Romans 14:13-23, “Life is Much More than Food & Drink.”

Last week in verses 1-12, we were confronted with the reality that in the church there are those who feel bound by non doctrinal restrictions and those who feel a freedom to not be held captive to such disputable regulations, since they are not required by God in His Word.

We do have much freedom in Christ concerning a wide variety of matters that are disputable, because they are mostly based on one’s opinion, traditions, cultural expressions, and/or personal preferences; but even so, in our freedom we should never purposely bring harm or act in an unkind manner to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The priority, in verses 1-12, is exhorting the stronger [more mature] believer not to look down upon the weaker [less mature} believer for his legalistic constraints; and the weaker believer is not to judge the stronger believer for his liberated enjoyment of certain foods and drinks not forbidden nor commanded in the Scripture.

Read Romans 14:13-15... Paul tells us to stop doing one thing, that is detrimental to the Church, and start doing another, that is beneficial to Church.

Creating disputes, leading to dissension, over food and drink is simply uncalled for, and destructive, and has no place in the family of God. Besides, it is not about our individual rights to do this or that; the priority is to love one another, just as in Christ, God loves us; to apply the Royal Law and the Golden Rule of Scripture.

Sometimes a believer in Christ makes a big deal about their liberty to do this or that, i.e., drink alcohol, get a tattoo, listen to country music, 60s rock and roll, or even classical (just kidding, seeing if you are paying attention).

As we talked about last week, Christians have many freedoms to do or not not do certain things; but if they intentionally flaunt their freedom, purposely offending or harming the conscience of another believer who is less liberated, that is sin!

Notice in verse 14, Paul is very clear that “no food is unclean in
itself,” (meaning that it could defile you, have an effect on your spirit, your relationship with God) to which he adds, “But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.”

What Paul doesn’t mean is that all food or drink is good for you; for some foods are poisonous, others are just really bad for you. Jesus taught (Mark 7:15), “nothing outside of a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him,” (vv. 18-19), “nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean, for it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.”

Food and drink are not moral or spiritual, so it is not wrong to eat or drink this or that; but that is not the only priority here, we are all members of the same spiritual body, the Church, and we do not all grow at the same pace, and therefore, one’s conscience may have gained understanding and with it, liberty; where another’s conscience may be obtaining insight at a much slower pace.

Because we all come to Christ from different backgrounds, experiences, failures and successes, we must understand it is difficult at times to consider something permissible or acceptable if we were taught just the opposite or exposed to a much different system of values and freedoms.

Look at verse 15 again, it is not loving to flaunt our liberty before one whose conscience is troubled by our freedom. God holds the mature believer accountable to yield to the weaker brother, rather than harm his conscience knowingly.

But I must also say here, there is a time to not give in, especially when it has to do with the clear teaching of God’s Word on a certain matter; for it is not the loving thing to allow a weaker brother to continue thinking of something as bad when God says it is good. There are certain doctrines in the Scriptures we must hold fast to, and refuse to allow anyone to try and change our convictions, if the Bible is clear on such matters (Saturday is the correct day of worship, salvation is through water baptism, speaking in tongues is the sign of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, it is possible to go to heaven and back, even to be totally dead and come back to life, the 1611 KJ Bible is the only version authorized by God). Those are all heretical, false, teachings, abominations that cannot be allowed to stand as truth, but must be corrected and/or rebuked, accordingly.

Read Romans 14:16-18... Because of the context and the already expressed accountability of the stronger brother, before God, to be willing to yield in matters where the Scripture is not dogmatic, like food and drink, I believe this is talking about not elevating our freedom in Christ to a point of causing division with hose who do not agree with us on these disputable matters.

The freedom from sin’s curse and its bondage has come through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and so, to cause disunity in the body for the sake of our freedom to do this or that, is to distort the very gospel itself.

The good news of Christ, brings us (Ephesians 4) into the one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, one God and Father over all.

What’s important is our sacrificial love for one another within the family of God, not our freedoms or liberties.. The unbelieving world is watching us, and we do not want them to think that the priority of Christianity is based on whether or not you do or do not do a certain thing.

The main point of the Christian faith is not eating or drinking or the color of your hair, or the type of clothing you wear; but instead, it is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. A non-Christian, looking at a Christian, ought to see those things, not arguing, disputing and fighting but a unity of the Spirit and the love of God expressing His righteousness, peace and joy.

