We are at Romans 14 - verses 13 to 23.  Verse 13 is Paul’s Point where Paul is going in these next 11 verses.  How to heal division.

Let’s read verse 13 together:  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.

When we see a “therefore” in Scripture we need to ask, “Wherefore the therefore?”  Meaning Paul is referring us back to what we looked at last Sunday - verses 1 to 12.  What to do when we know we’re right.  How do we handle those situations when - strange as this may seem - people may not immediately recognize our esteemed brilliant understanding of a situation - or a truth - or a doctrine - and may actually disagree with us - even though - of course - we’re right.

Paul’s teaching was that we need to chill with humility.  We’re brothers and sisters in Christ by God’s grace. 

So - verse 13 - therefore - since we’re all here by grace - let us not pass judgment on one another any longer.

Judgment is when we despise - or condemn - or write off anyone who doesn’t agree with us.  What happens when we loose sight of our mutually being here together by God’s undeserved love, mercy, and grace.

Stumbling blocks and hindrances are our attitudes and actions that cause our Christian siblings to get tripped up and messed up in their trying to follow Jesus.  What happens when we justify our attitudes and actions at the expense of our siblings in Jesus.

All of which is hugely destructive.  Painful.  Wounding.  Some of us have been there.  Yes?

Several, several years ago I was at a church convention in Montreal.  On the last day of the convention there was a service of worship - with about 500 plus Christians who had come from all over North America.  During the service there were about 30 of us who were serving communion.  As we stood in a row with our backs to the congregation we were handed the tray with the communion cups.

As I stood there I could smell that the cup had wine in it.  Which I thought was interesting since I knew that - while the Montreal church used wine in communion - many of the people behind me didn’t.  Some would consider drinking wine - even in communion - to have the potential of leading others into sin.

We passed out the cups and came back and stood in the front.  The invitation was given to drink.  As we drank I have to confess that I was preoccupied with what was going on behind me.  As people drank there were these sounds - “Mmm” - “Uhh” - as people discovered the wine - a point of division was created.

At these conventions there was usually a Saturday night dance - usually cultural - line dancing.  Pretty innocent stuff.  But, the Montreal church - pro wine - was anti dancing.  Dancing could lead someone to sin.  So, there was no dancing at the convention.  Which led to division.

One person’s freedom is another person’s downfall.  Godly people have different understandings of the same concerns.  We struggle with issues - we struggle with people - even here at Creekside. 

Paul’s point is that we need to stop doing that.  As those who’ve experienced God’s love, mercy, and grace - stop judging each other.  No longer.  No more.  “But rather decide.”  Meaning - first we need to make a choice - a decision to not go there ever again.  And second, we need to see the places where we divide as a great opportunity.

Let’s be careful.  There are certain non-negotiable foundational essential truths to our faith:  The Trinity.  Christ’s complete humanity and complete deity.  The virgin birth.  The depravity of man.  The sufficiency and exclusivity of Christ’s work on the cross.  His substitutionary atonement.  The need for a personal saving relationship with Christ.  The literal bodily resurrection of Christ from the dead and His literal return.  The inspiration and inerrancy and authority of the Bible.

Put simply.  What the Bible is.  Who Jesus is.  How we get right with God.  Without these Christianity ceases to be Christianity.

With the essentials there are boundaries:  murder, lying, fornication, adultery, covetousness, homosexuality, gluttony and so on are sin.  Period.

And then there are the grey areas.  In what we looked at last Sunday - Romans 14:1-12 - Paul gave us examples of grey areas and divisions in the Roman church - divisions over what food was okay to eat - what day was appropriate to worship God.  We could add to that drinking alcohol, dancing, playing cards, what movies are okay to watch and so on. 

Which is why we need discernment not judgment.  A remembering of who we all are in Christ - by God’s love, mercy, and grace.  Not condemnation but wisdom coming from God tempered with a whole lot chill with humility on our parts.  Mutually seeking to apply the truth of God - the teaching of Scripture - what that looks like in the day-to-day real time of where we live our lives.

Maybe you’ve heard this.  An oldie but goodie.  There were two boll weevils that grew up in South Carolina.  One went to Hollywood and became a famous actor.  The other stayed behind in the cotton fields and never amounted to much.  The second one - the one that stayed in South Carolina, naturally, became known as the lesser of two weevils.

