Romans 14

There are three themes to Romans 14, as I study it. Others I am sure can find different themes but I grouped this chapter into only three. In verses 1-6, Paul talks about not judging a brother or sister based on the converted Jew to the Gentile in this context, but it is easily translated to today's world too. The second theme I see is in verses 7-9 as the second theme, which is accountability and/or who we are to give an account to. Finally, in verses 10-23 (don’t be a stumbling block and walking in harmony with each other)

1As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

It is true, we are not to judge people based on the freedom we have in Christ as Paul says in his letter to the Colossians (Colossians 2:16). But I find that this is increasingly easy to do with the Emergent Church movement. And I mean the judging part. And woe to the person who judges or attempts to point out sin in a person’s life (read with complete sarcasm). I realize it’s a different twist on not judging but the Emergent Church loves to water down the Gospel… the ONLY Gospel. In doing so, they accept everyone’s beliefs whether it is according to the true and only Gospel or not… the “Can’t we all just get along?” mentality. This is alright to some extent, we are to live in peace with each other (Romans 12:18), but it is taking this to an extreme I don’t think Paul meant. :)

7For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Simply put: We are under no obligation to give an account to anyone but God. Obviously as Paul points out in the previous chapter, we have to give an account to our leaders, but these verses are referring to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

10Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." 12So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. 13Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual up-building. 20Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Paul is expanding on his statements in the first 6 verses. However he expands this freedom and to not let this freedom be a stumbling block. Some think it’s alright to drink alcohol; there are others who abstain from the alcohol. Great, that’s their choice and that’s their conviction from God. The Bible does not specifically address the topic of alcohol other than “though shalt not be drunk” but this freedom can end up being detrimental to a young Christian or a Christian (or, nonChristian) who is a recovering alcoholic. However on the flip side, as it says in Matthew 5:29 and 30 "29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." once this freedom becomes a stumbling block to YOU, you should abandon the behavior.

On a personal note, recently I had an instance in my life where I saw some pictures that caused me to stumble. I don't like seeing things like that and I hate the feelings I had when I saw the pictures more. My thoughts automatically went to how they were when I was morbidly obese. These are not realistic thoughts because I am not that way anymore, nor does God see me that way, nor do the people I keep company with these days. I realized these thoughts are sin, due to the small fact that the thoughts I had were not pure, noble, lovely, or right (Phil 4:8) and I had to get rid of them. As a result, I deleted my myspace account because the pictures caused me to stumble and to sin. As soon as I started the process of deleting the account, the burden of the sin was immediately lifted. Yes, I am glad I did this and will probably not re-sign up with myspace.