Daily Bread 2010 - Romans 14
Daily Bread 2010 - Romans 14
The Weak and the Strong
1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
As Paul continues to teach on how our faith works itself out in love, as a response to God’s mercy and grace, he turns to some of the issues facing the 1st century Christian community at Rome. One of the issues as Jews became Christians were some of the dietary and Sabbath restrictions the Jews faced as they observed the Old Testament Law.
Paul says the most important thing to remember in regard to this type of issue is not to pass judgment on a believer, who is abstaining from something in obedience to the Lord. While not making what some of these believers are abstaining from or observing (in re: to the Sabbath) normative, he teaches the believers, who don’t feel bound by conscience in these matters, to be graceful and respectful as it relates to those who do.
It is important to note that these are matters for which there is no clear teaching by Jesus. Jesus observed the Sabbath, but clarified the Spirit of the Law, which was that the “Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath.” Likewise in teaching on being clean Jesus said, “It is not what goes into a man, which makes him unclean, but what comes out of him from his heart that makes him unclean.” In doing this Jesus abolished the dietary restrictions of the Jewish law.
As we apply these principles to today, take for example the issue of drinking alcohol. Some Christians abstain, and some don’t. Drunkenness is prohibited clearly in the bible, but having some wine with dinner is not. But the key thing is that the one who drinks moderately and responsively is right, and the one who abstains in obedience to the Lord is doing the right thing.
This might also apply to whether we hold worship services on Saturday or Sunday. There is clearly no New Testament teaching on what day we have worship. The early Christians celebrated it on Sunday in memory of the Resurrection. Some Christians still honor the period of sundown on Friday until Saturday as the Sabbath day and some don’t. It is not as important when we worship, but that we worship regularly and consistently in the gathering of believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Just as Paul had to clarify these matters in the 1st century it is a good reminder for us today as well to not make matters normative that the bible does not clearly prohibit or expressly mandate.
Dear Jesus thank you for the freedom to make choices that glorify you and are according to your will. Give us wisdom to know what matters are clearly laid out in Your Word versus matters we have freedom to be led by the Spirit to make decisions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The Weak and the Strong
1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
As Paul continues to teach on how our faith works itself out in love, as a response to God’s mercy and grace, he turns to some of the issues facing the 1st century Christian community at Rome. One of the issues as Jews became Christians were some of the dietary and Sabbath restrictions the Jews faced as they observed the Old Testament Law.
Paul says the most important thing to remember in regard to this type of issue is not to pass judgment on a believer, who is abstaining from something in obedience to the Lord. While not making what some of these believers are abstaining from or observing (in re: to the Sabbath) normative, he teaches the believers, who don’t feel bound by conscience in these matters, to be graceful and respectful as it relates to those who do.
It is important to note that these are matters for which there is no clear teaching by Jesus. Jesus observed the Sabbath, but clarified the Spirit of the Law, which was that the “Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath.” Likewise in teaching on being clean Jesus said, “It is not what goes into a man, which makes him unclean, but what comes out of him from his heart that makes him unclean.” In doing this Jesus abolished the dietary restrictions of the Jewish law.
As we apply these principles to today, take for example the issue of drinking alcohol. Some Christians abstain, and some don’t. Drunkenness is prohibited clearly in the bible, but having some wine with dinner is not. But the key thing is that the one who drinks moderately and responsively is right, and the one who abstains in obedience to the Lord is doing the right thing.
This might also apply to whether we hold worship services on Saturday or Sunday. There is clearly no New Testament teaching on what day we have worship. The early Christians celebrated it on Sunday in memory of the Resurrection. Some Christians still honor the period of sundown on Friday until Saturday as the Sabbath day and some don’t. It is not as important when we worship, but that we worship regularly and consistently in the gathering of believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Just as Paul had to clarify these matters in the 1st century it is a good reminder for us today as well to not make matters normative that the bible does not clearly prohibit or expressly mandate.
Dear Jesus thank you for the freedom to make choices that glorify you and are according to your will. Give us wisdom to know what matters are clearly laid out in Your Word versus matters we have freedom to be led by the Spirit to make decisions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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