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Don't Divide Over It!
A Study of Romans 14
The man had been stranded on the deserted island for two and a half long years. When the Coast Guard came to rescue him, the man anxiously gathered his belongings while showing his rescuers around the small Island. “That building is where I lived,” said the man pointing to a small grass hut. “This is where I went to church.” He pointed in another direction.
Later they passed by another hut. When one of the rescuers asked about it, the man replied in a huff, “Oh, that’s where I used to go to church.”
Sad but true. It seems there are many in the church who are so disagreeable that if stranded alone on a deserted island they would probably withdraw fellowship from themselves.
Did you know that Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the world? While the Christian community has been fighting among ourselves, the anti-Christ Islamic movement has quietly surrounded our camp. No longer are the stories of religious persectution and torture limited to the distant shores of a foreign mission field.
Just months before these paragraphs were written, a Christian family in New Jersey had their wrists bound and their necks slit. The father had received death threats for speaking out against Islam. Police suspect that the family may have been the target of a religious hate crime.
If ever there was a time for the Christian community to come together, reason through our differences and join forces, that time is now! We are at war for our very survival, yet the army is marching in a hundred different directions.
This ministry is convinced that the next few years of American history will determine if America has a future. Due to centuries of cannibalistic feeding frenzies, we now find ourselves pressed on every side by an enemy who takes no prisoners. Not only are the anti-Christian Islamic forces gathering, but the anti-God secularists are also circling in for the kill. Christian symbols are no longer welcomed on public property. School officials are sued if a prayer is said at a sporting event or the Ten Commandments are hung on the wall. Preachers are threatened and even drug into court when they condemn homosexuality from their pulpits. The reality of Christians being persecuted for their faith is no longer a story that only missionaries tell when they return from the field. Persecution is on the rise at home as well.
The future promises to be very difficult and or rewarding for all those who call themselves Christians. Whether it comes through reasoning together or through cruel persecution, the Christian community will be drawn into a closer huddle. The question we must ask is will we encourage this unity now or will we wait until we are hiding in caves to finally reach out.
Many years ago, I heard the following short poem that accurately describes many within the church. It also describes the step we must take in order to restore unity among believers.
He drew a circle and drew me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had a will to win.
We drew a circle and drew him in.
-Author Unknown
Did you ever know someone who insisted that you fully agree with them on every issue in order to be part of their little circle? Did you ever consider how small their circle is and how much smaller it becomes with every passing disagreement? Romans 14 combats this anti-unity attitude.
This important passage holds the very keys to opening the door to Christ’s prayer for unity. It tells us how to disagree agreeably and even assures us that perfect agreement on every issue is not necessary.
This passage does not, however, endorse unity at all cost. It does not promote the ecumenical suggestions that we throw our arms wide and embrace every view no matter how it compares with God’s holy Word. Romans 14 is the inspired record of God’s authoritative instructions on how we should deal with disputable matters.
The church desperately needs this study. As we continue to cannibalize each other, our numbers will continue to decrease, our attitudes will continue to sour and our goal will continue to be out of reach. Christ’s prayer for unity was not a pie-in-the-sky fantasy. It was and is His sincere desire for the church. He sealed this wish with His divine blood and, therefore, we owe the Lord a complete understanding of this important text.
Introduction to Romans 14
Paul opens this important chapter by cautioning the mature brother not to discourage the weaker brother with “disputes over doubtful things.” (NKJV) The NIV translates this phrase “disputable matters”.
Perhaps the most important application to be drawn from this opening verse is the attitude we are commanded to have towards such doubtful things. Disputable matters must never be used as grounds for causing division. In this verse, the mature brother is cautioned about such divisiveness and, two verses later, we will see that the immature brother is given the same warning.
