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Romans lecture number 29. We're going to start Romans 14. Romans 14 and verses 1 to 12 are titled, Dealing with the Weaker Brother. Brief introduction, Paul is discussing how Christians should live. And he now discusses how believers should treat the weaker brother. Now in verses 1 to 6, Paul tells us that we are to accept the weaker brother. We are to accept the weaker brother. Look at verse 1. Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. And so Paul says to accept the weaker brother, but don't pass judgment on the weaker brother. And we're going to learn about the identity of the weaker brother as we go along. The weaker brother, just to get a little ahead here, the weaker brother is a believer that doesn't fully understand his freedom in Christ. He still lives like he is under the law in some areas. Now Paul says we must accept the weaker brother, but we are not to judge the weaker brother. Now, some people will point to this passage and tell us not to judge the immoral brother. The weaker brother is not the immoral brother. When you look at 1 Corinthians 5, that's the chapter on how you deal with the immoral brother, a professing believer who's living in sin. 1 Corinthians 5, verse 1 reads, it is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife." So apparently a man was living in sin with his stepmother. Now, Paul says some pretty harsh things in this passage. He says in verse 5, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. And so Paul says that let's take the hedge of protection that God has around this guy and remove it and allow Satan to destroy his flesh to hopefully bring this guy to repent, to bring him back. And if not, maybe God will allow Satan to kill this guy and it will be the sin leading to death and God will bring him home if he is a true believer. Now, Paul says in verse 9 of 1 Corinthians 5, I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people. But then he says that I didn't mean immoral unsaved people, because you have to live in the world and you should be witnessing to these people. But then in verse 11 he says, but actually I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother, if he is an immoral person or a covetous or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or a swindler, not even to eat with such a one. What have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves." So Paul very clearly says that we are to judge the immoral brother, 1 Corinthians 5, but here in Romans 14, verse 1, he tells us to accept the weaker brother and not judge the weaker brother. And so keep in mind, the weaker brother is not doing evil things, he is not allowing himself to do some of the good things that he's allowed to do. So this guy is bordering more on legalism, more on legalism than he is a license to sin, like the immoral brother. Now Paul brings up the food question, In verses 5 and 6 he's going to bring up the Sabbath question, but in verse 2 he brings up the food question of Romans 14. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The food question. Now a stronger brother here understands his freedom in Christ. He knows that he may eat all things. But it's the weaker brother that thinks that he can eat vegetables only. And he places unnecessary restrictions on himself. There's nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, but if you are a vegetarian, if you choose to be a vegetarian, it's wrong for you to condemn meat eaters. Genesis 9, right after the flood, God began to allow man to eat animals, to kill animals and eat animals. Apparently the vegetation wasn't as wholesome as it had been before the flood, and now man needed to eat meat. Then God said in verse 6 that man is not to shed man's blood because human life is sacred and the death penalty would be required of all those who take the life of another. But God allows us to eat meat. In fact, it seems that God even encourages us to eat meat. So it's wrong to condemn meat eaters. If a person wants to be a vegetarian, that's fine, but that doesn't make them any more spiritual than a meat eater. And so we must understand our freedom in Christ. By the way, I once met, when I was sharing the gospel at Olympic College, I met a guy who was not only a vegetarian, but he even refused to eat dairy products and This guy was, I don't know, about 5'8", 5'9". I doubt if he weighed more than 95 or 100 pounds. And I think it's a bad idea. A lot of people really recommend eating just vegetables, but I really don't think it's too good of an idea. And we in America, we usually overdo it on the meat. We eat too much red meat and stuff like that. Our cholesterol levels are high, but I don't think Mike Tyson would be the fighter he is today if he was a vegetarian. If you disagree with me on that issue, we'll go a couple miles. Verse 3, don't look down on the weaker brother. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat. And the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Okay, so don't look down on the weaker brother. The weaker brother fails to see his freedom in Christ. Still, God has accepted him. And therefore, who are we to judge and reject him? If the perfect God has accepted the weaker brother, then how can imperfect people, like ourselves, judge and reject the weaker brother? Paul says in verse 4 that it's the master's job to judge. