A Matter of Conscience

This is how it works with an old guy at the helm. This morning we resume our study of Paul’s letter to the Church of Rome. So if you would begin turning there. We’re still in a section that Paul began back in chapter 12, a section dealing with our relationship with others. It has already been a very thorough study.

In chapter 12, Paul began with our relationship with our fellow believers, 9 through 13. He dealt with those who are hateful towards us in verse 14, those who are downtrodden in verses 15 and 16, and those who are contrary to us in verses 17 through 21, and then Who can forget our study of Romans 13, where Paul dealt with the very important subject of the Christian’s relationship to the civil government. And as if he hadn’t already spoken very broadly, capturing so many different groups, he addressed our relationship with anyone in verses 8 through 14 of Romans 13. And though it would seem that Paul has exhausted his treatment of Christian relationships, in chapter 14, he opens up his most lengthy discussion of all, the Christian’s relationship to the weaker brother.

This final relationship will be discussed And this discussion courses all the way down to chapter 15, verse 12. Let’s hear what God’s word has to say about this very delicate relationship between the weak and the strong in faith. Let’s course back, if you would, to verse one of chapter 14.

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One man has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats.

For God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls, and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind.

He 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. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one of us dies for himself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again. He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God, for it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall give praise to God. So then each one of us shall give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this, not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. I know and I’m convinced in the Lord that nothing is unclean in itself, but to him who thinks it anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore, do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things are indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.

It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin.

We’ll pick up Chapter 15 in the weeks to come. But here in this, the most lengthy of all Paul’s relationship addresses, he turns to the matter of differing convictions and practices, what he characterizes as friction between the weak in faith and those who are strong. This is an area of concern that arises among Christians of any age or culture. There are always going to be varied convictions on matters that are less clear in Scripture.

Paul’s focus here is not on those clear biblical commands or prohibitions. Rather, it’s on those things that are less clear, what we often refer to as wisdom issues or matters of conscience. They are the so-called gray areas. On such issues, some will embrace what they perceive as a freedom of conscience, and others will embrace what they maintain as a legitimate prohibition. To put it another way, Paul is dealing with the inevitable conflicts that arise between those who are overly scrupulous and those who are of freer conscience on some matter.

That word scrupulous and its root word scruples, those are words that aren’t so commonly used in our day. It’s important to understand their meaning. Scruples just refers to matters over which doubt arises regarding the propriety of some action. It’s not that a scrupulous person sees something as inherently wrong, but neither do they see some activity as right and permissible. There’s a question.

And they just don’t know, and so they are tentative, sometimes exceedingly so. A person who is overly scrupulous nervously avoids engaging in things about which they are uncertain. And those who are more scrupulous are bound to be critical of those who do not share in their convictions. Likewise, those who are not convicted of a certain viewpoint, they are less scrupulous. They are apt to be intolerant of those who are.

Now, if we think about it for a moment, convictions over gray areas, they develop very slowly. They’re not the first convictions that we come to own. They’re often adopted over years of study and prayer, trial and error, discussion. But trouble arises when we want to put our conscience into play on another person’s conduct. We want them to abide by our conviction on the matter, rather than allowing God to lead them as he did us.

So what were the issues in the Roman Church? Paul lists two examples, but the way that he provides them, they’re so general that there had to be other issues, at least other potential issues. Paul hints at a few, but it’s not an exhaustive list. Some potential areas of disagreement in the first century would for sure be dietary laws, which Paul mentions, food offered to idols, pagan or even Jewish religious practices, wine and alcohol, works righteousness, abstinence from certain foods, fasting and asceticism, and traditionalism. That’s just a short list of the things that could potentially divide the weak and the strong. And I would say that to add to these, we might add a few from our own day. Bible translations, denominational affiliation, dancing, hair length, the use of tobacco, piercings, tattoos, and on and on and on. The particular issues will vary from age to age and culture to culture.

This is one reason why Paul speaks generally of these issues. The specific issues will vary, but there will always be areas of disagreement. The principles for dealing with these conflicts that develop are timeless. Let’s see what the great apostle has to say about how to handle areas of disagreement regarding these so-called gray areas.

They’re matters of conscience. God by his word and by wisdom, by life experience, has led a person to a matter of conscience. They believe that their position is right and just and appropriate. But not everyone agrees with them and therein lies the challenge. Paul is instructing us regarding differing convictions. And the first principle that he provides is an overarching one there in verse one.

