The church throughout the ages had to battle with disputable matters, and given our propensity to sin, many fights and divisions have resulted in such matters. We have acknowledged the possibility of this happening at Scotts Hill, so in our Membership Matters Class we make the following statement that we want all covenant members to make a commitment to. This is not original with us, but is attributed to St. Augustine. It says:
In the essentials we have unity.
In the non-essentials we grant liberty.
In all things, we show charity.
Paul addresses these issues among the believers in Rome. He breaks this chapter down into two sections, with each section dealing with the same problem but from two perspectives. In the first section he addresses the issue of unity and the second he addresses the issue of liberty.
Living in Unity (1-12)
- Unity requires all believers to the of others.
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Romans 14:1-2
Disputable matters are matters in the Christian faith where the Bible is silent or gives very little direction. Because the Scriptures don’t speak to it clearly, it may be determined by a believer’s personal conviction on the matter.
2. Unity requires all believers to one another.
Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Romans 14:3-4
Unity is not , where we all look alike.
Unity is not , where we all think alike.
Unity is pursuing in spite of our different convictions.
He is not saying to our differences, but to rise above our differences.
3. Unity requires all believers to the convictions of one another.
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, obvserves it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. Romans 14:5-6
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. Romans 14:23
For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we 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. Romans 14:7-9
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? 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 confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:10-12
Living With Liberty (13-23)
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. 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. Romans 14:13-15
- Unity requires all believers to surrender any that can cause a brother to .
Did Christ love him enough to die for him, and shall we not love him enough to refrain from wounding his conscience? Did Christ sacrifice himself for his well-being, and shall we assert ourselves to his harm? Did Christ die to save him, and shall we not care if we destroy him? John Stott (Message, 365)
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. Romans 14:16-19.
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. Romans 14:20-21
2. My liberties are by the and not by others.
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. Rom. 14:22-23
Practical Questions
Do you find yourself looking down on immature believers who don’t have the same understanding of grace as you do?
Is there legalism in your life that is revealed when you judge fellow believers because they don’t have the same convictions as you?
Are there liberties in your life that you refuse to surrender when around weaker brothers or sisters?
Are there things in your life that are not necessarily wrong but God has not given you the approval to practice?
Can you be in fellowship with someone who may hold different convictions than you do?
Are we taking non-essentials and trying to make them essentials?
Can we be a church that is committed to spending less time on disputable matters, areas of personel convictions not clearly spoken of in Scripture, and most of our time on the essentials of the gospel?
Can we be a faith family that genuinely accepts one another, forgives one another, forebears with one another, and loves one another.