Before traveling too far into this vital passage, an important question must be answered, “What are doubtful things?” In verses two through six, Paul answers that question by giving us examples of disputed matters in his day. The eating of meat and the observance of holy days caused division then. What items might we place on a list of today’s disputable matters? What criteria might we use to decide if a matter is disputable or if, on the other hand, it warrants a line of fellowship?
A wise man once taught me that the best commentary on the Bible is the Bible. Notice what Paul says in the very next verse. “One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.” (Romans 14:2, NIV) In other words, disbutable matters come as a result of levels of faith.
Some things are disputable because they are a matter of learning. “...faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17, NKJV) For the weaker brother, who has not yet studied enough to develop a mature faith, we must offer patience. We must never use issues that are outside of his level of understanding to draw a line of fellowship.
Other matters are disputable because they are not part of the biblical record. Some seem to think that if God did not give His specific approval or disapproval on a topic that Christians have the freedom to make up something for Him. Does the silence of scripture really give us the right to put words in God’s mouth? Or, is it possible that the silence of scripture only gives us the right to be silent? When God is silent, we should be also. We would be wise not to make a command or a condemnation out of any issue that God has not specifically addressed? It is a disputable matter and we should not divide our fellowship over it.
Below you will find an overview of Romans 14. Please study it, digest it and apply it to your life. Few things are more important than the unity of God's family.
An Overview of Romans 14
1. Disputable Matters
Scripture: Romans 14:1-4 - Disputable matters are matters of spiritual maturity and scriptural silence.
Application: God says that in both cases we must be patient and recognize that it is possible to disagree and both be right. Read again verse 4. If God did not command it or condemn it, we must not divide over it.
2. Divine Dominance
Scripture: Romans 14:5-12 - In disputable matters, being right with God is a personal matter. (See also verse 22.)
Applictation: In disputable matters, three questions must be asked to determine if you are right with God.
1. Are you "fully convinced" in your own mind that what you are doing is right? (vs. 5, NASV)
2. Are you doing it "for the Lord"? (vs. 6, NASV)
3. Have you taken into account that you "will give an account" to God for your decision? (vs. 12, NASV)
3. Destructive Behavior
Scripture: Romans 14:13-21 - Selfish unconcern for your brother's conscience makes every liberty wrong.
Application: Two questions must be asked to determine when the exercise of a liberty is wrong.
1. Does the liberty threaten to "destroy" your brother's spiritual life? (vs. 15, NASV) Note: Some Christians object and cause strife, not because their spiritual life is threatened, but because their personal preferences are not dominant. This type of selfishness is condemned in verses 3-4. Church leaders should be very careful not to allow a vocal minority to derail the plans of the church by falsely claiming that their personal preferences are matters of spiritual security. Instead of holding back the entire congregation because a few refuse to grow up, church leaders should condemn their intentional immaturity and deliver them into the hands of God for discipline.
2. Does the exercise of this liberty put a stumbling block "in your brother's way"? Note: When the immature brother is not involved, the mature brother does not have the responsibility to sacrifice his liberties. Read and study 1 Corinthians 10-27-29. In this passage, Paul lays down a very important principle when dealing with a potentially weak brother. Principle: A mature brother should assume that all others are also mature unless told otherwise. Notice that, in this passage, the mature brother is told to eat whatever is set before him, "without asking questions". (vs. 27) Only when he is told that an immature brother is present is he told to sacrifice his liberty.
Conclusion:
Scripture: Romans 14:22-23 - In disputable matters, being right with God is a personal matter. Being right with your brother is a matter of love and sacrifice. When a brother has truly proven himself to be growing, yet still immature, the stronger brother has no choice but to bend over backwards to avoid causing him to stumble. When a long-time Christian has proven himself to be unwilling to grow, he must not be allowed to handicap the stronger members of the family. His intentional immaturity must be confronted and his destructive influence condemned.
For the church to grow, the church must be whole. For the church to be whole, she must recognize the importance of healing. She must practice the principles of Romans 14 and every member must continue to grow "in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3:18, NIV)