It is the principle of graciousness. Now, accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. Even as Paul introduces the subject, dealing with those who are weak in faith, he uses this word faith here, pointing to a measure of confidence or assurance in the justification provided them in the gospel.

You see, the weak Christian, regardless of how long they’ve been saved, has an uninformed conscience on the matter. And quite often a weak Christian is burdened with an unbiblical conviction. Extra biblical, if you wish. They are yet wondering whether their relationship to God may either be damaged or enhanced even by something that they do or something that they do not do. They understand the doctrine of justification by faith, but they still live in fear of some lingering condemnation. Their faith is weak in that sense.

And so Paul instantly issues a directive, a command, to those who are strong in faith, to those who have full confidence in the truth of the gospel, as well as lively convictions on a wide range of issues. The strong in faith are quite likely seasoned believers, those who have lived the Christian life, for some time, and as such, they have not only have biblically formed convictions, principles derived from God’s word, they have faithfully applied those things to their lives. One who is strong in faith knows that they cannot add to or destroy what Christ has accomplished. And they’ve also developed clear convictions on what we would call wisdom issues. Definitive convictions in areas that are less clearly articulated in scripture.

Now, if it were just a matter of living his or her life accordingly, according to their convictions, doing so in isolation from others, these convictions would not be a concern, neither for the weak nor for the strong. The problem arises when these two people interface with one another. When the strong meets the weak and they interact on these issues, they come across somebody who doesn’t share their conviction.

Based on Paul’s admonition here in verse one, it’s clear that the tendency is to reject such a person, or at minimum to judge his or her opinion. Instead of walking with the fellow believer, allowing him or her to wrestle through these difficult life questions for themselves, the so-called stronger Christian insists that the weaker brother adopt his position, and he does so by two means, like two sides of the coin. One way is to pass judgment on his opinions, to scorn him because he does not agree. He’s not in line. This, the judgmental brother does by letting out perhaps a well-timed sigh, a rolling of the eyes, a patting the weaker brother on the head, or worse yet, holding him at arm’s length and just tolerating him, thereby belittling him for his feeble faith. Accepting and judging are set in contrast here in verse 1. Paul gives an even stronger contrast in verse 3 and again in verse 10. There he contrasts judging and contempt.

So the second or the ultimate means of gaining compliance is to exercise kind of a club mentality with regard to Christianity, to keep this weaker brother out of the club, not accept him until the person complies, or rejection if he does not. In doing so, the weaker brother is pressured, not by biblical conviction, he’s pressured by the stronger brother’s conscience on the matter. And so Paul admonishes the strong to accept the one who is weak in faith.

What does this acceptance look like? It means that we welcome such an individual into the fellowship as God has welcomed him. God has welcomed him into his own kingdom. We cannot ostracize such a person or hold him at arm’s length until he comes around to our way of thinking. We can’t treat such a person as a neophyte, a second-class citizen.

We should warmly and patiently welcome them into the fold. We should seek to fellowship with them. We should open and share God’s word with them. We should pray with and for him. We should seek to disciple him as far as he desires. We should accept him.

As for the weaker brother, he or she is weak. in faith, and they must not be about teaching or promoting their particular position. Rather, he is to live out his conviction quietly before God. That’s his position. He or she should continue to search out the scriptures, earnestly pray for understanding, fellowship with God’s people, and grow. That’s what’s required of the weaker brother. The stronger brother should welcome the newer, weaker brother in Christ.

Accepting him does not mean that we should not confront a new or young believer who is in obvious error or sin. But when and if we confront him, we must do so directly from God’s word. Chapter and verse. Not from our own conscience, based on our own preferences, Regarding a particular area of weakness, we do not harangue or harass a person until they adopt our way of thinking.

But as Paul taught young Timothy, reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. That’s the duty of the strong. There’s a second principle that Paul gives us in verse Two and following, there are actually two examples of these issues and two subsequent exhortations. Would you glance at verse two? Examples and exhortations, not only this overarching principle, but now Paul moves to examples and exhortations.

One man has faith. that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The first example that he gives here in verses two through nine is the example of a potentially divisive issue in the matter of meat eating. One man has faith that he may eat all things. He who is weak eats vegetables only.