We often look at division and conflict and sometimes feel as though the only choice we have is to choose the lesser of two evils.  Things are pretty hopeless.  Because there really is no solution - no healing - no way out of the impasse.  They’ll never change.  So, at least let’s just get along without judging each other.  At best we can just be polite.  Just make nice. 

The exciting thing about what Paul is writing here is that where we divide gives us great opportunity.  In the congregation - in our homes - we have choices.  To “…but rather decide” means that not only can we choose to stop judging each other - to choose to not trip up or hinder our brother or sister in Christ - but we can also choose to make positive choices that can move us towards healing - to follow Jesus together - all to the glory of God.

What comes in verses 14 to 23 can be broken down into 3 choices that we can make that can help us to not go there - judging and tripping and hindering - and even to open up the potential - the opportunity - for healing even in the midst of division.

Choice number comes in verses 14 and 15.  The Choice To Love. 

Verse 15:  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.

One day I climbed Half Dome.  Not the front way.  I went up the back on the trail.  Some of you have been up there.  Yes?  It’s like being on top of the world.  When I got to the top I wanted to look over the edge - down into the valley below. 

So I crawled - I’m not ashamed to say this - I crawled to edge and carefully and timidly peered over.  The cars were like toys.  The people were like ants.  That’s a couple thousand feet of drop off into nothing.

When I looked to my left there was a guy sitting on a rock outcropping with his feet dangling over all that nothing.  He had total freedom to sit there without fear.   I think he was eating his lunch!

Some of us are timid of the edge.  Some have no fear of heights.  It would have been cruel for that guy on the outcropping to have picked me up and dragged me - forced me to be out there with him.  We can’t expect others to be in the same place as us.  We can’t force them to move at our pace. 

Paul in his writings often uses himself as an example.  Shares his testimony - how Jesus saved him.  What he’s been through for Jesus. 

In verse 14 Paul could have said this - using himself as an example - “This is Paul writing.  Remember me?  Paul.  That’s The Apostle Paul.  Writer of most of the New Testament.  The greatest evangelist and theologian of our time - perhaps all time.  Who are you to disagree with me?  I say it’s clean.  Get over it.  Eat it.” 

Instead Paul speaks of himself as having no fear of the edge.  He writes, “I’m persuaded that this food is not unclean.”  But he holds back.  He doesn’t insist.  There are others who not convinced.  Not persuaded of the same thing.  They’re timid of that edge.  It would be wrong to force them to eat.  Or to insist on our right to eat.

If we insist - Paul’s word - verse 15 - they’ll be “grieved” - meaning we would cause them distress - pain - sorrow.  The one for whom Christ died would be “destroyed” - literally spiritually devastated.

Karen and I recently watched a church far from here come apart.  About 1/2 the congregation left.  From what I understand it wasn’t over essential non-negotiables.  But those that left felt they were right before God to do what they did.  What’s led to a whole of pain and ripped apart relationships.  Grieving.  Destroying. 

How many times have we seen serious damage done to a ministry - to a congregation - by those who felt that before God they were doing the right thing.  We’re doing the right thing before God and you’re not.  Experienced that?

Why does it seem like way too often those who claim the holy high ground - meaning the one’s who should be the more mature Christians  demonstrating Christ like love - and we can decide if that’s us - why does is seem like those who claim the high holy ground seemingly act with so little love?  Where is the love in causing grief and devastation?

Francis Schaeffer, in a quote we looked at last week in our Life Groups - Francis Schaeffer in discussing a destructive church split in the first part of the 20th century - Francis Schaffer makes the following observation:  “Our calling is to exhibit the existence of God and to exhibit His character, individually and collectively.  God is holy and God is love, and our calling is simultaneously to show forth holiness and love in every aspect of life… 

Are we hearing Schaeffer?  We’re called to live in holiness that demonstrates the holiness of God.  That means living by those non-negotiable essentials without compromise.  We’re also called to live in love that demonstrates the qualities of God’s love - towards us - towards others.  What does that look like in real time in those times when we could easily divide.

