Let us seek the maturity of faith (Romans 14:1-12)

Let us seek the maturity of faith.

  

 

[Romans 14:1-12]

 

 

How do you resolve conflicts and disputes at home, at work, or in interpersonal relationships?  Of course, in order to resolve conflicts and disputes first, we must identify (diagnose) the causes of those conflicts and disputes.  For example, conflicts and disputes in the relationship between husband and wife or father and son in the family, conflicts and disputes in the relationship between brothers and sisters in the church, and why there are conflicts and disputes must first be identified so that existing conflicts or disputes can be resolved.

 

While meditating on the Word of God, centered on 2 Samuel 3:30, during the early morning prayer meeting last Tuesday, I thought about the incident in which King David's general Joab took revenge on Abner, King Saul's general who killed his brother Asahel.  The key lesson I came to realize while thinking about these words was that in order to keep the unity of a nation or a church or a family, they should not be biased toward personal feelings.  What is important is not individual personal feelings, but the unity of a nation, church, or family.  For example, in order to keep the unity of the family or the church, we must not be biased towards vengeance, unforgiveness, or anger towards each other.  Families and churches cannot become one if they are still sharpening their swords of anger or revenge against each other due to past wounds or pains in their relationship.  In the end, families and churches are bound to split amidst conflicts and disputes.  Many families and churches are divided in strife.  We are not faithfully keeping the unity of family and church.  I think there are two things at the heart of this problem.  It is none other than “arrogance” and “ignorance”.

 

In today's text Romans 14:3, the apostle Paul is saying this to the saints in Rome and to you and me: “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.”  What does it mean?  The strong in the faith does not despise the weak, and the weak in the faith does not judge the strong.  In other words, it says that those who are mature in faith should not have a sense of superiority toward their brothers and despise those who are immature in faith because of the excellence of their knowledge of the truth (Park) and those who are immature in faith should not judge those who are mature in faith in ignorance.  In Romans 14:1-12, Paul deals with the issue of adiaphora regarding Christian freedom of conscience.  What does adiaphora mean?  Originally, this word is a philosophical term that can be interpreted as “insignificant”, “not so important”, “value neutral”, “things that you can do or don’t do’.  When this philosophical term is used as a theological term, it means that when Christians encounter a problem for which no definite answer can be found in the Bible, they try to solve the problem based on the cultural conscience and situational characteristics of the individual or community.  In other words, the area that is not clearly stated in the Bible and is left for people to decide and choose freely according to their circumstances is called “adiaphora” (Internet).  Dr. Yoon-sun Park defined adiaphora as follows: ‘It refers to leaving any ceremonial event that is not forbidden or commanded in the Bible to the individual conscience of the believer” (Park).  For example, Korean churches seem to be talking about alcohol and cigarettes these days. Also, some seminary professors seem to say that working on Sundays is adiaphora.  The believers in the Roman Church believed that the laws of the Old Testament had already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, so they thought that they did not keep the strict food laws or the dates of religious feasts that were mentioned in the Old Testament.  However, the saints whose faith was immature believed that the Old Testament food law or the date of the religious feast must be observed.  Therefore, because they had different convictions of conscience, they were able to become an element of conflict within the church.  The element of contention was that believers with mature faith had the risk of despising and criticizing the saints who were immature in their arrogance, while the saints with immature faith were at risk of committing the sin of judging the saints who were mature in their ignorance.  So, in today's text, Paul writes a letter to the saints in Rome, exhorting those who are mature in faith not to look down on those who are immature in faith, while admonishing the saints who are immature in faith not to judge the brothers who are mature in faith (v. 3).  Why do we despise our brothers and sisters in the church?  The reason is our arrogance.  Why do we judge other brothers and sisters without embracing them with the love of Christ?  The reason is our ignorance.  In particular, in today's text, the reason why Paul exhorts the mature saints in the Roman church not to despise and criticize the immature brothers in the midst of arrogance and ignorance is because he wanted to keep the unity of the church in Jesus Christ.  Of course, that responsibility lies with all the church members.  But Paul especially exhorts the saints in Rome who have strong faith, that is, the mature saints, to fulfill that responsibility well.  Surely believers with mature faith have a greater responsibility than those with weak faith in maintaining the unity of the church?  What kind of responsibility do they really have?

 

First, Christians who are mature in faith should not look down on and criticize brothers who are weak in faith.

