“One But Not The Same”
Romans 14:1-15:13
Sermon Series: ONE
Introduction: Unity does not equal uniformity. We have seen in this series that the Body of Christ is diverse and unified at the same time, but it takes maturity to truly function in unity with our differences. Augustine put it this way; “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity.” I think that quote is the essence of the messages from last weekend and this weekend. We saw last week that there are certainly absolute, black and white, non-negotiable truths of the Christian faith. However, we are going to see this weekend that there are also some gray areas, and we need to be able to discern what is black and white, what is gray, and how to handle the two areas. I think that Paul was a pretty black and white kind of guy, but in Romans 14:1 he refers to “disputes over doubtful things,” which clearly indicates there are gray areas. The specific issues that he dealt with in regard to the church at Rome were eating meat and if some days were holier than others. We may not wrestle with the same issues, but we have plenty of other issues we wrestle with today. It is very important that we find that right balance on this subject because we are heretics if we deny the fundamentals of the faith, and we are divisive if we are legalistic about the gray areas. Let’s learn and apply the principles that God gives us in this passage of Scripture so we can have a biblical balance.
1. We are to receive one another in love instead of despising one another (14:1-3, 15; 15:1-2, 7). Our convictions do not give us the right to condemn and mistreat other believers. We can disagree with someone’s position but not reject him or her as a person. We are not to fight over gray areas. A person who regularly has other believers walking away from him or her often has a judgmental spirit. If people know they are unconditionally loved and accepted, we can usually say almost anything to them if we say it in the right way. It is also important to try to see things from the other person’s point of view even if we don’t agree.
2. As far as our personal convictions in regard to gray areas, we must be convinced personally about what is right and wrong and live accordingly by faith (14:5, 14, 20, 22-23). If in doubt, don’t. Even if something is not wrong, if we think it is wrong, it is wrong for us to do. Here are some questions to ask in our personal decision-making:
-Does it glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:20)?
-Is it beneficial to others and me (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)?
-Can I give God thanks for it as a blessing from Him (Romans 14:6)?
-Will I be ashamed of this decision at the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10-12)?
-Would I want this done to me (Romans 13:8-10, Matthew 7:12)?
-Could this cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble (Romans 14:13-21)?
-Will this enslave me? Is it addictive (1 Corinthians 6:12)?
-Am I confident this is the right thing to do? (Romans 14:22-23)?
-Am I breaking any previous commitments (Psalm 15:4)?
-Does it place me in submission to God-ordained human authority (Romans 13)?
3. Jesus is Lord and Judge, and each of us will have to answer to Him and not each other (14:7-12).
4. Because Jesus is Lord and Judge, we are not to judge each other (14:4, 13).
5. We are not to do anything that causes our brothers and sisters to stumble and fall (14:13-16, 21).
6. Our first priority is not to focus on gray areas but making sure our priorities and hearts are right (14:17).
7. We are to pursue actions that lead to peace and building one another up (14:19).
