What Does It Mean to Cause Someone to Stumble?
Romans 14:19-21
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
As Paul nears the end of his letter to the church at Rome, he turns to some practical matters such application of faith in everyday life together. We often call this personal piety. Specifically in this case how does a Christ follower make decisions about personal choices such as what they eat and/or drink. There were some in the church who had sensitive consciences and stayed away from eating meat? Why? Because some meat had been strangled and offered to idols in the marketplace.
Although Paul believes all things have been declared clean because of what Jesus has done on the cross, he still teaches on the importance of being respectful to others in the body of Christ. If a brother or sister in Christ is convicted that something is sin for them, it was not the duty of someone else judge them for it. Instead out of respect for what Paul calls the "weaker brother", one should possibly restrict their own freedom to not cause a fellow believer to stumble.
The key principle he offers then is that if someone is doing something in sincere devotion to Christ, then the "stronger" brother or sister should do nothing to destroy that person's "peace". Instead we should mutually edify each other, which means to "build each other up". In Galatians Paul teaches, "Bear each others burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Where do you need to make other's interests as more important than your own? Even if you might be right in principle, how can you build up rather tear down your brother or sister in Christ who Jesus died for?
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
As Paul nears the end of his letter to the church at Rome, he turns to some practical matters such application of faith in everyday life together. We often call this personal piety. Specifically in this case how does a Christ follower make decisions about personal choices such as what they eat and/or drink. There were some in the church who had sensitive consciences and stayed away from eating meat? Why? Because some meat had been strangled and offered to idols in the marketplace.
Although Paul believes all things have been declared clean because of what Jesus has done on the cross, he still teaches on the importance of being respectful to others in the body of Christ. If a brother or sister in Christ is convicted that something is sin for them, it was not the duty of someone else judge them for it. Instead out of respect for what Paul calls the "weaker brother", one should possibly restrict their own freedom to not cause a fellow believer to stumble.
The key principle he offers then is that if someone is doing something in sincere devotion to Christ, then the "stronger" brother or sister should do nothing to destroy that person's "peace". Instead we should mutually edify each other, which means to "build each other up". In Galatians Paul teaches, "Bear each others burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Where do you need to make other's interests as more important than your own? Even if you might be right in principle, how can you build up rather tear down your brother or sister in Christ who Jesus died for?
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