Romans 14 (Thomas)
- Teaching 2.22.11
- We’ve been learning about love and relationships
- Romans 12
- When you love someone you serve other people
- Romans 13
- You need to love others before yourself
- Romans 14
- How love is supposed to be tolerant
- Romans 12
- Romans 14:1
- “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”
- Accept other Christians where they are at
- They are a part of the Body of Christ
- We are a part of one family
- “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”
- Romans 14:2
- “One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.”
- There is such diversity with Christians
- Instead of people perceiving that Christianity is all rules
- It is really about freedom
- “One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.”
- Romans 14:3
- “The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.”
- The strong should not regret the one who is struggling
- “Aw, poor little you…”
- You should not do this
- It would not be good to exclude them
- It would be wrong to inflict commands on them
- This is distorting the image of the Bible
- The strong should not regret the one who is struggling
- “The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.”
- Romans 14:4
- “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
- Someone who is struggling should not look at a strong person and be filled with disgust
- When you turn Christianity into a religion and have arbitrary rules
- It produces legalism
- You are playing the role of God
- Not giving a good image of Christ
- If you set up all of these rules, you better get ready for a lot of fighting
- Galatians 5:14
- “The whole Law is fulfilled必利勁
in one word, in the statement, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’”
- “The whole Law is fulfilled必利勁
- We have not authority to go around and change other people
- Not our place at all what so ever
- We cannot do it
- “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
- Romans 14:5-6
- “One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.”
- God is able to read your heart
- He knows what is going on
- Bad things arise out of personal convictions in people’s hearts
- Act on it because the Lord is showing you something
- Look at the Bible for references
- One day more holy than the other
- The Sabbath Day
- If you want to follow this, then go for it
- God is able to read your heart
- “One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.”
- Romans 14:7-8
- “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
- Dying is limiting themselves
- Those who feel liberty to use their freedom are living a full life
- “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
- Romans 14:9-12
- “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”
- God has already won the right to judge us
- He came to earth and died for us
- Paul says to stop playing God to other Christians and people
- 1 Corinthians 4:5
- “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”
- It is not our position to go around and judge other people
- “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”
- God has already won the right to judge us
- “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”
- There is a difference between judging and helping
- There are things that you are not supposed to do
- Do not force your convictions upon other people and Christians
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
