THE GRAY AREAS OF FAITH
ROMANS 14:1 – 14:23
THE PASSAGE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT TODAY, IS ONE THAT MANY PEOPLE FIND CONFUSING. IT’S EASY TO LIVE IN A WORLD OF ABSOLUTES, TO BE ABLE TO SAY THIE IS RIGHT AND THAT IS WRONG. WHY, BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS SO. BUT HERE PAUL MAKES US ASK THE QUESTION IS THIS WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SAYS? ARE THERE THINGS THAT ARE SINFUL UNDER ONE CIRCUMSTANCE AND NOT SINFUL IN ANOTHER?
NOW LETS BE CLEAR RIGHT FROM THE START ON THIS. THERE ARE SOME ABSOLUTES IN THE BIBLE THAT CANNOT BE CHALLENGED. WE ARE ALL SINNERS AND WE ALL NEED A SAVIOR. THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE. JESUS PAID OUR SIN DEBT ON THE CROSS AND ONLY IF WE ACCEPT HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR CAN WE EXPECT TO DWELL WITH HIM IN HEAVEN. THERE IS A HEAVEN AND THERE IS A HELL ON THIS THERE IS NO DOUBT.
THERE ARE SOME ASPECTS OF OUR DAILY LIVES THAT FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY. WE SHOULD PRACTICE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND THE GOLDEN RULES OF CHRIST WHICH ARE LOVE GOD AND LOVE OTHERS AS YOURSELF.
TO LIVE IN A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE MAY LOOK ENTICING, BUT IT IS IN FACT UNREALISTIC. THE LAND OF BLACK AND WHITE IS A LAND OF LEGALISM. ITS ATTITUDE IS THAT IF I DO CERTAIN THINGS AND OBEY THESE CERTAIN LAWS I’LL BE GUARANTEED OF GOING TO HEAVEN. IN SHORT IT BECOMES A SALVATION OF WORKS. CONSIDER THIS POEM ABOUT THE LAND OF BLACK AND WHITE.
IN A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE
OH TO LIVE IN A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE
NO HARD CHOICES NO OTHER COLORS IN SIGHT
NO QUESTION AT ALL OF WHAT’S WRONG OR RIGHT
IF ONLY WE LIVED IN THE LAND OF BLACK AND WHITE
IN THE LAND OF BLACK AND WHITE ALL OPINIONS WOULD FADE
NO FREEDOM OF WILL ALL DECISIONS ALREADY MADE
ONE WAY ONLY WILL BE SEEN AS RIGHT
IF WE LIVED IN A LAND OF BLACK AND WHITE
RIGHT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IS WRONG
EITHER TOE THE LINE OR YOU DON’T BELONG
IN THE LAND OF BLACK AND WHITE PHARISEES ABOUND
BUT THE LOVE OF CHRIST IS RARELY FOUND
OH FOR A LAND WITH DIFFERENT COLORS AND GRAY
HWERE HARD CHOICES ARE MADE AND PEOPLE KNOW TO PRAY
WHERE PEOPLE ARE LOVED AND THE TROUBLED FIND PEACE
IN THAT BEAUTIFUL LAND OF GRAY WHERE COMPSAAION DOESN’T CEASE.
IN THAT SPECIAL LAND OF GRAY CONTENTMENT I’LL SEE
AS I WALK IN HIS LIGHT AND GOD’S BLESSINGS I SEE
AND WITH GOD’S HELP I KNOW I’LL BE ALL RIGHT
IN THE BLESSED LAND OF GRAY, AND NOT BLACK AND WHITE.
PAUL IS VERY CLEAR HERE IN THAT HE IS SPEAKING ON DISPUTABLE MATTERS.
ROMANS 14:1: ACCEPT THE ONE WHOSE FAITH IS WEAK, WITHOUT QUARRELING OVER DISPUTABLE MATTERS.
WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE ARE AT DIFFERENT STAGES IN THEIR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. FOR THE MOST PART ON ESSENTIAL ISSUES THERE IS AGREEMENT. IT IS IN THESE DISPUTABLE MATTERS THAT WE FIND THE TEMPEST IN THE TEAPOT.