Schaeffer goes on:  To show forth both - holiness and love -  simultaneously, in personal matters or in church and public life, can only be done in any real degree by our consciously bowing, denying our egotistic selves, and letting Christ bring forth His fruit through us—not merely as a “religious” statement, but with some ongoing reality…  Thus whenever it becomes necessary to draw a line in the defense of a central - non-negotiable essential - Christian truth it is so easy to be proud, to be hard.  It is easy to be self-righteous and to self-righteously think that we are so right on this one point that anything else may be excused—this is very easy, a very easy thing to fall into.  These mistakes were made, and we have suffered from this and the cause of Christ has suffered from this through fifty years.  By God’s grace, let us consciously look to our Lord for His help not to give Satan the victory by making this tragic error again.” (1)  

Are we hearing Schaeffer?  If we’re following our own flesh - our own selfish desires - we’re not living holy.  We’re certainly not going to be demonstrating Christ-like love.  And people are going to suffer.  The cause of Christ is going to suffer no matter how holy and justified we think we are, and might be, in what we’re doing.

Have you ever watched a parent walk with a small child?  The parent adjusts.  Walks slower.  Bends down to hold the child’s hand.  Ever play a game - a board game - cards - football - catch - ping pong - with a child?  We hold back from creaming them.  Love limits.  When we get older that holding back reverses itself.  Our kids learn to slow down for us.  But again, love limits.  It yields for the greater good of the one who’s weaker.

Love is about the other person - not us.  What we could insist on.  We have a choice - in conflict - when divided - to love - to yield.

First, choose to love.  Choice number two comes in verses 16 to 21:  The Choice To Build Up - to build each other up and not tear each other down.

Verses 16:   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.

“So - meaning since we have a choice - so do not let what you regard as good - do not let it - be spoken of as evil;

Let’s be clear on what Paul means by “good.”

From a 1st Century Jewish perspective - Jews reading Paul - to the Jews God was someone who appears hovering in a cloud over Mount Sinai - a God of smoke and fire.  He’s the God who parts seas - sends plagues - who wiped out the world with a flood.  If we touch His stuff and we die.  If we look at His face and we die.  God is holy - exalted - almighty - sovereign.

To the Jews being right with God meant sacrifices for worship - for cleansing - for restitution - for devotion - for confession of sin - forgiveness of sin - cleansing from defilement.  Animals were chopped up.  Pieces of animals were waved around.  Blood was free flowing.  Parts of carcasses were dragged from the Temple to the outskirts of town and burned.  There were burnt offerings - grain offerings - peace offerings - guilt offerings - wave offerings - heave offerings.

Then there were regulations - traditions - impossible standards of holiness - condemnation and ostracism for failure - hundreds of laws imposed by the Pharisees and Sadducees.  Everything about their lives was integrally related to a law of behavior that emphasized the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man - their own failure.  Constantly trying to earn our relationship with God - to measure up.  And yet, to know that spiritually we always fall short.

Which is a trap that we Gentiles fall into even today.   In every religion out there we have to work really really hard at being holy and righteous and gaining our god’s approval and hoping that the judgment on our life - that god’s verdict - comes out in our favor. 

So many today feel that bondage.  All of us - even the “best” Christians among us can go there.  We stumble around - struggling to overcome our sins - to be free.  We’re weighed down with guilt.  Bound by our feelings of failure and inadequacy.  How could the Almighty Holy God love us?  How could there be anything different for us?

Carl Sandburg - the author - once said, “There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.”   Spiritually, isn’t that true?  Ever feel that way?

Paul, earlier in Romans - in chapter 7 - starting at verse 24 - Paul writes, “Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  (Romans 7:24,25a)

Then Paul begins Romans 8:  “There is therefore - because we have been set free by Jesus - there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”  (Romans 8:1,2)

We don’t have to earn our freedom on our own.  Jesus - on the cross - by His sacrifice in our place - as we trust in Him as our Savior - He sets us free.  God forgives our sin.  Lifts us from the mud - the sewage of our sin.  Gives us eternal life in Him.  Begins building our lives - the re-creation of our lives - transforming us to become the person of worth and purpose that He has envisioned for us - created and called us to be. 