In that first century culture, the religious sacrifice of animals was commonplace. And some, saved out of a cult, might have been inclined to do away with meat eating altogether. In this, their conscience was weak. They felt like if they were to partake in meat eating, they would do damage to their salvation. They no longer believed that they were free to eat meat, and the result, he eats vegetables only. In short, in this matter, he is over scrupulous.

He doesn’t yet understand that it isn’t what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, as Jesus taught. He doesn’t yet comprehend, as Paul instructed the Corinthians, that food will not commend us to God. We are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do. And so, his Christian friend, the one who has faith that he may eat all things, does not share his conviction. He knows that neither eating nor abstaining will affect his spiritual life. Spiritually speaking, he’s no worse, no better if he eats meat.

He knows this. And here is a real potential conflict. And Paul knows that he has to address it. And in verse three, effectively applies the overarching principle of verse one, acceptance, not judgment. And he does so by way of an admonition to both of these individuals, the weak and the strong. Look there, if you would, at verse three, let not him who eats regard with contempt who does not eat. and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats. He admonishes both groups here, the weak and the strong.

Both of them are in error, the weak by his uninformed practice, the strong by his harshness. That word contempt is a ugly word. It means to despise someone or something, And note this, he offsets contempt with judging. To do one is to do the other. And so both the weak and the strong are to refrain from contemptuous judgment, hateful, or if you prefer, from judgmental contempt.

Would you glance down at verse three again briefly? The way I understand it, Paul gives the unmistakable reason why neither of these individuals, the strong or the weak, is to contemptibly judge his brother. Why? Look at the end of verse three. For God has accepted him. The individual, whether weak or strong, is a Christian brother. He has repented of his sin. He has placed his faith in Christ. He is a brother. in Christ. God himself has accepted him.

How can anyone else judge him? No doubt about it, verse 4 is nothing short of a sharp rebuke to anyone, weak or strong, who contemptibly judges his brother or sister in Christ. Who are you? Paul asks. The brother with a strong faith would easily fall into a measure of pride, being critical of his weaker brother. The weaker brother, likewise, could easily become critical of his stronger brother, whom he perceives as being reckless and insensitive. Paul’s argument is simple here, and it applies to both kinds of believers. This brother of whom you’re tempted to be critical or to judge is not your servant.

And so to contemptibly judge our brother is to obnoxiously elbow God out of the way. This brother, weak or strong, belongs to God. He answers to Him. God will lead him. God will correct him if needed. God will develop in him convictions. God will teach him.

And so Paul calls each of these brothers to a mutual graciousness and patience one with another. The weaker not to think and speak critically of the stronger brother’s freedom, the stronger not to think or speak disparagingly of the weaker brother’s tentativeness, both are to leave it in the hands of the Lord.

Paul provides a second Example in verse five, would you glance there? This potentially issue regards the issue of religious days. Convictions regarding the calendar. One man, Paul says, regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. The one, every day is the same. dedicated and devoted to serving God. But to another, there are high and special days.

Jewish converts to Christianity would have naturally clung to their religious feasts and festivals. But honoring certain days as more important than others would not have been limited to Jewish converts. And neither did this issue die out in first century Christianity. Differing ideas, differing attitudes regarding occasional celebrations remain an issue.

So Paul acknowledges that questions and differences about whether or not a day is to be treated as special still exist. And his exhortation on this point is simple and straightforward. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. Essentially, he says there, have your own conviction and live accordingly. Paul, here again, seems to be guarding against this factiousness, this time over particular celebrations or observances. If you believe the day to be special, honor it as such. If you believe that every day is special, likewise, treat every day as special. Live it out. Regardless of what you believe, you don’t have to become a factious ambassador for the practice.

He’s guarding the brother with a weaker conscience as well here. The weaker brother is not to be bullied. He’s not to be pushed around with a brother with stronger convictions, to be encouraged to follow the one with the most influence or follow the crowd. To engage in such practice is dangerous and potentially destructive. He is to follow the dictates of his own conscience, not the conscience and convictions of others.

The key question here, as Paul outlines in verses six through nine, is for whom are you keeping the day? Who is the one that you are doing whatever it is you’re doing? Whether or not you’re observing the day or whether you are not eating, for whom are you doing these activities?

And Paul makes two parallel statements. of the weaker brother. He says, he who observes the day observes it for the Lord. He who eats does so for the Lord. This is the weaker brother doing what he believes in his heart is best and right. He has scruples. He’s fearful not to do these things. But likewise of the stronger brother, Paul says, he who eats not for the Lord, he does not eat. He is doing according to his conscience what he believes is good and right. Both the weak and the strong in their most sincere motives are engaged in their respectable duties unto the Lord. He tells us that both men are spiritual. Both men are seeking to honor the Lord in what they do.