PAUL USES TWO ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS PASSAGE TO PROVE HIS POINT. THE FIRST IS ON FOOD ISSUES, PARTICULARLY THE EATING OF CLEAN AND UNCLEAN MEAT. THE SECOND IS ON KEEPING ONE DAY MORE SACRED THAN THE OTHER. THE DANGER, AS PAUL SHOWS US IS THAT WE BECOME SO ENTRALLED WITH THE LETTER OF THE LAW, THE FORM AND FORMAT OF IT, THAT WE FORGET THE MOTIVATION BEHIND IT. THIS CHAPTER BRINGS US FACE TO FACE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT DISPUTABLE MATTERS MAY BE SINFUL OR THEY MAY NOT BE DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. CONSIDER THE FIRST ILLUSTRATION IN VERSES 2-5.
ROMANS 14:2-5:
ONE PERSON’S FAITH ALLOWS THEM TO EAT ANYTHING, BUT ANOTHER, WHOSE FAITH IS WEAK, EATS ONLY VEGETABLES. 3 THE ONE WHO EATS EVERYTHING MUST NOT TREAT WITH CONTEMPT THE ONE WHO DOES NOT, AND THE ONE WHO DOES NOT EAT EVERYTHING MUST NOT JUDGE THE ONE WHO DOES, FOR GOD HAS ACCEPTED THEM. 4 WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE’S SERVANT? TO THEIR OWN MASTER, SERVANTS STAND OR FALL. AND THEY WILL STAND, FOR THE LORD IS ABLE TO MAKE THEM STAND.
A PERSON’S FAITH CAN BE WEAK FOR MANY REASONS. THEY MAY NEW TO THE FAITH, AND UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE FREEDOM THAT IT PROVIDES. A PERSON MAY ALSO BE WEAK IN THE FAITH BY BEING TEMPTED BY A SIN THAT CAN EASILY CAPTURE US, OR BY A PHYSICAL ADDICTION.
HEBREWS 12:1: THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SUCH A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES, LET US THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND THE SIN THAT SO EASILY ENTANGLES. AND LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US, 2 FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS, THE PIONEER AND PERFECTER OF FAITH.
ONE CAN ALSO BE SEEN AS A WEAK CHRISTIAN BECAUSE OF REPUTATION. THIS WAS THE CASE HERE. THE NONJEWISH CONVERTS WERE MORE OF A HELLENISTIC OR GREEK CULTURAL LEANING. THIS MEANT THAT THEIR SPIRITUALITY WAS VERY CEREBRAL, AND THEY DID NOT FEEL BOUND TO THE SACRIFICIAL LAWS. THE MORE TRADITIONAL JEWS, WHO CAME FROM JERUSALEM INSISTED ON THE CEREMONIAL LAWS BEING OBSERVED INCLUDING CIRCUMCISION. THE HELLENISTIC CHRISTIANS DID NOT FEEL THIS WAS NECESSARY TO SALVATION, SO THEY WERE LOOKED ON AS WEAKER BELIEVERS BY THE TRADITIONAL JEWS.
PAUL SUMMARIZES HIS THOUGHTS IN VERSE 4. NEITHER GROUP WAS TO STAND IN JUDGMENT OF EACH OTHER FOR IT IS WAS GOD WHO BROUGHT SALVATION TO BOTH GROUPS.
THE SECOND EXAMPLE THAT CHRIST USED CONCERNED SPECIAL DAYS.
ROMANS 14:5-6:
ONE PERSON CONSIDERS ONE DAY MORE SACRED THAN ANOTHER; ANOTHER CONSIDERS EVERY DAY ALIKE. EACH OF THEM SHOULD BE FULLY CONVINCED IN THEIR OWN MIND. 6 WHOEVER REGARDS ONE DAY AS SPECIAL DOES SO TO THE LORD.”.
UNDER JEWISH LAW SABBATH WAS CONSIDERED SPECIAL AND HAD MANY LAWS ATTACHED TO IT. SOME WE FOUND OUT IN SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WERE STILL USED TODAY.
