Major in the majors, not minor in the minors!

Romans 14:14 I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

After theologizing for much of this letter, Paul turns to what living the Christian life in community is all about.  Invariably since there were believers from a Jewish background and also from a Gentile background, there would be cultural and religious differences.  There would be friction as they lived life together.  One of the issues he brings up is the eating of meat.  Since some of the meat came from animals whose blood was offered up to idols in the marketplace, some of the believers said to eat such meat was immoral.  Apparently there was also the issue of "strong drink", most likely strongly fermently wine.  They also argued about what day of the week was the right day for worship.  Jewish believers were used to worshipping on the Sabbath which was the Saturday.  The new Gentile believers saw Sunday as the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead, so they thought that was the best day for worship.  

So, Paul offers a couple of principles.  First, no food or drink is wrong in and of itself.  All of what God created is good if it is enjoyed with thanksgiving to Him.  But if a person has a sensitive conscience and believes they are sinning by eating or drinking something, they need to be respected for their conviction.  And if, what Paul calls the "stronger" believer, is with the "weaker" believer, the stronger one should refrain from indulging so they won't tempt the other.   Paul then says, "The kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but about living in the power of the Holy Spirit."  Basically he is saying, "Don't minor in the minors", or get caught up in matters of little significance.  Instead they should "major in the majors", which he calls a life of goodness fueled by the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit.  Whether a church worships on Saturday or Sunday, or any day for that matter, the key things is worshipping God in the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ.  The final principle is that we should always strive to act with a desire to build up our brother or sister in Christ.  It is not about us and our rights, but what is best for the community of faith, the many!  Many churches could have been saved from much division and hardship by operating according to these principles.  

20 Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.[c] 22 You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23 But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

Paul reiterates some of the points above.  While we can eat and drink freely without fear of condemnation, it is better to refrain from using that freedom if it causes another to stumble. He also says that if in our conscience or the conviction of the Holy Spirit we think something we are about to do is wrong, then it would be sinning to act against it.  Though our conscience is not the Holy Spirit, God can still use it to guide us.  The bottom line as Jesus taught in the Sermon of the Mount it is about fulfilling the "Spirit of" not the "letter of" the Law.  When we are obsessed with the letter of the law, we become legalists.  Our focus in more on the Law than a relationship with Christ and living out a life of joy and peace and building up the church.  Ultimately our guide is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit may lead you to do something that he may not lead someone else to do.  For instance if there is something that is getting a hold of you like a bad habit, the Holy Spirit may convict you to give that up for a season.  While it might not be morally wrong if it is causing you to go against God's leading it is wrong for you.  

What are the things in your church that cause people to stumble?  How might you support a weaker brother or sister in Christ, as they seek to overcome a  stumbling block in their lives?  Are you listening to the Holy Spirit lately?  Are you sensitive to the leading and guidance the Spirit provides in your life?  Bottom line is God wants you to live a life which advances God's kingdom in the power of the Holy Spirit.  How do you know if you are doing that?  The result will be a life fueled by peace and joy.  If you never have peace or joy you may want to think about that.