ROMANS: Law of Liberty Frees Us from Disputing Over Doubtful Things; "Therefore do not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way!"

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. (Romans 14:1)

In this part of the study, Paul taught about the law of liberty we have as Christians. Remember, the children of Israel were given 613 commandments by God to follow, as specified in the books of the law. (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome, which was comprised of both Jews and Gentiles.  

To the Gentiles, a lot of this would be received with relief.  Remember when the apostles first started evangelizing to Gentiles and the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit, certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” [Genesis 34] Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. (Acts 15:1-2)

When the apostles met together, they came to a consensus in the Spirit and sent a letter to the Gentiles stating,  Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment— it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. (Acts 15:24-29)

And throughout the apostles teaching to the Gentiles, they continued to emphasize this truth, just as Paul did to the church in Galatia; Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. (Galatians 5:1-4)

However, for the Jews, this liberty was more difficult to accept, and still is to this day. From the time God commanded Abraham, "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. ... And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” (Genesis 17:10-14)  

From that to all the other 600+ commandments that God gave the children of Israel, Moses explained to the children of Israel before they went into the promised land of Caanan, “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47)

We know from their history as recorded in the scriptures that the children of Israel did not always obey and repeatedly followed after false gods or behaved as the pagan nations around them (Jeremiah); but God always delivered them from bondage and returned them to their own land.  Centuries later, they were in bondage again by Rome, but had their Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and lawyers who made sure they enforced that every Jew obeyed the letter of the law. However, Jesus told them very bluntly, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. ... “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" (Matthew 23)

What the Jewish religious leaders refused to accept and believe is what Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ... Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:31-36) Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (II Corinthians 3:17) So through Christ, what kind of liberty do we all now have, Jews and Gentiles? Remember, the apostles said to the converted Gentiles, that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

The Jews followed a very strict diet and still do to this day.  The Gentiles, which are most of us, believe we can eat anything.  For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. (Romans 14:2-3) He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. (Romans 14:6) We can eat whatever we want, but not everything is good for us to eat. However, each of us has to be convicted in our own minds, and not judge others who eat differently than we do.  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. (I Corinthians 6:12-13)

Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. (Romans 14:4-6) For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. (Exodus 20:11; Genesis 2:1-3) 

The point was not for us to esteem a certain day, but to realize that it's important to take a day from doing work and rest.  We should be able to do our work in six days, and spend one day allowing our bodies time to rest and recover.  But he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.  It is not the unforgivable sin!  Jesus performed many miracles on the Sabbath, Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. (John 5:18)  Their threats didn't stop Him from performing miracles on the Sabbath, nor did it stop Him from being equal with God. "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8)

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. (Romans 14:7-9) The point is we are not to judge whether some one is saved or not based on outward things like being circumcised, what they eat, or if they observe the Sabbath.  God is the only One Who can judge, because He judges the heart. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. (I John 3:20-21)

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” [Isaiah 45:23] So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. (Romans 14:10-13) AMEN!