Romans Part 39

Romans 14:10–13, Paul asks why we judge our brother or why we show contempt for our brother when we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. These instructions echo Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18 about not causing another believer to stumble, as well as the principle found in Leviticus 19:14 about not putting a stumbling block before the blind. Love requires us to consider how our actions affect other people. Imagine, for example, someone who is sincerely convinced that drinking alcohol is wrong for Christians. Even if another Christian has a different conviction, it would not be loving to buy that person a drink, pressure him to participate, or deliberately challenge his conscience. The issue is not simply, “Am I technically allowed to do this?” The question is also, “How will my actions affect my brother?”

Verse 14 uses the word “unclean,” but the underlying idea is “common,” meaning something that has been made unfit for a particular purpose. Paul is not suddenly discussing the clean and unclean meat distinction found elsewhere in Scripture. In the context of this chapter, the issue is more naturally understood as a clean meat that has been made “common” or unsuitable because it has been associated with idol worship. The meat itself did not become inherently evil, but the circumstances surrounding it could make it spiritually problematic for a particular believer.

Verses 15–16 bring us back to the principle from Romans 12 and 13 to “live peaceably with all men, as much as depends on you.” If our exercise of Christian liberty causes our brother to stumble or creates unnecessary offense, love should cause us to restrain ourselves. Christian freedom is never supposed to become an excuse for selfishness. We are free to serve God, but we are not free to use our freedom in a way that deliberately harms someone else spiritually.

Verse 17 gives us a larger priority to focus on: 

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” 

When an issue is not clearly defined by God's law, we should not allow it to become more important than the Kingdom of God itself. There is no value in spending our time quarreling over minor matters, storing offenses, or developing hard feelings toward our brothers and sisters. If Scripture has not made something a clear command, we should be humble enough to let the matter go rather than turning our opinion into a test of faithfulness.

Verses 18–19 tell us what we should pursue instead: 

"He who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." 

The word “pursue” is strong. Peace and edification do not simply happen by accident. We must work for them. We must choose patience, humility, to overlook offenses, and to build other people up rather than tear them down. If we are going to spend our energy pursuing something, Paul tells us to pursue the things that create peace and strengthen the Body of Christ.

Verses 20–21 return to the specific example of meat sacrificed to idols. Paul had already addressed this issue more extensively in 1 Corinthians 8:7–9, where he explained that a Christian's freedom should never become a stumbling block to someone whose conscience is weaker on the issue. The principle remains relevant because every generation has its own potential stumbling blocks. The exact issue may change, but the responsibility does not. We should always ask whether exercising our personal liberty in a particular circumstance will help or harm the spiritual well-being of someone else.

Finally, verses 22–23 give an extremely important principle concerning conscience: 

“Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” 

If you genuinely believe something is wrong, do not do it simply because someone else tells you that you should be free to do it. Acting against your own conscience knowingly is sin. This does not mean that our conscience is automatically infallible; our conscience needs to be educated and shaped by God's Word and God's Spirit. But while we are learning, we should not deliberately violate what we believe to be right. Give God time to lead and correct you rather than forcing yourself into an action that you believe is sinful.

Romans 14 therefore is not teaching that God's commandments are optional or that every biblical teaching is merely a matter of personal preference. It teaches us how to live together when Scripture has left room for individual conviction. We must distinguish God's clear commands from our own opinions, refuse to judge others over matters God has not commanded, protect one another's consciences, and pursue peace and spiritual growth. Christian maturity means not only knowing what we are free to do but also knowing when love requires us to willingly set that freedom aside for the sake of our brother.

Epistles of Paul is a course taught at ABC by Mr. Steve Myers. Recordings from the 2023–2024 class year are available on the ABC website.

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.