Explore the Bible Series for Feb. 5: Guard your actions lest they promote conflict

Posted: 1/23/06

Explore the Bible Series for Feb. 5

Guard your actions lest they promote conflict

• Romans 14:13-23

By Trey Turner

Canyon Creek Baptist Church, Temple

In our church, we are going through a process of discovering spiritual gifts, personal style and the passions that make up each believer. This is an important process to know how God wants us to serve in and through the church. Part of understanding these things is to show how we do not belong to ourselves.

The Apostle Paul writes, “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5). That is a foundational thought about service. We serve the Lord in faithfulness. We serve our brothers and sisters with love, giving up our rights in order to bring people to the faith or to bring them up in the faith. How do we behave towards one another? Paul lays down some expectations for us.

Erect no barriers (Romans 14:13-14)

As Paul discusses the issue of clean animals and unclean animals, he is addressing the Jewish legal code. For some, it was inappropriate for a person to eat certain foods. They might say, “It was wrong when we were obeying the Jewish law; why would it be right now?” But in the same church, there are those who grew up in pagan backgrounds freely eating the things that were not clean under a Jewish religious dietary guideline.

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Now these believers are in the same church. Which view will prevail? As described in Acts 10, God revealed to Peter that laws regarding clean and unclean animals were no longer an issue for him. In part, this showed Peter he could accept Cornelius into the family of brothers.

Paul holds that same conviction, saying, “As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself” (14:14). But Paul does not declare his right to eat because his conscience is clear. He says to consider others whose consciences are not clear.

Today, people have convictions about working on Sunday or wearing shorts to worship services. Paul says do not first think about your rights; consider the barriers they could place to another. Notice how these decisions are self-imposed. They are considerations from maturity.

Act in love (Romans 14:15-18)

The motivation for the Christian’s actions should not be freedom only. Paul appeals to the “most excellent way”—love. Christians consider others and the impact their actions will have on them.

Verse 16 shows the occasion when something good (the believer’s freedom to eat various foods knowing there is no spiritual impact) is given a bad reputation. The believer’s freedom became the point of another person’s stumbling and slander. Be careful not flaunt to your freedom, but use your freedom to love and serve others.

Seek positive results (Romans 14:19-23)

Christians can get embroiled in arguments about who is right and who is wrong just as any one else can. Maturity will hedge against demanding one’s own rights in order to love another person. Maturity likewise can look to the end result of edifying the church.

Again, Paul is not saying everything is allowable for the Christian. Related to foods, the Christian is not limited to the dietary laws of the Jewish faith. These are matters of practice and not core doctrine. In these cases, the Christian works toward the end goal of keeping doors open for mutual partnership; he or she acts from grace.

Verse 23 shows the importance of conscience. In many matters of practice, each Christian is growing. As a demonstration, Paul says we do nothing to put up barriers to that person’s faith. We do everything considering others. We work to grow peace.

Peace is the biblical understanding of wholeness, harmony. It is more than a lack of conflict. It embodies health from blessing and growth. Broken relationships do not yield to peace; mutually edifying relationships do.

Discussion questions

• What are some practices that divide churches or denominations?

• What kind of disagreements do you suppose most churches have in their fellowship? How might this approach to personal faith make a difference in these disagreements?

• What is the greatest difficulty to practicing this lesson?

• What rights are you most likely to claim? Has this ever caused problems?