A HOTEL’S ELEVATOR WAS RIGGED TO STOP ON EACH FLOOR SO THAT THE JEWISH PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE TO PUSH THE BUTTONS. THEY COULD RIDE THE ELEVATOR, BUT PUSHING THE BOTTON WAS CONSIDERED WORK AND PROHIBITED ON THE SABBATH. TURNING ON LIGHTS WAS ALSO PROHIBITIED FOR THE SAME REASON.
THE TRADITIONAL JEWS HELD TO THE SABBATH AND ITS LAWS. THE HELLINISTIC CHRISTIANS WERE NOT SO RIGID ON THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH. THIS MADE THE HELLINISTIC CONVERTS LOOK WEAKER TO THE TRADITIONAL JEWS.
PAUL’S KEY POINT IS ONE OF ACCEPTANCE ON EQUAL TERMS, ESPECIALLY IN NON-ESSENTIAL MATTERS. PAUL REASONED THAT WE ARE ALL EQUAL UNDER THE CROSS. THE JEWS HAD ALLOWED NON-ESSENTIAL MATTERS TO MAKE THEM LEGALISTS, NOT ONLY IN ACTION BUT ALSO IN ATTITUDE, WHICH FOCUSING ON NON-ESSENTIAL MATTERS OF THE FAITH USUALLY DOES.
AS WE STUDY THIS ISSUE LET US KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR GENERAL PRINCIPLES THAT WE CAN APPLY TO MOST IF NOT ALL SITUATIONS. HERE PAUL IS SPEAKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE WEAK IN THE FAITH.
NON-ESSENTIALS ARE THE GRAY ISSUES WE FACE. THEY DO NOT DEAL WITH OUR SALVATION BUT PRIMARILY DEAL SITUATIONS THAT WE FACE THAT THE BIBLE IS NOT CLEAR ABOUT. WE DO NOT CHANGE ON THE ESSENTIALS OF FAITH, BUT HOW DO WE CHANGE AS SOCIETY AROUND US CHANGES.
MY MOTHER WOULDN’T HAVE A DECK OF PLAYING CARDS IN THE HOUSE. IF THEY WERE BROUGHT IN AND SHE FOUND THEM THEY WENT IMMEDIATELY INTO THE STOVE. WE DIDN’T PLAY SPORTS ON SUNDAY BUT COULD WATCH THEM PLAY. STORES WERE CLOSED, AND PICNICS WERE PLENTIFUL.
WE LIVE IN A MUCH DIFFERENT WORLD NOW. EVERY DAY IS A WORK DAY. SPORTS ARE IN OUR LIVES ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEK-ENDS. I STILL REMEMBER THE SURPRISE OF SOME PEOPLE TO SEE US PLAYING 45’S DOWNSTAIRS HERE AT THE CHURCH. SOCIAL DRINKING IS ALSO ACCEPTABLE NOW IN SOME CHURCHES AND REMOVED FROM CHURCH COVENANTS.
THE CONFUSING THING ABOUT GREY ISSUES IS THAT IT IS THE CIRCUMSTANCE AND NOT THE ACTION THAT DETERMINES IT’S SINFULLNESS. A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE DECLARES THAT SIN IS SIN, BUT IN A WORLD OF GREY THE SINFULNESS OF AN ACTION IS DETERMINED BY HOW IT HONORS GOD, AND HOW IT EFFECTS OTHERS. IT IS FURTHER COMPLICATED BECAUSE OF ITS SUBJECTIVE NATURE. I MAKE THE JUDGMENT ON MY ACTIONS. ONE THING IS CLEAR, IF I REALLY LIKE WHAT THE ACTION IS, I WILL TRY TO FIND REASONS NO MATTER HOW FARFETCHED, TO CONTINUE THE ACTION.
PAUL THEN GOES ON TO GIVE US SOME GUIDELINES ABOUT THE ISSUE.
ROMANS 14:7-9:
7 FOR NONE OF US LIVES FOR OURSELVES ALONE, AND NONE OF US DIES FOR OURSELVES ALONE. 8 IF WE LIVE, WE LIVE FOR THE LORD; AND IF WE DIE, WE DIE FOR 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.
