Romans Chapter Fourteen

This chapter is one of the most practical of all the verses in the book and it would solve a lot of arguments if it were put into practice in churches. What Paul does here is to outline the kind of attitudes and behavior that Christians should show to one another in church and in Christian community life, especially over issues where there is a difference of opinion as to what is appropriate Christian behaviour. He classifies two levels of faith, one strong and robust and based on freedom, and the other weak and restricted and based on scruples and tied to tradition. At first glance there seems to be discrimination right here at the outset in even making the classification. But Paul courageously faces the truth of the matter and common sense and experience backs him up when he begins to describe some of the issues at hand.

He starts off with two examples – the first concerns what Christians are allowed to eat, and the second concerns whether one day is more sacred than another. The point he makes is that if a person has the freedom to eat what he or she likes and knows that the old food laws of Judaism no longer apply, then they can enjoy their freedom before God. However he makes the point that they should not look down on the person who is still tied in their conscience to tradition in the eating of foods that are clean or unclean, and this of course applies to meat especially. The person who is bound by their conscience in this case is also admonished to not judge the person who is ‘free’.

Other very real issues are discussed and the theme of acceptance towards one another is the focus. The chapter ends with the final word of wisdom on the matter; ‘If you are robust in your faith, then enjoy your freedom between yourself and God. You can enjoy to your heart’s content what you know doesn’t offend your conscience before God.

But if you are not sure in your conscience about what you are doing, then you are putting yourself under judgement, because you are not doing it with faith. And whatever is not of faith is sin.

That final word on sin is the finest definition that one can find on the true New Testament meaning of sin. After all, in John 16 Jesus says that The Holy Spirit has come into the world to convince the world of sin – ‘because they do not believe’.

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ROMANS CHAPTER 14 - CONTEMPORARY ALIGNED VERSION (SPIRITCODE)


1 Be fully accepting of those who are not robust in their faith and don’t argue over issues of personal religious observances. 


2 For one person may have the freedom to eat anything they like, but another person who is not as strong in their faith may believe they have to abstain from meat and eat only vegetables.


3 The one who is free to eat what he chooses to should not look down on the one who abstains and the one who abstains should not be critical of the one who eats freely for God accepts him.


4 So who are we to judge what another man does to satisfy his master, because it is before his own master that he either makes it or doesn’t make it. And God can give people the stamina so that they do make it.


5 One person may believe that one day is more important than another, while another person sees every day the same. Each person has to be fully persuaded in his own mind.


6 The person that sees one day as more special than another does this in order to honour The Lord, and the one that sees no day as more special than any other also does that in honour of The Lord. It is the same with the one who eats and the one who abstains. One gives God thanks for being able to abstain and the other gives God thanks for the meat.


7 For none of us is here to live for himself or to die for himself.


8 Because whether we live or die, we live for God and we die for God. And whether we are alive or whether we are dead, we belong to The Lord’.


9 It was for this reason that Jesus both lived and died, so that he might be The Lord of the living and of the dead.


10 So why do you judge another person, or why do you look down on another person, because we will all appear before the judgement seat of Christ.


11 For the Scriptures say ‘As I live, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess the truth to God’.


12 And every person will have to give an account of himself to God.


13 So don’t let us judge one another any more, but rather let us make the decision to not put a stumbling block before others, or provoke them into falling into temptation


14 I have come to understand and I have been shown by The Lord Jesus that nothing we eat or drink or touch is unclean by nature, or able to spiritually defile us, but if a person believes it can defile him then it is unclean to him.


15 But if someone is upset because of your freedom to eat meat then it is not the loving thing to do to eat meat in front of him. Don’t damage the faith of someone that Jesus died for.


16 And don’t let the wonderful freedom that you have be spoken of as something bad.


17 For the whole dimension of God’s order and wisdom in the earth is not about what you eat and drink, but about enjoying oneness and harmony with God through The Holy Spirit.

18 Because the one who honours Christ in the way they manage these things is both acceptable to God and respected by others.


19 Consequently then, we should be focusing on things which bring agreement and harmony between one another, and the things that we can do to build and grow one another’s faith.


20 Don’t destroy all the things that God is doing over issues like what you should or should not eat. All these things are pure in themselves; it is an uncaring attitude towards others that is the problem.


21 It would be better not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything in such a manner that it puts another Christian’s faith in jeopardy.


22 So if you are robust in your faith, then enjoy your freedom between yourself and God. You can enjoy to your heart’s content what you know doesn’t offend your conscience before God.


23 But if you are not sure in your conscience about what you are doing, then you are putting yourself under judgement, because you are not doing it with faith. And whatever is not of faith is sin.






 
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