In the Christian Church some matters are disputable and some are not… there are some essential doctrines that are not disputable:
(1) human depravity
(2) Christ’s virgin birth,
(3) Christ’s sinlessness,
(4) Christ’s deity,
(5) Christ’s humanity,
(6) God’s triunity,
(7) God’s grace,
(9) the necessity of faith,
(10) Christ’s atoning death,
(11) Christ’s bodily resurrection,
(12) Christ’s bodily ascension,
(13) Christ’s second coming,
On the other hand…there are some doctrines that are disputable:
—Dispute that baptism washes away sin…it doesn’t
—Dispute that baptizing people is for the forgives of sin…it doesn’t.
—Dispute communion is eating/drinking Jesus’ body and blood…it doesn’t.
These are conflicts within the church…more specifically they are doctrinal issues specific to some Christian denominations…which adds to the confusion by unbelievers on which church to join.
Last week we looked at the issue of so-called legalistic behavior in the Church …an issue that Paul writes extensively about…covering all of Chapter 14 and through the first 14 verses of chapter 15.
Paul is dealing with how to manage conflicts in the church…and the manner in which we deal with differences…because really that’s something we’re always going to have…differences with one another…it’s just human nature.
Then from these differences people develop self-righteous attitudes toward those with whom they disagree.
In Romans 14 Paul deals with two kinds of disagreements among Christians… last week we talked about the first issue that began with the formation of the Church 2000 years ago…the eating of certain foods.
One group freely ate everything…they were convinced that Christ had freed them from all the dietary restrictions of the Law.
The other group…also true believers…felt strongly that it was necessary to continue to follow at least some of the dietary requirements from the O. T.
Paul’s intent was to bring both sides together…the guidance Paul gives to the Roman Christians is still applicable to us today.
Paul calls them and us to do three things:
1) Welcome those with whom we have differences [1]
2) Not to judge each other [4,10]
3) Not to compromise Biblical truths. [14:5]
As Christians we need to be careful when it comes to ‘judging’ others…the scripture ‘judge not that you be not judged’ [Mat. 7:1] has some merit…but with exceptions…don’t judge on non-essential matters…or matters of personal opinion… ‘this is what I think’ where the Bible gives no command or guidance.
Judging someone based on your opinion of what they’re doing is unacceptable.
The only guidelines found in the Bible about judging another Christian is when designated leaders of the Church collectively make a Bible-based decision against a Christian who has violated a commandment from God.
That’s the rub…what’s divinely commanded and what’s not?
Some things God declares…some things God dictates…some things God commands…some things God forbids…on some things there is no debate…BUT…on some things the Bible is a little less defining.
In some things God has left us to our freedom and our conscience to determine what is acceptable to us…at least two areas in which that thinking is dangerous:
FIRST…because a law has been passed or a court has ruled that something is legal is not the criterion of right and wrong…it’s not whether a governing authority allows it or permits it…but whether God commands it.
This was exactly the dilemma the Jewish women had in Egypt…Pharaoh declared that any Jewish born males should be killed…telling the midwives:
When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and you see it is a son then you shall put him to death. [Ex. 1:16]
An obvious dilemma…what to do…
But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them but let the boys live [17]
Were the Jewish women wrong?…a favorite seminary discussion question…was hiding Jews in Nazi Germany and defying German law wrong?
SECOND…I like to refer to what I call as ‘opinions’ …things that are not necessarily directly addressed in the Bible…things I rarely if ever preach on but things that people like to debate…argue…disagree…and judge others on.
Drinking beer… playing cards…shooting pool…throwing darts…going to movies…smoking cigars…gambling…non-essential matters where the Bible does not give specific commands or clear teachings on…things that we can refer to as disputable matters but with very little guidance in the Bible.
Here’s the direction from God…I might engage in something I don’t think God would disapprove of…but if that is going to cause a fellow believer to stumble in their Christian faith and sin…don’t do it.
Here’s the problem…hear it all the time… ‘I’m free in Christ’…go online and there’s no shortage of songs about ‘freedom’ …especially Christian songs…something about Christian composers…they write and sing songs that emphasize our freedom from everything you can imagine.
There are things Christ has freed you FROM…and there are things Christ has freed you TO DO.
Things Christ has freed you FROM
For someone to be freed…you must first have to be bound or imprisoned… that’s exactly what we all were at one time…bound to the instincts of sin…we had no power to overcome its influence…it was our ruler and it held us captive.
Here’s what non-believers have no concept of…before receiving Christ whatever sin wanted that’s what sin got…they had no power to overcome its influence…doesn’t necessarily mean you were out living a wild lifestyle…it means that the primary authority in your life was your sinful nature …that’s what controlled you.
People say… ‘oh if I don’t want to do something I just don’t’ do it’ …it doesn’t work that way…you are controlled by your sinful nature.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires… [Rom. 8:5]
Here’s what a life controlled by a sinful nature looks like…the decisions that are made are all about us…what we like…what we want…what’s good for us… what’s comfortable for us…what’s going to benefit me.