PAUL REMINDS US THAT AS CHRISTIANS WE DO NOT LIVE FOR OURSELVES, BUT THAT WE LIVE AND DIE FOR THE LORD. GREY ISSUES ARE ISSUES OF LORDSHIP. VESE 9 IS CLEAR CHRIST DIED TO BE THE LORD OF BOTH THE DEAD AND THE LIVING. THIS MUST HAPPEN IN THE GRAY AREAS OF LIFE AS WELL AS IN THE ESSENTIAL ISSUES.
ARE THERE GUIDELINES THAT WE CAN FOLLOW WITH REGARD TO NON-ESSENTIAL ISSUES OF FAITH? I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL AND THE FOLLOWING ARE THREE. THESE ARE NOT IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, NOR IS IT EXHAUSTIVE.
POINT ONE: IS IT HONORABLE TO GOD?
WHEN WE SAY THIS WE ARE ASKING DOES GOD RETAIN HIS PLACE OF LORDSHIP IN YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF YOUR FAMILY? THE QUESTION TO ASK IS NOT “IF JESUS WERE TO COME BACK RIGHT NOW WOULD YOU BE ASHAMED OF WHAT HE FOUND YOU DOING? THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS YOUR OWN OPINION.
A QUESTION I THINK WE SHOULD ASK IS WHETHER OR NOT OUR FAMILY SCHEDULE CHANGES TO MAKE SURE THERE IS TIME FOR WHAT WE WANT TO DO, EVEN AT THE COST OF CHURCH ATTENDANCE. THIS MAKES US THE LORD OF OUR LIVES AND NOT JESUS. IT MAKES THE ACTION WE DO EQUIVILENT WITH IDOLARTY.
ONE MINISTER I KNOW HAS CHILDREN WHO PLAY MINOR HOCKEY. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED TO EFFECT THEIR SPIRITUAL LIVES. THERE RULE IS CHURCH FIRT THEN HOCKEY. IF IT IS AN AWAY GAME THEY WILL STOP AT A CHURCH FOR SERVICE AND THEN CONTINUE TO THE GAME.
WHAT BRINGS HONOR TO GOD IS NOT STOPPING ALL OUR SUNDAY ACTIVITY. WHAT BRINGS GOD HONOR IS PLACING HIM ABOVE THE SUNDAY ACTIVITY AND MAKING THAT SECONDARY.
POINT TWO: DOES IT CAUSE A WEAKER BROTHER TO STUMBLE?
SOME THINGS THAT WE DO ARE WHOLESOME AND COMPLETELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH BIBLICAL TEACHING. PERHAPS WE HAVE A POSITION WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH CONCERNING A PARTICULAR ACTIVITY, AND THE BIBLE DOES NOT DIRECTLY SPEAK AGAINST IT.
IF OUR PARTICIPATION IN THAT ACTIVITY CAN LEAD A WEAKER CHRISTIAN TO FALL, THAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT ACTIVITY IS SINFUL IF DONE IN HIS PRESENCE.
THE ISSUE OF SOCIAL DRINKING HAS BEEN A HOTBED OF CONTROVERSY FOR A LONG TIME. MANY CHURCHES HAVE REMOVED IT FROM THEIR COVENANTS.
IT POSES PROBLEMS ON SEVERAL GROUNDS. ONE IS THE FACT THAT IT IS VERY RELATIVE IN NATURE. WHAT A SOCIAL DRINK IS FOR ONE PERSON COULD INTOXICATE ANOTHER. DOES HAVING THE SOCIAL DRINK VIOLATE THE LAWS OF THE LAND?
MOST IMPORTANT THOUGH IS WHAT IT CAN DO TO A WEAKER PERSON. IF A PERSON, CHRISTIAN OR NOT, SAW US TAKING THE SOCIAL DRINK IT COULD CAUSE THEM TO SAY I CAN DO THAT TOO. IF THAT PERSON WAS AN ALCOHOLIC HAVING A BAD DAY, IT COULD DRIVE THEM RIGHT BACK INTO DRINKING.