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls, and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. And so it is the master's job to judge. One servant should not judge another in gray areas. This isn't a thou shalt not steal, or thou shalt not commit adultery, or thou shalt not murder. This is a gray area. And one servant should not judge another servant in these gray areas. If you're on a job site, you should report a co-worker who steals or a co-worker who doesn't do his job. But you don't report a co-worker who does more than what is required of him, does more than what is necessary. You would inform him of his freedom and say, hey, you don't have to do those extra things, but if he continues to do them and he really is convinced that he's supposed to do them, no matter what you say, let him be. But it's the master's job to judge. And so we're saved by grace, not by works. And so Christ is able to make the weaker brother stand on the day of judgment. The Lord is able to make him stand. Look at Jude, the second to last book in the Bible. Jude, verse 24. It says, "...now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy." And so it's saying the same thing there, that God is able to keep us from stumbling and to make us stand in His presence on the Judgment Day. Verses 5 and 6, and that was the food question. Verses 5 and 6. By the way, I don't know if we're going to get to it in this lecture, or if it's in the lecture after this one, but we're going to take a look at a passage in Acts, eventually, where Peter, where the Lord showed him that it was no longer, certain foods were no longer unclean and they could now be, Christians could now eat them. But verse 5 and 6 speaks of the Sabbath question and so let's take a look at verses 5 and 6. One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must 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. So the Sabbath question. Now, Seventh-day Adventists, they are the weaker brother in this situation, and they set apart Saturday for the Lord. They're the weaker brother because they live like they're still under the law, the fourth commandment, I believe. But many Christian denominations today set apart Sunday for the Lord. Don't get me wrong, I think that Christians should worship on Sunday because we do so in remembrance of Christ's resurrection, whereas the worship on Saturday was out of celebration for God's six days of creation and then rested on the seventh day. Well now we celebrate the resurrection or the recreation, the eighth day. And Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday and most of his resurrection appearances were on Sunday. But many Christian denominations today look down on those who worship on Saturday and in essence I think they also become weaker brothers. Because they make Sunday worship a new regulation. The mature Christian, the stronger brother, I believe, is the one that Paul says he lives every day for the Lord. And therefore he doesn't look down on those who are weak. Whether they make some kind of legalistic command that you have to worship on Sunday or you have to worship on Saturday. I think both are incorrect. Now, we hold our services on Sunday and celebrate the Lord's resurrection. At the same time, if a guy from my church tells me that he's got a job where he has to work on Sundays and he can only come to a Friday night Bible study, but he's going to stay in fellowship and be accountable, I'm not going to tell that man he's in sin and that he's got to go quit his job and quit a $10 an hour job and now go do the fries at Burger King so that he can get off on Sundays to go to church. The mature Christian, the stronger brother is the one who lives every day for the Lord and doesn't look down on those who are weak. He assembles regularly with believers, and in my opinion, I think Sunday is the best day to assemble with other believers. The early church didn't, and I think we should follow their example, but it's not something that we make essential to salvation or that we get so legalistic about that we say that somebody's in a false church just because they worship on the wrong day. But Paul says that we are to be fully convinced in our own minds that we are not to go against our own conscience. You see, these are gray areas and we are not to judge others if they come up with a different conclusion. If they arrive at a different conclusion in their own conscience than we do, we are not to judge others in these gray areas. Now, Paul talks about the fact that we live for the Lord and we die for the Lord in verses 7 to 9. of Romans chapter 14. Romans 14, verses 7 to 9. 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. For 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, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. So we live for the Lord. Believers live and die for the Lord, not for themselves. We belong to the Lord. We are His property. Look at 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? And then verse 20. For you have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body." And so it's real clear that we do not belong to ourselves, we belong to the Lord. We are His property. Christ is master over both the living and the dead, especially those who are trusted in Him for salvation. and therefore we should leave the judging to Him in this area. Believers belong to the Lord, we're His property, and let the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, leave the judging to Him. Now in verses 10 to 12, Paul again points out that we will be judged by the Lord. Verses 10 to 12. