Grace for the Gray Areas
Romans 14:1-9 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
Intro: When the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750s, Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, was told to anchor outside Quebec and to wait for the British land forces to arrive so he could support them when they attacked the city. As the admiral waited, he became annoyed by the statues of some saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, and so he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships’ cannons. When the signal was finally given to attack, the admiral was of no help because he had used up all his ammunition shooting at the “saints.” (Daily Bread)
-Sadly, this describes many Christians today. When God asks us to do something for Him do we find that we have nothing left to give because we’ve used up all our ammo against the saints? (Brian Bill) Paul said in Galatians 5:15: “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”
-Let’s look at several principles of grace and acceptance as we deal with gray areas or matters of conscience.
1. Accept one Another
Romans 14:1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
-Speak the language of acceptance to sinner and saint alike.
-“A “weak” believer is one who hasn’t fully grasped the extent of his or her freedom in Christ and whose conscience is therefore bothered by lifestyle choices or preferences that don’t really matter in the long run. A “strong” brother or sister is the one who can exercise his freedom in Christ with a clear conscience” (Brian Bill).
-We often like to compare ourselves with others, and we often want to control others. We can easily fall into thinking that the way we do things, or our interpretation is correct, and those who think differently must be wrong. Some people feel it is their mission to try to control how other believers think and act, judging according to their own values and standards, rather than sticking to the word of God.
-I’m certain you know this, but we are not talking about sinful behavior that the Bible clearly shows us is wrong. Sinful behaviors and lifestyles are not disputable matters. Believers are obligated to lovingly and humbly confront sin when it creeps in. (i.e. Paul tells the Corinthians not to accept the Christian man who was sleeping with his stepmom until he repented. Later he urged them to welcome him back and completely forgive him.)
-So, when we hit the gray areas and just have differences of opinion, let’s not be arrogant and think that somehow we’re privy to information that nobody else has discovered, showing that we are right and everybody else is wrong! Instead, if we have a greater sense of our freedom in Christ, we are called to accept those who might feel convicted about doing what we do. Paul will cover this in more detail a little later in the chapter, showing that not only should we not despise them, but also be willing to adjust our behavior for their benefit.
2. Do not despise those with different convictions
Romans 14:2-3a 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not…
-Verse 3 helps us see that the real problem had nothing to do with meat; it was an acceptance issue: “The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.” Those who loved prime rib looked down on the vegetarians and the veggie lovers condemned the carnivores. The phrase, “look down” is really strong. It literally means, “to utterly despise and regard as nothing.” Both groups had become polarized because they had taken a “disputable matter” and turned it into a moral issue.
-An early church father, Augustine, said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
-God, give us grace for the gray areas! Help us not to despise those who seem too liberal for our liking. And even if we find that we are right according to Scripture, don’t let us respond with arrogance or hatred. Teach us to speak the truth in love!
3. Do not condemn others who exercise more freedom than you do
Romans 14:3b …and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does…
-The word “condemn” refers to the punishment reserved for those who have broken God’s laws. When we condemn we often make assumptions that are exaggerated, erroneous and even damaging to one’s character.
-Peter saw that he should no longer condemn those whom God had accepted. Acts 10:34: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.” Since God accepts both viewpoints, we must avoid passing judgment on those who think and behave differently than we do. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 7:1-2: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
-Maybe you don’t see the problem with eating meat or not, but what about some other matters of conscience? Music styles, Parenting, Schooling of children ¬(Home schooling, Public, or Christian), Politics, Celebrating certain holidays (Christmas, Easter, Halloween), Clothing styles, Hair styles, Wearing Tattoos, Body Piercings, Baggy pants, and so on. Is it possible that we have elevated our preferences in some of these areas to the status of right or wrong? “If you don’t do it the way I like it, then you are wrong.” That is the mentality Paul is combating and he calls his readers to show a little grace over these matters of conscience.
4. Remember that God has accepted all who trust in Him
Romans 14:3c … for God has accepted him.
-Here’s something to think about. If God accepts those who do things we don’t like, where does that leave us? Do we have higher standards than God? If a person believes that God is okay with their behavior and the Bible is silent on the issue, why can’t we just agree with God and accept them for who they are?
-It is important that as we seek to bolster our own opinion in a given area that we rightly interpret the Bible as it relates to us. People love to grab passages from the OT, and throw them around to support their viewpoint. However, Paul clearly shows here that the Gentiles at the very least were not subject to all the regulations of the OT. The special days or holy days were decreed in the OT as days to be observed by Israel perpetually.
-Today, some groups will argue that Gentiles are still supposed to convert to Judaism when they become a Christian, since salvation is of the Jews and they are God’s chosen people. But Paul says not to get all twisted up over special days of observance. Again, if you don’t see the need, then don’t despise those who do. If you feel like you should observe Sabbath and various feasts and festivals, then don’t condemn those who aren’t interested. God has accepted them and loves them, and they are okay!
5. Remember that God Himself can help others stand
Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
…even if they disagree with you!
Jude 1:24 says that God “… is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” That is what God does – if we cooperate!
-And God is able to help each person stand, if they have put their trust in Him! Sometimes we want to shoot each other down, but God wants to make us stand together in Him!
-I don’t want to give the idea that we don’t need one another because we do! However, we don’t need to try to make other people in our image! God is at work in them, making them into His image. They do not have to be like us in order to stand! They just need to keep trusting in Jesus and honoring Him with their lives.
6. Remember to whom we belong
Romans 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
-The Lord is our Master. We belong to Him! If another brother or sister trusts in Jesus but sees things differently than we do, we need to remember that they belong to the Lord, not to us. We can make ourselves accountable to one another and willingly answer to each other in order to avoid the traps of sin. But each one of us belongs to the Lord and will answer to Him for all that we do and say in this life.
7. Let Jesus be the Leader of your life!
Romans 14:9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
-Jesus experienced death and He conquered it. Those who die trusting in Him still belong to Him and will be raised again, like He was. Those of us who are still living have the opportunity to follow and serve the risen Christ! Jesus is alive and is Lord of all!
-The biggest question for us today is this: Is He Lord of your life? Have you called on the Lord, asking Him to forgive you and lead you? If you haven’t, it is like the dead coming to life! Before we are forgiven and made right with God, we are spiritually dead.
-Listen to these words Paul wrote to another church in the city of Ephesus:
Ephesians 2:1-5 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved.
-Whoever calls on the Lord will be saved! If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved! (Romans 10:9).
Conclusion: If you need to accept Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and be the leader of your life, boy do I have some good news for you today! You don’t have to wait for God to do anything more, He already did it all when He died on the cross and rose from the grave! You don’t have to wait until you’ve got your life straightened out! His grace is enough to not only forgive you and make you right with Him, but also to heal you, and deliver you from things that have a hold on you. God loves to restore life to those who come to Him in faith. Let’s bow our heads and give our full attention to what God is doing in us right now. If you’re willing to come to God in faith, asking for His forgiveness and asking Him to be the leader of your life – would you slip up your hand? I’d like to pray for you and help you start your new life with God.
-God’s grace is strong enough to give us new life and a new start. His grace is also strong enough to help us love one another – even when we disagree with them. He gives us grace for the gray areas. Maybe you’d like prayer that God would help you show His grace to those around you. You don’t have to be right. Only God is always right! We just need to be right with Him and allow His grace to flow through us to everyone around us. If you want prayer to be more gracious in the gray areas, would you raise your hand? (Pray)
