Page 96 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

sisters in Christ in their local churches. He had a particular issue to address about how they were
polarizing around the issues of when to worship and what they should eat that were holdovers from the
cultural and religious backgrounds in which they lived before they came to trust in Jesus Christ as their
Messiah and Savior. These issues were threatening their ability to communicate Christ’s good news with
integrity, and they needed to be settled. All of the things that Paul had written in this letter to this point
— the exposition of the wonder of salvation in Christ, the example of the Israelites, the foundational
command for Christian living, the commands about to live to bring glory to God in this world — were
written so that he could say what he is going to say in Romans 14:1-15:13.

These verses are divided by Paul into four paragraphs through which he gives four instructions about what
they must do to live with one another in the churches of Rome in such a way that God will be pleased with
them and their opportunities to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with integrity will be enhanced. They
are as follows:

1. Because each of you are servants who are accountable to God, accept and respect the choices each of
you make as to how to use your freedom in Christ to serve Him faithfully. (14:1-12)

2. Do not use your freedom in Christ to judge one another or to keep another believer from growing in
their trust in and service to Christ. (14:13-23)

3. Despite your differences pursue living in such a way that your harmonious relationships show God’s
glory in the world. (15:1-6)

4. As Christ has worked on your behalf to show God’s love and mercy to you, so you must accept one
another in spite of your differences. (15:7-13)

We are going to take some time to look at each of these paragraphs more closely so that we will be able
learn well the lessons Paul was teaching the Roman believers and become able to use them in our own
churches.

Because each of you are servants who are accountable to God, accept and respect the choices each of you
make as to how to use your freedom in Christ to serve Him faithfully. (14:1-12)

Paul got very personal at this point in this letter. He looked them in the eye, and he let them know that he
knew what was going on among them under the veneer of their supposed unity together as brothers and
sisters in Christ. He let them know that he knew that they were in the process of dividing into factions
over issues that ultimately were unessential to the practice of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, he began by saying, “As for the one who is weak in faith welcome him, but not to quarrel over
opinions.” 121

They were being both provocative and judgmental. They were being offended and causing offense. They
were all living out their faith as if salvation was all about them and their glory rather than about Christ and
His glory. They were pressing their personal preferences on one another in ways that did not respect their
freedom in Christ. Such attitudes had percolated deep down into their souls and was being seen
specifically in their willingness to battle about food and drink. It was turning them into either provocative
libertines or inflexible legalists.

121 Romans 14:1, ESV.

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