Daily Thoughts from Romans – Good Spoken of as Evil (13-23)

Daily Thoughts from Romans – Good Spoken of as Evil

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.  (Romans 14:13-23 ESV)

Instead of judging one another based on how much relative freedom we have in certain practices that God doesn’t condemn but that some feel are wrong anyway, we should determine to live in love and if necessary, curb our freedom so as not to hurt weaker brothers and sisters.  The kingdom of God isn’t primarily about enjoying our freedoms but about the reign of righteousness, peace and joy produced by the Holy Spirit, so we should pursue that ourselves and build each other up.

Encouraging a fellow believer whose conscience condemns him for eating certain foods or not observing certain days, etc., to go ahead and violate his conscience because he sees you exercising your freedom, causes him to stumble.  It is encouraging him to violate his conscience and when he or she does so it is as if they have disobeyed God.  You don’t have to win everyone over to your freedom or tempt others to act outside of the faith they have to observe your freedoms.  You’re blessed that you have such freedom but your job is to love your brothers and sisters, not convert them to your way of living.

What Paul is not saying, however, is that everything we do that someone doesn’t like or even finds disturbing is something we should therefore quit.  Jesus didn’t quit meeting and eating with sinners despite even some of his own disciples’ concerns about it.  And there are some believers who will find fault with almost everything you do.  Are we causing them to stumble if we don’t stop what we’re doing?

Joe Aldrich in Lifestyle Evangelism wisely describes the “professional weaker brother” as someone “who has a strong objection to something and believes others should share that objection. In other words, since drinking is wrong for him, it is wrong for everyone. He tends to be critical of those who disagree, legalistic and manipulative, and eventually will separate himself from his “sinful” bretheren (MikeDuran.com).  This person is in no danger of violating his or her conscience.  The decision about whether to curb our behavior or not cannot be based on the fallacy that we are causing this person to “stumble”.