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will 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 will give an account of himself to God. And so Paul says, we will be judged by the Lord, therefore we should not judge our brothers in gray areas, where nothing immoral is being done. Now, if the Word of God just comes right out and says, you know, thou shalt not kill, and somebody's killing innocent people, that's a whole different story. Believers, we need to recognize believers, their works will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ. Believers' works will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ. This judgment is not to determine salvation, but it is rather to determine rewards. Take a look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Now, the judgment of believers is not to determine whether or not the person is going to be saved. In order to get into heaven, you have to have the perfect righteousness of God, But 2 Corinthians 5.21 tells us that we have this perfect righteousness of God given to us as a gift. It's the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5.21 reads, He, that's God, made Him, that's Jesus. God the Father made God the Son. The Father made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. In fact, there's even a better verse, I think 1 Corinthians 1.30, that 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 30, but by his doing you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. So that just as it is written, let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. Righteousness, the perfect righteousness of God, it's God's holy standards and it's the ticket, the only ticket that's going to get you into heaven. Well, this righteousness has been given to believers as a free gift. In fact, there's a passage in Jeremiah which speaks about a name for the Lord. I believe it's Jehovah Sidkenu, and it's basically the Lord Our Righteousness. It's one of the names of Christ. But the believers, our works are going to be judged at the judgment seat of Christ, but it's not to determine salvation that's already been determined through the work of Christ. Instead, the judgment is to determine the rewards or loss of rewards in the millennial kingdom and possibly in the hereafter beyond that. Look at 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 10. Paul, talking to believers, says this. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. And so believers are going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and are going to be repaid for the deeds, whether good or bad, so there is going to be the reward or loss of reward. A passage probably more clear than this is 1 Corinthians 3, verses 8-15. 1 Corinthians 3. And verses 8 to 15, Paul says this, Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. We are God's fellow workers, you are God's field, the Corinthian church, all believers, God's building. And Paul says, according to the grace of God which was given to me like a wise master builder, I laid a foundation and another is building on it. So Paul led the Corinthians to Christ, Apollos was building on that foundation. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So the spiritual house of the church, Christ is the only true foundation. Verse 12, now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, now the first three, gold, silver, and precious stones, they would last, survive the test of fire, so that stands for good works, or spirit led works. Wood, hay, and straw, they would be destroyed, would be burnt up by fire, so they stand for dead works, either straight out, obvious sinful actions, or even things that look good to other people but weren't led of the Spirit. Any work that's not led of the Spirit and is not done of faith is sin and is a dead work, a work not acceptable to God. Verse 13, Each man's work will become evident, for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire. And the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." Well, when you see a house that goes through fire, what gets saved, the only thing that lasts through the fire is the foundation. And so what it's saying is the man is not going to lose his salvation at the foundation of the home zone. A guy's not going to lose his salvation, but what will happen is he'll lose rewards. Now, there's many passages, the rewards are referred to as crowns, and I don't want to spend a lot of time on that and go off on a tangent, but basically there's a parable of the talents where a guy who was faithful in a lot of different areas and multiplied what the Lord had given him, God put him in charge in ten cities, and another person God put in charge of five cities, and then a guy that just abused any talent that God, any of the talents that God gave him, and the guy that buried it, that guy ends up weeping and gnashing his teeth. So what it's basically saying, God has given each and every person the ability to serve Him. Non-believers don't serve Him at all. They will suffer the eternal flames of hell. But believers, dependent on how much they serve God after salvation, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, will determine the amount of rewards. But the rewards are likened to those with more rewards receive more authority, more responsibility. And when you look at the