 

Look at Romans 14:1, 3: “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.  …  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.”  Here, “him whose faith is weak” refers to the saint who eats “vegetables” (v. 2).  He still followed the strict dietary laws of the Old Testament (Lev. 11, Deut. 14) and avoided eating meat that had been offered to idols as unclean.  So, he ate mainly vegetables, following the strict dietary laws set out in Leviticus 11.  However, he who was with strong faith and was a mature believer enjoyed freedom in Christ, so he ate cheap meat sold after sacrifices at Gentile meat markets (MacArthur).  He who is mature in faith receive food with thanksgiving because God created it (1 Tim. 4:3).  Paul exhorts the saints in Rome, who have matured in faith to eat meat, the food created by God, with thanksgiving, not to despise and not criticize the brothers with weak faith who still eat vegetables and do not eat meat according to the strict dietary laws of the Old Testament, the old covenant.  Arrogant people who have a sense of spiritual superiority may well happen in the community of the church that they despise a brother with weak faith.  As they compare to the church saints who had immature faith, there is a risk not only looking down on them in arrogance since they think they have a lot of knowledge of the Bible and has lived a long life of faith have a sense of spiritual superiority, there is a risk of not only looking down on in arrogance, but even despising him.  Outwardly, they appear to be mature in their faith, but their hearts are full of arrogance amidst a sense of spiritual superiority, so they may look down on, and ignore brothers with weaker faith.  For example, ‘That person is a legalist.  How can he not enjoy the freedom in the Lord because he has no knowledge of the Bible and lives a life of faith’ and so on.  Faith does not do this if we are truly a mature Christians.  Also, neither is it.  Also, Christians with mature faith should not criticize the doubts of a brother whose faith is weak (v. 1).  What does it mean?  Christians of mature faith should not argue with brothers of immature faith over differences of opinion (Park).  Paul is telling us to refrain from arguing over the view that mature people can eat meat with thanksgiving in the Lord, and that those who are weak in faith should only eat vegetables.

 

Second, Christians with mature faith must tolerate brothers who are weak in faith.

 

Paul exhorts those with mature faith who eat meat with gratitude to accept those who are immature in faith who eat vegetables.  In Romans 14:1, the Greek meaning of the word “Accept” means “accept fully.”  In other words, he is exhorting the mature saints in Rome not to doubt the saints whose faith is weak, but to regard them as satisfied members (members of the church) (Park).  It is right.  Christians who are mature in the faith should regard their immature Christian brothers as unsuspecting and satisfied church members.  Even though saints with immature faith lack more faith than saints with mature faith and do not have faith enough to eat everything and have no choice but to eat vegetables, saints with mature faith should tolerate brothers with weaker faith rather than criticize them.  Why?  Why should believers with mature faith tolerate immature believers?  The reason is because God accepted them (v. 3).  Therefore, who are we to be able to reject those whom God has accepted?

 

What, then, is the responsibility of the saints whose faith is immature?  In other words, what should be the attitude of believers with weak faith towards brothers with strong faith in order to keep the unity of the church within the church?

 

(1)    Christians who are immature in faith should not judge their brothers who are mature in faith.

Look at Romans 14:3 – “…  and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, ….”  A saint with weak faith should not criticize a brother with strong faith.  At that time, the Jewish believers with weak faith in the Roman church still believed that they had to keep the Old Testament food laws (Lev. 11; Deut. 14), the religious ceremonies of keeping the Sabbath, and the laws of offering sacrifices in the temple.  They were still unable to escape from the legalism of the Old Testament era.  So, in the eyes of the believers with weak faith who have such confidence, those with strong faith would have been seen as irresponsible and corrupt (MacArthur).  It is said that at the time of Paul, all meat was first sacrificed to idols and then circulated in the market.  How could meat that had been offered to idols be bought and eaten in the market?  Wouldn't they be seen as truly irresponsible and corrupt saints who did not keep the Sabbath day holy, did not keep the feasts mentioned in the Old Testament (v. 5), and also did not keep the Old Testament law of sacrifices?  So, from the point of view of the saints with weak faith, the brothers with strong faith could be seen as irresponsible and even corrupt saints.  This accusation (judgment) ultimately comes from ignorance.  In other words, they are still living a life of faith in the age of the old covenant because they lacked the correct knowledge of the Bible.  They criticize the mature brothers in faith because they do not know much about the life of faith in the age of the new covenant opened in Jesus Christ.

 

(2)    Christians who are immature in faith must tolerate their brothers who are mature in faith just as their brothers who are mature in faith tolerate them.

 

We must tolerate each other.  Those who are mature in faith must tolerate those who are immature, and those who are immature in faith must tolerate those who are mature.  Do not doubt each other and accept them as satisfied members of the church.  Why should they accept each other?  The reason is because God has accepted both those who are mature in faith and those who are immature in faith (v. 3).

