“Do What is Right”

Scripture: Romans 14:13-23

In last week’s passage, we read of Paul’s take on what made food clean or unclean, and how we are to deal with differences in opinion between the two concepts. This is reminiscent of Acts 10:9-20, in which Peter had a vision of a sheet being let down from heaven, that was filled with both clean and unclean animals. A heavenly Voice tells him to kill them and eat. Peter’s response is that the Law, that of Moses, tells him that some of them are unclean, so he replies that he never has, and never will, eat anything that is unclean. And the point of this event has little to do with food, and far more about reaching out to the gentile world with the message of salvation that rests solely in Jesus Christ.

The Voice then calls him to a Godly truth, that whatever God has created should never be declared as unclean. So what is it that makes some things unclean, or sinful? In Matthew 15:16-20, Jesus tells us that it isn’t that which goes into our mouth, our food, that makes us sinful, but that which comes out of our mouth, out of our heart, that defiles our life. He then gives us a list of what might be considered as evil – things like “murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander”. So the point that Jesus is making, as well as the discussion that Paul offers, is not really about food at all, but rather what the Christian life must be about.

Sin exists in the heart and mind, and is demonstrated through the acts of the individual. So today, as we continue in Paul’s explanation in Romans 14, we will be considering what sin is all about.

Read Romans 14:13-18

Stop judging others, and stop putting up stumbling blocks in the faith journeys of your brothers and sisters. I find it hard to believe that anyone would intentionally cause difficulties in a new Christian’s growth in faith, but it takes so little to turn a person away from the Lord’s truth, and it usually happens when we become too legalistic, and expect others to be the same way. Sound like the Pharisees? It certainly does! But this specific issue isn’t what Paul is referring to. He is talking about those who are new to the faith, and are struggling to find their way in the way of God, and whether we are helping them, or hindering them in faith.

The apostle writes that nothing is unclean in and of itself, but that it is a personal issue for each and every individual. Now quite honestly, I doubt that any of us believe that he is saying that one person’s sin is another person’s glory. Sin is defined by God as being a way that denies his call to righteous living. If our life isn’t of God, then it is of the world, and that is sin. His point, I believe, is that when we take the goodness of God that is intended to be a blessing for our lives, and intentionally pervert its original intent, this is sin..

And the distinction that Paul is making is that the Church has to take responsibility for not causing sin in others by the way we treat them. As an example from last week, if a person believes that the best food to eat is vegetable instead of meat, then don’t invite them to dinner when you plan to have roast beef for the meal! Don’t cause problems because you disagree with someone else’s thought that is different, even though it is still within the Lord’s framework. Don’t ever let your actions, your words, become detrimental for someone who has accepted the gift that Jesus gave his life for.

It appears that verses 17 and 18 are the point that the apostle is making, that the kingdom isn’t based in the things of life, but rather in three things – righteousness that comes through the leading of the Holy Spirit, who reminds us of those things that Jesus taught; the peace of God that rests on all who follow the Lord’s commands; and the joy that fills those whose lives exhibit the presence of the Holy Spirit. And he says that this is the evidence that we are truly serving Christ, which, in turn, brings “pleasure” to the Father.

But his last three words in this passage are a bit confusing, that being faithful to Christ and his teachings will bring us approval by humanity. In my experience, the truth is just the opposite – that human approval is sorely missing for those who follow the ways of Jesus Christ – after all, that is what persecution is all about. Perhaps his meaning is that the unique life that the Christian lives will be noticed by the world, but that may be a topic for a future message.

Read Romans 14:19-21

Do everything possible to bring about peace and teaching in the way of Christ. And just because something may be acceptable in the eyes of God, that doesn’t mean that we should always do it just because we can, in spite of what others may believe they should do.

As an example, Paul continues with the issue of food and drink. Today, one issue that is before many people is whether it is acceptable for Christians to drink alcohol or not. There are numerous passages in scripture, especially in the Hebrew text, that condemn drunkenness, and yet, there is nothing mentioned, or even alluded to in the 10 Commandments regarding alcohol.

For Israel, wine was a common drink at meals and celebrations, and in John 2:1-11, we find Jesus is at a wedding celebration where the host ran out of wine. The Lord, in his first miracle, changes about 150 gallons of water into “choice” wine, the best wine. And we read that this revealed his glory. Hardly a sinful act.

In Matthew 11:18-19, we read that Jesus was accused of being a “glutton and a drunkard”, so we can assume that he also drank wine. Personally, I believe that the commands against being a drunkard were against addiction to alcohol, which is what the term “drunk” used to mean when I was growing up (today we use the term “alcoholism” to mean the same thing), and not that someone had a drink of wine with a meal.

But Paul’s point is that if someone abstains from all alcoholic drinks, which is certainly a commendable thing to do, then someone who doesn’t abstain shouldn’t ridicule them or drink in front of them. And in a more general sense, he wants us to know that we should never let our differences become stumbling blocks within the church. Faith in Jesus Christ and all that he has done and suffered on our behalf, must be first in our lives, and from that, we begin the daily following of his commandments. Calling out believers for their failure to accept and live both points is vitally important in the Church, but judgment and punishment for their sin rests solely in the purview of Almighty God.

Read Romans 14:22-23

“Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” It is faith that justifies our salvation, and not the good things that we do, and definitely not how perfectly we follow the Lord’s commands. It is faith that enables forgiveness for our failures to follow God’s commandments, and not that our good works must outweigh our bad ones. It is faith that brings joy to the heart of God, and not how perfectly we live our life.

But none of this implies that if we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, that we can live any way that we want. In Romans 5:20 - 6:4, Paul asks that great question “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” He goes on to say that by faith in Christ, we have died to sin. It is grace through faith that brings us out of sin and darkness, but always, faith must be our first step. Before giving our lives to Jesus Christ, nothing good that we ever do will matter one little bit. We all may have heard the expression “Fake it ‘til you make it!”, and some believe that “faking it” is a good thing, and is preparation for doing good things for Jesus. It isn’t.

Nothing that we do outside of Christ brings us a single benefit as far as the Lord is concerned. And after we come to Christ, the things we do that are not Christ-like are just as bad. Belittling others, ridiculing others, expressing contempt for how they live, or how they worship or act, or how they look or how they dress - none of this is the way of a Christian. Paul even says that if we claim to believe one thing, while doubting that it is truly the way of God, we have just condemned ourselves. Through our doubts as to the righteousness of God’s leading, we have just caused them, and us, to become sinful. Remember Thomas’ doubting that Jesus was truly resurrected from the grave? The Lord tells the disciple to “Stop doubting and believe.” – doubt inhibits our faith, so we need to eliminate it from our life in faith! (John 20:26-28)

The life of a Christian just keeps getting more difficult, doesn’t it? Our life in Christ keeps coming back to faith – faith that Jesus is truly the Son of God, faith that Jesus died for our sin, faith that Jesus rose from the grave to be our hope for a new and eternal life, faith that the life Jesus lived is also the life we should, and can, live – we have received all of this from the Lord so that our life may be reflective of him, and that the world may see him through us. He never said that it would be easy, but he did say that it can be fruitful. And that is the best of all possibilities.

Do what is right in the eyes of Jesus, our Lord and our Savior. Stop doubting that this is the way of God, and believe.