scriptures that speak on a thousand-year reign of Christ, And you look at passages where Christ told the apostles they would sit on twelve thrones over the twelve tribes of Israel. Ezekiel 37 says David is going to rule over Israel. Jesus, obviously, is going to rule over the whole world, so it seems that Jesus is going to delegate his authority. Under Jesus will be David over Israel, and the 12 apostles under him over the 12 tribes of Israel. There will probably be somebody in charge of the Gentiles. I don't know if it would be Abraham or if it would be Paul, or who exactly it would be, but it appears that the rewards are going to be the degree of responsibility in the Millennial Kingdom, and might possibly refer to even beyond that as well. But the non-believers, they also will be judged, but there they will all be condemned to the lake of fire. Now look at Revelation chapter 20. This is the judgment of non-believers. Revelation 20, verses 11 to 15. Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds. and the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them, according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire." That's the eternal flames of hell. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, that's the Lamb's book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. So if you're not saved by Christ, and your name is recorded in Christ, the Lamb's book of life, then you'll be condemned to the eternal lake of fire. So non-believers will be thrown into the lake of fire, but the judgment is still important there, even for their works, not to determine their degree of rewards, but to determine the degree of punishment. But the fact of the matter is that Isaiah 64.6 clearly states that our own righteousness is filthy rags before the Lord. Our own righteousness is not a ticket to heaven. Only the righteousness of Christ is a ticket to heaven. We receive that as a free gift imputed to us but then through sanctification, little by little, that righteousness is not just imputed to us, but also imparted to us. We begin to put on the righteousness of Christ, and eventually when we reach glorification, at the moment that Christ returns, we'll be changed into a twinkling of an eye, and the entire presence of sin will be removed from us. Now, so Paul says that We shouldn't judge our brothers, the weaker brother, in gray areas where nothing immoral is being done because even believers, just like non-believers, will be judged by the Lord. So the Lord is going to judge believers, but again, it's not for salvation, to determine salvation. That's been determined by Christ on the cross, but it is to determine rewards. Remember, the weaker brother is not doing anything immoral. He just does not recognize certain freedoms that we as believers have. But Paul, in this passage, talking about the judgment of believers, he mentions that every knee shall bow to the Lord, and every tongue shall give praise to God. He's quoting from Isaiah 45.23, when the Lord is clearly talking, and the word for Lord there is Yahweh. Well, in Philippians chapter 2, In Philippians chapter 2, Paul says that it is Christ Himself that this passage is referring to, therefore Jesus Christ is, in fact, Yahweh. Philippians chapter 2, Verses 9 to 11, it's talking about Christ. The context starts in verse 5, which says, have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus. Then it talks about His humility, that even though He was God, He became a man and was obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Verse 9, therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." So it's very clear that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. And so every knee shall bow to Christ who is God And so the choice is ours to make. You can bend your knee now and accept Christ of your own free will or you can bend your knee later against your will at the judgment before you enter the eternal flames of hell. But you can bend your knee now or you can bend your knee later. The question isn't are you going to bend your knee. You will bend the knee. before the Lord Jesus Christ. But Paul says that even believers must give an account of their actions for how we serve the Lord. Again, 2 Corinthians 5.10, that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And so we must give an account of their actions. But Paul is pointing out, we're going to be judged by the Lord, therefore, it's not our job to judge the weaker brother in gray areas, where nothing immoral is being done. It's the Lord's job. In conclusion of this passage, the first 12 verses of Romans 14, in light of our Master's return, we must accept the weaker brother. We must pray for the weaker brother. And you need to recognize this is like a fight between two physical brothers, two biological brothers. The father often holds the older brother responsible, even if the younger brother started the fight. So too, in this situation, God holds the more mature believer responsible for not causing the weaker brother to stumble. And that leads us into the remainder of this chapter, the last 11 verses, Romans chapter 14, verses 13 to 23, where Paul tells us that we are not to cause the weaker brother to stumble. Brief introduction here, again, Paul is discussing how Christians should live. He started this subject in Romans chapter 12. Paul said in the first 12 verses of Romans 14 that we are not to judge the weaker brother. Remember, the weaker brother is not immoral. It's just that the weaker brother does not understand his freedom in Christ. And he places himself under unnecessary restrictions. Now Paul tells us that we must not cause the weaker brother to stumble. So first he said, don't judge the weaker brother. Now he tells us not to cause the weaker brother to stumble. Now in verses 13 to 17, Paul speaks about the kingdom of God. Take a look at verse 13. Therefore let us not judge one another any more, but rather determine this, not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. And so Paul says that we are... Paul tells us that we should not cause the weaker brother to stumble. Don't judge believers in gray areas. Now again, believers should judge each other in moral issues, moral areas. 