Romans 14:1-23
Key vs 14:8  “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

 Happy thanksgiving! Did you relax and enjoy thanksgiving, eating turkeys and gaining a few pounds? It is nice to have time to reflect on our lives and to be thankful for. What are your thanksgiving topics? One of my thanksgiving topics is Romans Bible study. It enriches my soul. Today’s message is about food. I don’t know why little things such as food are important, but such little things sometimes cause troubles and disrupt harmony in Christian community. As we studied from chapter 12 and 13, we learned about Christians’ basic obligations to each other, to the outsiders, and the governing authorities, and the general public. I can sum up all these relationships in one word: love. Love your neighbors. Love is the most important ingredient of Christian life. In this chapter, Paul also teaches us how to handle disputable matters such as food by acting in love.
 
 The background of this teaching is the first century Christian churches in Rome. Roman churches were composed of the Jewish Christians and Gentile believers. They had common faith and gospel truth. They believed in Christ. They were saved by grace. But when Jewish and Gentile Christians got together, they faced some differences in the matter of food or days. These little things could disrupt the harmony of the churches. So Paul gave them instructions how to handle such matters. Like Roman churches, we are also a mixed church---Americans, Koreans, Africans and Indians. It is a sign that Christ’s love bonds us together. Let’s learn from the word of God how to handle some differences we might have among us and continue to build up one another in Christ’s love.

I. Accept him whose faith is weak(1-12)

 Let’s read vs. 1. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” Paul says that we should accept him whose faith is weak. There are many exclusive clubs in this world. For some golf clubs, you cannot be a member unless you earned a tournament title. They are very exclusive. They only accept those who have high achievement or qualifications. But Paul says that in Christ we should accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgment on disputable matters. Then what are these disputable matters Paul mentions here?  The first example of disputable matters is about weak faith.
 Let’s red vs. 2. “One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.”  We know when we believe in Jesus,  we are no longer under law. Especially the ceremonial law that prohibits unclean food in the Old testament(Lev. 11). We are free to eat any food. We can eat porkchop, lambchop or beefsteak. Some people can eat frogs, too. We should be very thankful for all these foods. But others, like Jewish Christians who observed the OT law for long time, feel guilty when they eat porkchop as if they were committing sin. In those days meat was often offered to idols before being sold in the market place. Some Christians did not eat meat because they felt defiled with it. They knew the gospel truth that they were no longer under law, and idols were nothing. But somehow their consciences were still weak. So they ate only vegetables. Dr. Daniel Lee used to avoid eating chicken boiled in water because he had seen a chicken killed in his childhood. He can eat McDonald chicken with no problem. But every time he saw boiled chicken, he remembers the chicken struggling to survive and feels guilty. It is not sin when they eat only vegetables. But their consciences are weak and feel guilty if they want to eat meat due to their  personal experience or religious background. Should we judge them as weak-hearted or tell them they still live under law?  No.

 Let’s read vs. 3. “The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.”  We should not look down on them or they should not condemn those who eat anything, saying that they are liberals or they don’t care about spiritual things. We should accept them without judging, because God has accepted them as they are, whether they eat only vegetables or eat meat. They are also God’s servants and they are accountable to God. They are not our servants. As it is not proper to meddle with neighbor’s servants, we should not judge God’s servants. Though their faith is weak now, God will grow them in his due time. We should embrace them as they are and help them feel at home in God’s house.
 
 The second example of disputable matters is personal conviction. Let’s read vs. 5. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.”  In most cases, the Bible teaches clearly about the matter. When the Bible says, “Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not murder.”, they are not disputable matters. They are indisputable. We must obey them or repent of our sins. There is no room for dispute. For the above food matter, the Bible is clear that all food is clean and we are free to eat any food. How about the observing of the day? It is not clear. So one man says this, and another says that. For example, some people think Sunday is Lord’s day and very special. So they take out the best clothes and make up best possible way to come to worship. Others think every day is equally special because we should live before God every day. Jewish Christians had celebrated the feast of Passover with special meaning for thousand years. So they might consider it as very special. But the Gentile believers do not have such history so every day seems the same. In such case, God has given us freedom to choose this way or that. But each one should be fully convinced that we do so to the Lord.
 