That’s the “good” that Paul is writing about in Romans 14:16.  Paul says that this freedom in Jesus is “good”  Isn’t it?  And, this “good” - in the midst of division - comes with tremendous opportunity.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:13:  “For you were called to freedom, brothers.  Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh - a self-focused - self-serving - salvation and life is about me - end user mentality that becomes evil when we insist on what’s about us - but through love serve one another.”

When we get so wrapped up in do this and don’t do that - when we start dividing up according to who acts more holy - according to those people who agree with us and look like us and act like us - expecting others to agree with us and judging them when the inevitably won’t.  We miss the point of what life in Jesus - of being free from being weighed down trying to earn our own righteousness - we miss out on the freedom we have in Jesus.

When we trust Jesus as our Savior we no longer have to save ourselves.  We no longer have to defend ourselves.  We no longer have to wallow in self-doubt and self-pity.  We no longer need to hold on o anger and bitterness and pride.  We can trust God and in love yield.  We no longer need to tear others down to build ourselves up.  All those things that cause division.  That’s freeing.

Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have... love for one another.”  (John 13:35)

In a world where true love is buried under the selfishness of people living in the bondage of people that have been beat up and are living with a survival mentality - when we love each other - selflessly with the quality of love that can only come from outside of ourselves - that can only come from God - we prove the reality of God’s transforming love.  If we don’t - the good - the freedom we have in Christ becomes failure - grief - destruction.

If we insist on getting our way regardless of who gets hurt people are going to speak evil of us.  Worse - they’re going to say the Gospel we proclaim is worthless.  Why would I ever want to give myself to the kind of hypocrisy I see in those claiming to be Christians?  Ever heard that?  Shame on us.

Verse 17:  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom of God isn’t about all these secondary issues we divide over.  It’s about what it means to be set free in Jesus Christ.  Living rightly with Him.  Knowing His peace in our lives.  Experiencing the joy that can only come from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Living together in the Kingdom of God. 

Verse 18:  Whoever thus serves Christ - “thus” meaning serving in this way - in what way?  He who serves keeping focused on what the Kingdom of God is really about - that person - is acceptable to God and approved by men.  God is pleased and people notice the difference.  To God be the glory. 

Verse 19: So then let us pursue - eagerly - passionately - seek after - what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

What’s really acceptable to God and what men are desperate for is what we ought to be pursuing with single minded passionate devotion.  Not food and drink.  Not regulations and expectations.  Not what tears down.  But - verse 19 - pursuing peace.  Doing those things that build each other up.  Living together in God’s kingdom as loving siblings in Christ. 

Paul emphasizes that point in verses 20 and 21 - pleads with us to keep focused on what is really important:  Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God - what God is doing in you and others and His work of redemption - salvation - freedom.  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.

People - siblings - spouses - who we are in Christ - how we live together in Christ in holiness and love - that is far more important that insisting on our rights - causing our siblings to stumble.  Choose to love.  Choose to build each other up.

Choice number three comes in verses 22 and 23.  Choice number three:  Choose Faith.

In verse 22 Paul writes to the person who’s strong in his faith:  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.

“Keep your faith between you and God” kind of sounds like Paul is saying to keep what we believe to ourselves.  Don’t push your religion on someone else.  Keep our mouths shut and don’t say anything that might cause a problem.  Make nice.  Don’t cause waves.  Paul is instructing us to live out our based in on our faith convictions.

There are times when our boundaries are going to get pushed - even as so called “stronger” Christians.  God way too often needs to rock our little worlds.  To push us forward in our faith.  There are times when God may use our actions and attitudes and - maybe even through loving confrontation - we’re going to challenge the boundaries and comfort zones of our so called “weaker” siblings in Jesus.  Why?  Because God is growing all of us.

Jesus made waves.  Jesus pushed boundaries.  Jesus was definitely not PC.  Jesus ate in the homes of sinners.  He tore up the Temple.  He wasn’t bound by the traditions and expectations of the religious leaders.  He made people uncomfortable.

A healthy church cannot move forward if we are continually fearful of what may happen if others struggle.  Sometimes struggle is good.

It would be hugely frustrating to spend our lives trying to live up to or down to the expectations of others.  It would be hugely frustrating to constantly be looking over our shoulders wondering if we’re causing someone to stumble of be hindered by what we’re doing.