1 Corinthians 5 tells us that. We don't need to go over that passage again. But Paul says don't judge believers in gray areas. Don't be a stumbling block. for the weaker brother. A stumbling block would be something that causes the weaker brother to stumble, to sin. Now, Paul is speaking to mature believers, and I'm assuming you're a mature believer because I'm just coming at it from the same angle that Paul is, and if you're a mature believer and you recognize your freedom in Christ, there is a way that by judging the weaker brother, you could cause him to stumble, you could cause him to sin. And we're going to see Paul will tell us exactly how this can transpire in the next few verses. In verse 14 he makes it clear that nothing is unclean. All food is clean. Look at verse 14. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Very important verse. So Paul says nothing is unclean. Remember all the food that was unclean in the Old Testament, forbidden in the Old Testament law. Certain types of foods could not be eaten by the Israelites. Well, in Acts chapter 10, God showed that that was temporary. And the Israelites were God's chosen people, they were separated from the other nations, and there were many ways that God separated them from other nations, and one of them was their diet. But then in Acts chapter 10 verses 9 to 16, we read this. On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat. But while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance. And he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground. And there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, Get up, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean. Again a voice came to him a second time, where God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." This happened three times and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. So apparently Peter needed to be told this three times, three times over before it would really sink in. But Peter's vision showed him that food that God had said for the nation of Israel was unclean in the Old Testament was now declared to be clean. So Paul is saying there is nothing unclean. You see now, when the Scriptures talk about Christ fulfilling the law, we need to recognize the law, and some theologians disagree with me and some agree with me on this, but I believe the law can be broken down into three categories, the Old Testament law. There is the moral law, which just tells us what is right and what is wrong. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. There is the moral law. Then there is also the civil law. The civil law is where, in the law of Moses, they give the penalties. Such as eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, and I think that could still be applied because that's what justice is. The punishment fits the crime. But there is also the death penalty for rebellious children. There was the death penalty for practicing sorcery. There were all sorts. of civil punishments, legal punishments that I don't think should be applied across the boards to every nation. It would only make sense that God's chosen nation, they would have a stricter penal code than any of the other nations on earth. Now there are theonomists today Reconstructionists, Dominion theologians who were trying to bring the Old Testament law back and believe that every nation should put itself under the Old Testament law. I do not believe that that is correct. And then there is the ceremonial aspect of the law. So the moral, civil, and the ceremonial. The ceremonial aspect is the feast days and the temple services which were types of Christ. They were pictures pointing forward to the day when Jesus Christ would come the first time, the Messiah, and would provide salvation for mankind. Well, when Christ fulfilled the law, from the moral aspect, the moral aspect still applies to us. The way that Christ fulfilled that was He perfectly kept God's laws, which made Him a holy sacrifice without blemish. worthy to die on the cross for our sins. But as far as the civil and the ceremonial, they only apply to the Old Testament nation of Israel. And the ceremonial aspects have been fulfilled by Christ, so now no food is unclean. We have the freedom to eat all things. But the weaker brother still thinks that some food is unclean. Well, Paul says, therefore to him it is unclean. Because if he eats this food, he has to first violate his own conscience to do so. Okay? So that's the way that we could be a stumbling block, the stronger brother to the weaker brother, if we encourage him to eat that which he's convinced is unclean, even though it's clean, We're asking him to sin against his own conscience, to do what he really thinks is wrong. So Paul tells us to walk according to love in verse 15. 