know about Mark. He was speaking of the same kingdom being at hand as Matthew. The "kingdom of Heaven" is a PHYSICAL kingdom in Matthew. Mark calls this PHYSICAL kingdom the "kingdom of God". This is one of those terms that test the heart attitude toward the Holy Scriptures.

The "kingdom of God" in verse 17 is within us (see Luke 17:21).

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed [are] pure; but [it is] evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21 [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 22 Hast thou faith? have [it] to thyself before God. Happy [is] he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin.

Notice in verse 19 that Paul goes beyond JUST getting along with other Christians. We should strive to build up one another in the faith.

Let's sum up the principles for dealing with other Christians in regards to DOUBTFUL things:

1. In verse 7, "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself". You can't live the way YOU want to live.
2. In verse 16, "Let not your good be evil spoken of". You have a testimony to guard.
3. In verse 21, "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak". Avoid anything that will weaken another Christian.
4. In verse 23, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin". If you can't do it in faith, it is wrong.

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