ARE YOU READY TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT IS YOURS SHOULD A CAR ACCIDENT OCCUR FROM “SOCIAL DRINKING”. WHAT ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION TO THE FAMILY FROM A D.U.I. CHARGE? REMEMBER THE WORDS OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:22: ABSTAIN FROM ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL. (KJV)
POINT THREE: DOES THE BIBLE SUPPORT THE ACTION OR JUST NOT SPEAK AGAINST IT?
THIS IS ALMOST LIKE A BATTLE OF WORDS. WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT BECAUSE THE BIBLE DOES NOT SPEAK ABOUT A PARTICULAR THING THAT IT IS ALL RIGHT TO DO SO. THIS THOUGHT PATTERN IS NOTHING MORE THAN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO RATIONALIZE DOING SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW IS WRONG.
A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY REALIZES THAT WHILE THE BIBLE MAY NOT SPEAK AGAINST A PARTICULAR ISSUE BY NAME, IT SPEAKS AGAINST IT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT ISSUE, OR IT MAY GROUP THE ISSUE WITH OTHERS UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME OR CATEGORY.
LET US USE THE WORD “RAPTURE” AS AN EXAMPLE. HOW MANY OF YOU BELIEVE IN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH? IF I WERE THEN TO ASK YOU WHERE TO FIND THIS IN SCRIPTURE, YOU WOULD PROBABLY SUGGEST 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18.
THE WORD RAPTURE DOES NOT OCCUR IN SCRIPTURE, BUT THE DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT IT IS NAMED FOR DOES. THE SAME IS TRUE WITH SOCIAL ISSUES. IT MAY NOT BY NAME BE MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE, BUT THE DESCRIPTION AND CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT IS DESCRIBED WILL BE THERE.
CONCLUSION:
WE CANNOT COMPROMISE ON THE ESSENTIALS OF FAITH. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GAIN SALVATION, AND THAT IS THROUGH CHRIST. WE STAND ON THE ATONING DEATH AND RESURRECTION OR CHRIST. THERE IS A HEAVEN TO GAIN AND THERE IS A HELL TO SHUN. THESE ARE ABSOLUTES IN THE FAITH.
THERE ARE ALSO MANY AREAS OF THE FAITH THAT ARE GRAY. PAUL IS TELLING US TO BE CAREFUL IN SUCH AREAS, AS A CONDEMNING ATTITUDE MAY CAUSE GREAT DAMAGE TO INDIVIDUALS.
ROMANS 14:13: THEREFORE LET US STOP PASSING JUDGMENT ON ONE ANOTHER. INSTEAD, MAKE UP YOUR MIND NOT TO PUT ANY STUMBLING BLOCK OR OBSTACLE IN THE WAY OF A BROTHER OR SISTER.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO PASS VALUE JUDGMENTS ON ONE ANOTHER BASED ON NON-ESSENTIALS OF THE FAITH. IS IT SINFUL TO PLAY A GAME OF 45’S? CERTAINLY NOT. IS IT SINFUL TO PLAY 45’S WITH A PERSON WHO HAS A GAMBLING ADDICTION? MOST DEFINITELY YES, FOR YOU COULD TRIGGER A RELAPSE INTO GAMBLING.
17 FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT A MATTER OF EATING AND DRINKING, BUT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, 18 BECAUSE ANYONE WHO SERVES CHRIST IN THIS WAY IS PLEASING TO GOD AND RECEIVES HUMAN APPROVAL.
OUR PURPOSE IS TO BE USED BY GOD TO BUILD HIS KINGDOM. IT IS NOT TO BE JUDGMENTAL IN NON-ESSENTIAL ISSUES, BUT TO LIVE OUR LIVES IN SUCH A WAY AS CHRIST WOULD LIVE IN THIS WORLD.
IT’S NOT ABOUT HOW LONG YOUR HAIR IS, OR LADIES IF YOU ONLY WEAR DRESSES OR HATS ALL THE TIME, OR WHETHER OR NOT YOU WEAR MAKE-UP. IT’S ABOUT LIVING YOUR LIFE FOR CHRIST, AND BEING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THOSE AROUND YOU.