 Read vs. 6-9. “He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”   Whatever we eat or drink, whether we live or die, we should do for the glory of God. This is Christian’s ultimate principle of life. Therefore in the area where the Bible does not specify clearly, we should not dispute, though people may think differently. He who eats meat, eats for the glory of God. He who does not eat meat, does so for the glory of God. Some one say that if you do anything for the glory of God, you don’t have any problem. Some people say we should be baptized in the water, or others say sprinkling of water on the head is enough. Whether they are baptized in water or sprinkling, if they do so for the glory of God, we should not pass judgment on them.  We should welcome them because they belong to the Lord. Eventually the Lord is ultimate judge of all.  Let’s read vs 9-12. “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: "`As surely as I live,' says the Lord, `every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”  Each one should struggle to live for the glory of God honestly, because he will give account of himself to God, not men.

II. Act in love(13-23)
 
 In the first part, Paul teaches us that we should accept one another without passing judgment. Now Paul teaches us how we should practice our freedom. Let’s read vs 13. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.”  According to the gospel, we have freedom to do what we think is right before God. But in practice, our freedom can be a stumbling block in brother’s way if we are not careful, because our freedom affects others either in a good way or bad when we live in the community of people. So Paul says that we need to use our freedom with discretion.

 Let’s read vs. 14-15. “As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then to him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.”  Paul is free from law and he is fully convinced that all food is clean. He can eat any food without feeling guilty. His conscience is not bothered. His stomach is strong enough to digest all kinds of food. But not all people feel the same way as he feels. Suppose Paul invites Nathaniel who eats only vegetables to his home. He cooks his favorites---porkchop vegetable soup with spice.  Nathaniel enjoys soup Paul made and later found out that it was porkchop he ate. He feels guilty as if he had committed sin. Did Paul act in love? No. What is his problem? He thought everybody was like him. As a result, he almost destroyed Nathaniel’s conscience. After that, he might have felt guilty, too. We should know not all people are like us. We should understand others and use our freedom with discretion to strengthen brother’s faith, and build him up rather than tearing him down. True love does not hurt others. We can sacrifice our freedom for others’ sake. Korean missionaries love kimchi. The smell of kimchi is like pleasing aroma to them. But not everyone likes it. I heard that some Montreal shepherds give up eating kimchi because one shepherd does not like kimchi. As long as he stays in the prayer house, they decided not to eat it for the brother’s sake. That is acting in love. They have freedom to eat, but gave it up because they love him. Christ died for brothers. Should we destroy them by exercising our freedom?  Let’s read vs. 20-21. “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.”
 
 I Corinthians 10:23a says, “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.” When we are young, we often insist on doing things we like to do because it is not sin, asking “Where does the Bible say it is wrong!” But when we grow mature, we consider how my action would affect others. You know I am pretty free about wearing clothes. I wear casually like putting on sweat pants even when invited to others. But it bothers Grace. She thinks differently. She thinks we should have a decent etiquette. Should I insist on wearing on a sweat pants, because I am convinced what I am doing is all right? I did in the past, but now I know how to preserve her peace as well as mine. Instead of pursuing selfish desires, it is good  to sacrifice my freedom to build up and strengthen others. It is a beautiful act of love. When we are not mature, we live only in 2-dimensional life. We are only concerned about what is right and wrong between God and me. But as we grow mature, we think and live in 3-dimensional life. We think not only between God and me, but also others. It is important to consider whether my action is beneficial to others when we exercise our freedom in Christ.

 Let’s read vs. 17-19. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”   You know food and clothes are not important in the kingdom of God. What really matters is righteousness, peace and joy. When we have right relationship with God, peace and joy follows from that relationship. As long as we focus on God and love one another, our difference does not matter much. We can live in peace and strengthen one another to carry out God’s mission joyfully. This is pleasing to God and approved by men. Not what we can eat or not is pleasing to God, but what builds peace and edification among brothers is pleasing to God.

 Let’s read vs 22-23.”So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Finally let me give you a general rule of thumb: 1st, Keep disputable matters between God and yourself. Accept weak brothers. Don’t judge them.  2nd, Whatever you do, do by faith. If your feel guilty, don’t do it. Everything that does not come from faith is sin. 3rd, Even if you are right, act in love and strengthen others. Don’t destroy them. Let’s read vs 14:8 “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”