Now…here’s what’s confusing about being a Christian…it’s the frustrating part of Christianity…we are no longer under the control of our sinful nature…BUT …we will never in this life reach the place where we will be perfectly satisfied with ourselves…sin will always be crouching at the door [Gen. 4:6].
A verse out of Genesis that symbolizes sin as a wild animal lying in wait like a predator…waiting for its next victim.
I sincerely hope that you haven’t convinced yourself that you’re as good as you’re going to get.
That’s the sanctification part of being a Christian…the more we grow in likeness to Jesus the more conscious we become of our many continuing imperfections…
always growing but never getting there until we are finally with Jesus.
One of the benefits of being a Christian…God gives you a new nature …He fills you with His Holy Spirit…He has freed you so now you are no longer under the control of your sinful nature…you have a choice…unbelievers don’t.
The assurance is that one day these bodies will be replaced by glorified perfect bodies…BUT for now because the Holy Spirit lives in you… you are no longer under the control of your sinful nature.
What Christ has freed you TO DO.
Again…just like an unbeliever doesn’t realize they are controlled by their sinful nature…neither do they realize that it is only when you are free in Christ that you have a relationship with God.
People have this strange idea that regardless of their lifestyle…even if they’re a Christian they can have fellowship with God at any time…Bible says you can’t.
You cannot be in fellowship with God if you are not free…that’s what sin does…it denies us fellowship with Christ.
Beginning in [5] Paul addresses another issue that is still prevalent in the Church today…should we honor Jewish sacred days…festivals…feasts …and Sabbaths.
5 One man regards one day above another; another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and
he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. (Romans 14:5-6).
An issue that is still controversial today…the issue of which day should we observe the Sabbath…is it Saturday or Sunday? …does it matter? Why is it even important?
The issue is what to do about disagreements in the church over certain days and what to do on those days.
There seems to be an increased awareness of the Jewish roots of Christianity… many Christians are advocating the adoption of these practices as requirements in their lives and the lives of others.
Specifically there were seven holidays…or feasts…that were commanded by God to be observed as part of the Old Testament commandments:
Passover (Ex 1-15; Lev 23:4-5)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 12:14-17; Lev 23:6-8)
The Feast of First fruits (Ex 14:21-31; Lev 23:9-14)
The Feast of Weeks [Pentecost] (Lev 23:15-22)
The Feast of Trumpets (Lev 23:23-25)
The Day of Atonement (Lev 23:26-32)
The Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:33-44)
Here’s what’s interesting…every one of these feasts has been observed by Israel for thousands of years…not realizing that each one has a connection with Jesus.
So…should Christians observe Jewish holidays and practices?…theologically speaking…the answer is NO… [1Cor. 10:31 / Eph. 2:14-22] the fallacy is that some Christian leaders think the requirements of the law still apply to Christians today…this attitude reflects a misunderstanding that Christ fulfilled law.
Jesus fulfilled the law with His death on the cross…delivering us from the requirements of the law…as a result…we are no longer obligated to keep these feasts because they were a shadow of things to come…that have all been fulfilled in Christ [Col. 2:8-23].
In [14:5] Paul tells us…Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind…
Paul is saying each one should have his own conviction…a conviction that comes through an understanding of the scriptures…not simply adopting the values or ideas of those around you.
For someone to be fully convinced in his own mind suggests there has been some wrestling with the issue…that there may have been different perspectives regarding an issue…BUT…having become fully convinced it is then important
to live consistently with that decision.
Here you have two groups in the church disagreeing over what days are sacred and what foods should or should not be eaten…seems pretty tacky…BUT their feelings are strong to the point that they are starting to say things and do things that are destructive to Christian fellowship…despising and judging each other.
SO, how does Paul keep unity among believers on issues that are not central to the Christian faith…about minor matters from becoming divisive? …he’s not going to solve the problem by telling people to lighten up.
Instead he says, ‘Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind’ … how is that solving any issues…here’s what Paul is saying…the way for disagreeing Christians is not judgmentalism…despising others…or by not accepting each other.
Paul’s remedy for the tensions created by strong-minded Christians who have firm but differing convictions is not for all of us to become wishy-washy.
People without opinions tend to be able to get along pretty well with everybody and every decision…that serves no purpose…it creates an attitude of… ‘Well I guess I’m good with that, sounds OK to me.’
Let me remind you of what I said earlier…‘opinions’ are things that are not necessarily directly addressed in the Bible…things that people like to debate… argue…disagree…and judge others on.
That’s why Paul advocates that…each one should be fully convinced in his own mind …it’s a timeless approach that should be the way Christians handle all issues in the Church.
He’s not saying that we must be fully convinced that our way is the only way …BUT…that every person should be fully convinced that what I’m doing:
1) Is not sinful
2) Is honoring to Christ
3) Is the best way I can think of for me to act in this situation.
There are divisions in the church today…some are minor…what color to paint the sanctuary…some are more significant…but regardless…we need to realize that whatever the issue…that our position is right and everybody else is wrong.
Paul’s direction for us is that we shouldn’t just do what we do by habit…or because everyone else does it…rather…we need to take the time and effort to study Scriptures and think it through biblically…do what you do because you believe that it glorifies God and is not sinful, convinced in your own mind.