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. So Paul says walk according to love. Don't let your freedom in Christ cause your brother to fall. You don't always have to exercise your freedom. Freedom comes to us from God with responsibility. And therefore, we should not let food be used to lead the weaker brother to act against his conscience. We should not allow our freedom in Christ to cause our brother to stumble and to sin against his conscience. Paul says in verse 16 that we should not let a good thing or freedom of Christ be spoken of as evil. Verse 16, therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil. So don't let your freedom to eat all things be used as an instrument of evil. Don't let your eating cause your brother to fall into sin. You know, if you're eating meat and he believes it's a sin to eat meat, that might encourage him to eat meat and then he's acting against his conscience even though there's nothing wrong with eating meat. It's always wrong to act against your conscience. If you think something is wrong and you do it, even if it's not wrong by definition, acting against your conscience is wrong, and therefore it would be sin. Paul talks about the kingdom of God in verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. You see, the kingdom of God, the best definition I ever heard for the kingdom of God is wherever God alone rules. Wherever God alone rules. Presently, the kingdom of God resides in heaven, God rules in heaven and in the hearts of believers. God rules in the hearts of believers. In the future, though, the physical aspect of the kingdom, in other words, the kingdom of God that is on earth right now is only the spiritual. aspect of the kingdom of God in the hearts of believers. Presently, Satan is the god of his age, but in the future, the physical aspect, the kingdom of God will come to earth when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, the millennial kingdom, when he reigns on earth for a thousand years. And so Paul is saying, eating and drinking are not kingdom issues. He likes steak, another guy likes vegetables. That is not issues that make or break the kingdom of God. Now, righteousness, you know, living in obedience to God, that is a kingdom issue. Peace, joy, those are kingdom issues. Now, the aspect of righteousness, living in obedience to God, if you look at Matthew chapter 6, Matthew chapter 6, verses 9 and 10, where we commonly call the Our Father, Jesus says, pray then in this way, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You see, righteousness, God's will being done, that is an issue of the kingdom of God, that is a kingdom issue. But eating and drinking is not a kingdom issue. Peace speaks about living free of worries or living free of hostilities or strife. That is an issue, a kingdom of God issue, a kingdom issue. So believers should try to live righteous lives. And then the weaker brother isn't living in an unrighteous manner. He just doesn't recognize his freedom in Christ. but having peace between believers, between the weaker brother and the stronger brother, and an absence of strife. having joy despite the circumstances, no matter how bad, you can be happy only when things go your way, but you can experience joy even when you're in the midst of a trial. Righteousness, peace and joy, keeping peace among brothers, living righteously, judging the immoral brother, these are all kingdom issues. Righteousness, peace and joy, these are essential to the kingdom of God but eating and drinking, they are not kingdom issues. Now Galatians 5, 22 and 23, the righteousness, peace and joy, these are basically the fruit of the Spirit. Look at Galatians 5, 22 and 23, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law. And so you see the joy and the peace and the goodness which would lead to righteousness and the self-control which would lead to righteousness against such things, there is no law. Righteous living that comes from the fruit of the Spirit, that comes from the Holy Spirit, He bears this fruit through believers. So these are the fruit of the Spirit, they are essential. to the kingdom of God, and they are kingdom issues, whereas eating and drinking, they are not kingdom issues. So don't let your eating and drinking cause the weaker brother to sin against his conscience. If he sins against his conscience, he will then be unrighteous, he will have no peace, and he will have no joy. So Paul is saying keep the peace with the weaker brother Don't lead him into unrighteousness, where he will actually lose his joy. But do not judge the weaker brother. Now, in verses 18 to 21 of Romans 14, Paul says that it is good not to eat meat or drink wine. Take a look at verse 18. Paul says, for he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. Paul here is speaking about not causing the weaker brother to stumble. He says that this is service to God and this is acceptable to God and it is approved by men. Again, this is talking about when you serve God and God accepts it, that is righteousness. When it's approved by men, that brings peace. These are kingdom issues.
Advanced Romans #29
Series Advanced Romans
Sermon ID | 5150674154 |
Duration | 45:18 |
Date | |
Category | Sunday Service |
Language | English |
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