If we are sincerely serving Christ and trying to exemplify Him, we can easily give up some momentary indulgence in a pleasure that we enjoy and are free to participate in, if it is going to bother someone, or upset someone, or cause them to be troubled in their own conscience. Instead of insisting on our rights in certain circumstances, we should be wiling to yield those rights for the sake of unity in the body of believers.

Read Romans 14:19-21... We are free to enjoy our liberties, if we do so in such a way that we do not destroy peace, or mutual edification, or inhibit the learning and growing process of someone else. Paul is saying, whenever you are doing something that threatens the peace in the life of individual believer, so as to upset them or cause them harm, you need to lay down your freedom for a time.

Those who are strong in the Lord are to bear the burdens of those who are weak, which could be as simple as not insisting on your rights in the presence of those who would be highly offended by what you do.

Paul says flaunting your freedom to do this or that is wrong, and can (v. 20) “destroy the work of God for the sake of food.” If for the sake of some right or liberty to eat this or drink that, or do this or that, you impede or harm someone else's growth in the Lord, it is wrong!

If someone flaunts his liberty in such a way as to upset another member of the body, it may harden them concerning their true freedom in Christ. It may drive them toward religious rituals and attempts at obtaining righteousness through law keeping; instead, we ought to help them understand the reason for our liberty, for we are saved by grace through Christ alone.

Look again at verses 20b-21, all food is clean, but it is wrong to coerce someone else beyond their convictions in order to feel acceptable or to experience their so-called freedom. Not everyone’s conscience is the same, and so to persist in persuading someone to do something they really don’t feel the freedom to do, can cause harm to their conscience, and we should never try to forcibly impose our conscience on theirs over a disputable matter.

Read Romans 14:22-23... Our liberty and freedom concerning these matters must always be from God’s perspective. We should never look down on or minimize the good things God has given us to enjoy, nor should we flaunt our freedom to enjoy this or that, at the expense of being unloving or insensitive toward those who

feel differently about certain freedoms than we do, and who may be offended or harmed by our actions.

God and God's Word must be the basis for our faith, not our feelings, anybody else’s feelings, or anything else. We must examine our freedoms to do this or that, making sure it is pleasing to God and that our conscience is clear; we ought to do nothing out of an arrogance that seeks personal liberty at all costs.

If you feel guilty or troubled about certain freedoms you are engaged in, perhaps you are acting beyond what the Word of God allows and says, otherwise, you should feel happy, blessed and thankful for God’s provisions, concerning whatever it is you are indulging in.

If you really don’t have peace about something, on the basis of Scripture, and you continue to indulge yourself, you are going to be condemned by your own conscience, which will lead you to feel guilty.

Worse case scenario, if you continue to indulge in whatever it is, even though you feel guilty, you are no longer acting out of faith, but you are sinning. Paul says (v. 23b), “everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to [God] must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

God provides many blessings for us to enjoy, food and drink are just two of those. God gives us the freedom to indulge in and partake of His good gifts. James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.”

So how can we know whether or not something is from God and is pleasing to Him, so that we don’t take liberties or pursue freedoms that displease God? 1Timothy 4:4-5, “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

You must base your Christian liberty on what the Word of God declares -- being sure that you are not acting out of self-indulgence, but out of a deep conviction that rests upon the Word of God.

Lets sum up today’s lesson: We should not deliberately offend, harm, or cause our brother or sister in Christ to stumble,nor should we deliberately do things that make them feel uncomfortable.

Instead, we should get our eyes off our desires and our freedoms, and we should think about others. We ought to be willing to give up our liberty if it threatens the peace or hinders the growth of another believer.

God’s Word is our authority and God’s Spirit is our guide. We should never do anything while doubting that it is pleasing to God, based on His Word, led by the Spirit. If we live this way, the watching world will see Christians displaying God’s love, righteousness, peace, and joy, for these are all gifts from God.

One of the marvelous freedoms we have is the choice to give up our rights for the benefit of others, especially when there is a good and right reason to do so; and when that happens, the unbelieving world will see that God’s love is the real focus, purpose, and object of the Christian life; not food, drink, style of clothing, type of music, denominational affiliation, political party, or the translation of the Bible.

See Romans 14:5-8... Life is so much more than food and drink, in fact, (John 14:6), “[Jesus Christ] is the way and the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him.”
Colossians 2:16-17, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”