 

                     In order for us to keep the unity of the church well, we must tolerate (accept) each other.  We must never despise, criticize, or judge one another.  What should we do to do that?  We must acknowledge each other's differences and use those differences as an opportunity for blessing to build the church, the body of the Lord.  'Different' is not 'wrong', but an opportunity and a blessing.  In other words, the differences within the church are an opportunity to get to know each other and also a good opportunity to be blessed to maintain the unity of the church by respecting each other's differences.  Saints with mature faith should devote themselves to filling the lack of knowledge of the Bible by knowing and respecting the lack of knowledge of the Bible of the saints with immature faith.  The important thing is that as we get to know and respect each other's differences, we must not forget three important core principles.

 

(a)    We should all have a heart of gratitude to God.

 

Regardless of whether we are mature or immature, we must have a heart of gratitude to God.  Look at Romans 14:6 – “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.”  Since those who are mature in faith enjoy freedom in the Lord, they no longer keep the feasts (“days”) mentioned in the Old Testament literally according to the rules of the Old Testament, but keep them in the way of the age of faith, and eat the meat offered in sacrifices with thanksgiving.  Even those who are immature in faith do not eat the meat, the important thing is that both those who are mature in faith and those who are immature give thanks to God.  Even though the perspectives of the Old Testament and the New Testament are different between those with strong faith and those with weak faith in the Bible regarding keeping the feasts and eating meat, the important thing is that if both groups give thanks to God, then the church can keep the unity of the church.  How can faith be the same in the church?  There are those who have matured faith who can eat meat, and there are saints who can only eat milk.  All faith will not be the same.  However, if the hearts of all believers are grateful (for the grace of salvation) to God, whether the faith is strong or the faith is weak, the church will never be caught up in strife and divided.  Therefore, it is very important that we have a heart of gratitude to God even for the differences in the church community.  In doing so, we will be able to keep the unity of the church, which is the body of the Lord.

 

(b)    An important key principle to overcome our differences is that we all have our hearts for the Lord.

 

Look at Romans 14:7-8: “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.”  If we look at verse 6, the word “to the Lord” appears three times.  And here in verses 7-8, it appears twice.  It comes out 5 times in total.  What does this fact tell us?  Christian liberty of conscience (adiaphora), that is, in things that are not restricted by God's commandments or prohibitions, it means that it is natural for believers to do this or that to the Lord.  The reason is because the saints' freedom of conscience is because each of them does what they think is right in their conscience, but the standard is whether or not to glorify God (Park).  So, for the glory of God, those who are mature in their faith should refrain from eating meat that has been offered to idols and then sold on the market, even if God does not forbid it, if they cause other people who are weak in faith to stumble by eating such meat.  I think there is a point in what a seminary professor said: ‘Limiting my freedom in consideration of the interests of my neighbors is the starting point of Christian freedom’ (Internet).  However, if a saint with mature faith pursues his own glory because he is arrogant, or if a believer with weak faith pursues his own glory rather than the glory of God in a legalistic religious life and takes actions that offend his conscience, then they will not be able to overcome their differences.  As a result, the church will be caught up in strife and the church will have no choice but to split.  In conclusion, both mature and immature believers in the church community can overcome their differences if their heart motive is for the glory of God.

(c)     An important key principle for overcoming our differences is to recognize that we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

 

Look at Romans 14:10 – “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.”  Each of us will stand before the judgment seat of God.  And at that time, each of us must report our own work to God (v. 12).  Here, each of us' own work includes the work each of us has done according to our conscience (MacArthur).  In other words, each of us must report to God whether or not we have performed any ceremonial activity that is not forbidden or commanded in the Bible, in accordance with our individual conscience.  If we knew this, we would not judge and despise our brothers who are united in Christ.

 

                The church, which is the body of the Lord, is one.  And there are many members in the church.  In other words, the church is one and also diverse.  Of course, each of us has different gifts and different talents, but we also have different faith.  In other words, there are people with strong faith, but there are saints with weak faith.  Some saints are able to eat “meat” because their faith is mature, while others have no choice but to drink “milk” because their faith is weak.  We should not say that these differences are 'wrong, wrong' and that those who are mature in faith look down on and criticize their immature brothers.  And those who are immature in faith should not judge those who are mature.  Rather, we must accept one another.  The Lord has completely accepted all the saints, but who are we to accept some and reject others?  Who do we dare to criticize, belittle, and judge our brothers and sisters who have a slightly different faith?  We give thanks to the Lord, do everything for the Lord, and know that each of us must report our work to the Lord.  We love each other, so we must humbly and faithfully keep the unity of the church, the body of the Lord.