Yet, Paul warns us not to push the boundaries based on what we want.  As Schaeffer says - pushing boundaries based on our self-righteousness and self-righteously thinking about how right we are on a issue.  But pushing boundaries as God leads us forward.  That’s a faith thing.  Our attitude and actions being a consequence of our trust in God - our faith in God.  Not us.

Paul’s point is that what we believe - and what we do - should come out of our faith - our own personal relationship before God.  Meaning we need to live our based in our faith convictions.

Blessed - happy - experiencing the real joy of God’s presence and pleasure in the midst of whatever goes on in life - blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 

There’s a huge confidence in life - blessing from God - that comes to us when we’re living by faith in God - not us.  Doing things that God - by His word - and His leading - and His timing - has freed us to do.  By love yielding if needed.  But, free.  There’s no judgment in that.  No condemnation.  When we live that way we’re blessed and God uses us to be a blessing to others. 

Then Paul speaks to the person who is weaker in faith - verse 23:  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.

There was a scientist who decided that the way to get more work done was to replicate himself.  So he cloned himself.  Unfortunately this clone took on a very obscene personality and was offensive to the scientist and to everyone else.  So one day - when the scientist couldn’t bear with his obscene clone anymore - he pushed the clone off a cliff.  And of course he was arrested for making “an obscene clone fall.”

We can’t ignore that each of us has an influence on others.  We need to pay attention to how we exert that influence.  As members of the Body of Christ - in whatever role we have in the congregation - we have to be careful.  We’re not to produce little Christian clones.

It would be so easy for those stronger in their faith to exercise influence over spiritually younger Christians - to get them to memorize and parrot back Scripture - to memorize Christian doctrine - to mimic Christian behavior - to do all the right things and say all the right things - to please us - and yet have no clue as to the reality of what living by their own faith in a relationship with Jesus Christ is all about.

Here is verse 23 Paul is warning the weaker Christians to be on guard against this.  “Don’t just eat stuff because someone tells you its okay - because it’s the expectation.  Eat, only if by faith you understand that it’s okay to eat.  Do what you do because of your faith relationship with God.”

Meaning we need to live consistent with our faith.  If we’ve got doubts then don’t go there.  And that’s okay.  Ask questions.  Seek answers.  And yet, be open to what God may yet teach you.

Have you driven one of those Autopia cars down at Disneyland.?  We’re steering the car.  The steering wheel is actually turning the wheels and the car is kinda swerving down the road.  But the car - thankfully - stays on the road because there’s a track down the center that is what’s ultimately steering the car.  In reality, the car would probably travel better down the road if we weren’t steering at all. 

That’s the kind of control God desires to have in our lives.  If we would stop trying to steer based on wherever we want the car to go - steering our lives after our own selfish desires - our own self-focused will - our great and esteemed understanding of the course Christ’s Church is suppose to follow down the road of life - strong or weak as that understanding and faith may be - if we would release control of our lives to God - to the Holy Spirit - He’d be the one guiding us through life a lot better than our efforts of bouncing along down the road.  He’d make sure we’re steering straight.

Are we together?  We’re still in the car going down the road.  But the control of the direction and how we’re getting there is God’s.

Whether stronger in faith or weaker in faith - healing division comes as we point each other towards God.  Towards His word.  As our faith increases in Him.  As He guides us forward.  As we help each other to listen to Him together and follow Him together.  We need to help each other with this.

Ray Stedman said this of what Paul writes here:  “These are wise words.  Properly followed, they will gradually work out the differences of viewpoints we may have.  But, if ignored, the church is bound to go along with one side or the other, and division, anger, and upset will follow, and the whole cause of Christ will be injured by that.”

Choose to love - to yield rather than insist on being right.  Choose to build up and not tear down.  Chose to live by faith in God not self.

Last thought.  Very brief.  Stay with me.  Don’t miss it.

G.K. Chesterton - writer - theologian - G.K. Chesterton wrote this:  “How much larger would your life be if your self would become smaller in it?” (2)

Today - right now in your life - who has control of the wheel?  In your relationships - here - at home - out there - how’s that going?

_________________________

1. Francis Schaffer, “The Great Evangelical Disaster”, Crossway Books, Westchester, Illinois, 1984, page 76

2. G.K. Chesterton, “Orthodoxy,” Ignatius Press, 1995

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.