As Paul admonished the Corinthians in this same context, 1st Corinthians 10 31, whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Have your conviction and live accordingly. This is, in the words of the older catechism, the chief end of man, right? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. That’s what we should be about. Paul says it this strongly in verse 7, not one of us lives or dies for himself. Rather, we live or we die for the Lord. We live devotionally as unto Christ. Paul goes on to say, verse nine, that this is exactly why Christ died. That his lordship would be honored by the selfless living of those for whom he died.

So it’s not, if it is not to please the Lord himself, you’re on very dangerous ground. You’re only engaging in some spiritual practice to honor another person’s conscience, You’re doing it for all the wrong reasons. You’re letting a mere man dictate to you your behavior. Avoiding this kind of judgmental contempt means that we are gracious and kind, welcoming of these fellow believers into our fold. He or she is not on probation.

As if after the Lord himself has saved them, they must somehow prove themselves to others. Both the strong and the weak, brother, must hold matters in conscience privately as far as possible. We must not be factious in these things. We must not be promoting them, seeking to enlarge our circle of influence, the adherence to our personal conviction. Rather, we have to hold to them, practice them, and celebrate them as unto the Lord.

Paul comes to an initial conclusion here in this matter in verses 10 through 12 on this matter of contemptibly judging another. Comes to his third point. This instruction regarding differing convictions, not only the overarching principle, the examples, and exhortations, but the concluding directive. here in verses 10 through 12. And the concluding directive is, you could summarize it with one word, stewardship. Paul again pairs these two terms, judging and contempt, in verse 10.

Why, he asks, would you do such a thing? His argument here is so simple, so straightforward. We all, he says, every one of us will one day stand before the judgment seat of God. Verse four, Paul initiated this point. Who are you to judge the servant of another? This is our brother, not our servant. He answers to another, namely to Almighty God. Not me, not anyone else. But here, in these closing verses, Paul takes the argument a step further. Not only will God judge this brother one day, God will judge me too.

All of us, every single one of us. There before the holy judge, every person is equal. No one can pull rank. No one can claim longevity or superiority over another. The weak and the strong, the new believer, the lifelong believer, he who ate meat, he who did not, he who observed the day and he who did not, will all stand on exactly the same footing before the judge of all.

In order to underscore his point, that all will be judged by God, the righteous judge, Paul provides biblical proof. A citation from Isaiah 45, 23. To me, every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. This is the same verse that Paul, as you know, cites in Philippians 2 of the glorified Christ. whom God highly exalted, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow. The Lord Jesus Christ will be judge of all, all people.

And the apostle humbly concludes, each one of us shall give an account of himself to God. Paul, the weak and the strong, those who eat, those who chose not to eat, will stand before the Lord to give an account of their lives, their convictions, their choices.

And so Paul’s not so subtle point here is what are we doing judging one another? Rather than judging our brother, what we ought to be doing is preparing our report. preparing the report of our own stewardship, ready to give an answer to the judge of all. We do best to mind ourselves, mind our own doctrine, mind our own lives, primarily, first and foremost. We do best to ready the report of our own stewardship, instead of seeking to attend to others personally held convictions, and contemptfully judging them.

We’ll pick up in Romans 14, next Lord’s Day, Lord willing, let’s pray. Father, what a delicate section of scripture this is. And while other subjects, seemingly grander subjects like Our relationship with civil authority were dealt with in a few verses, Lord. We acknowledge that this one is weighty, given the amount of effort that Paul puts into writing about it, a chapter and a half.

Lord God, we pray for wisdom and grace and insight. Grant us in the meantime, patience with others, a humility, A gratitude, help us to look to our own lives and to what you are doing in our lives. Help us to come alongside those who are seemingly weak. You come alongside to lead and to assist however we can, but not to judge, not to be harsh, not to hold them in contempt, but to love them and care for them as brothers and sisters in Christ. Lord, we pray for any who are in our midst, in the midst of a difficult, challenging passage.

The gospel is there. Jesus Christ died for sinners. Lord, the only hope is to place our faith in Christ as so many of us have done. Lord, we pray that you would have your way with every sinner here. that you would draw them to God through what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. We thank you and we praise you. We pray all of these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.