Act in Love (Romans 14:13-15)
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. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.
If you have a new living translation Bible, the whole chapter of Romans 14 is titled “the danger of criticism” because presumably there was plenty of criticism going on between Gentiles and Jews in the church in Rome. They were not criticizing each other on major issues. But they were criticizing each other on less important subjects and practices not clearly right or wrong for all people.
Their criticism was concerning some rules and restrictions of the law of Moses.
The Jews wanted to keep the sabbath day, and they wanted to eat only ceremonially clean foods as Moses prescribed. And the gentiles ate any food. Paul knew the gentiles were correct because the believers had been freed from following these rules, but he didn’t side with the gentiles. Rather Paul said, verse 14, “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.” He shared his conviction that the believers were free to eat anything but didn’t criticize the Jews. And Paul also urged that neither group pass judgment on the others.
And verses 1 through 12, Paul explains why we shouldn’t judge or criticize other brothers. (Slide 2)
(v. 3) God has accepted them. “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.”
Whether they eat everything or not, God accepted them as His own children. If they did wrong, they did it to their Father, God. You don’t have the right to criticize them; if I scold your children without your permission, wouldn’t you be angry that I ignored you? The same is true with God concerning His children.
(v. 5) They are the servants of the Lord, not my servant. “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.” Do you realize Paul was reiterating that Jesus was their Lord or Master 10 times between verses 4 and 9? Paul was emphasizing that only the Lord, their master, is entitled to rebuke His servants. (Slide 3)
(v. 6)They honor the Lord, though they may have different opinions or preferences “The one who observes the day, observes 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.” Paul is saying whether they eat or abstain from the food, the Lord is honored. You don’t have any right to judge someone who does not practice the way you do because he also honors the Lord.
(v. 10) God will judge us all for how we dealt with other brothers and sisters. “You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat” Paul is saying that the problem of condemning and despising brothers does not end in this world but will be judged after death. Jesus said. “God will judge you by the judgment that you judge others.”
Having mentioned all those reasons why we shouldn’t judge or criticize other brothers, (Slide 4) Paul says in verse V. 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.”
If you can’t encourage them, you do at least stop judging them and do not cause them to stumble and fall. (Slide 5)
Then in verse 15, Paul talks about the root cause of why we judge and criticize others. 15 “If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love…”
If you judge and criticize others that your brother or sister is distressed, you are not acting in love. I remember that when I served as a pastor in another church. I sometimes unwisely insisted on my ideas, ignoring other leaders, thus hurting some people’s feelings. But, the Bible says, love doesn’t demand my own way. The people are more important than my ideas. What matters is not whether your idea is better or not, but whether you act in love.
We know that love is not the only thing in our Christian life; we also have many other essential things: teaching, serving, evangelism, mission, ministry, etc. But the Bible says, if you don’t act in love, your speaking in an angelic language, your knowing all the secrets of heaven, your prophecy, your great faith that removes mountain, your helping people, and your sacrifice, all will end up nothing.
So many scripture verses imply that love is the most crucial virtue to God. Let me share few verses I observed. (Slide 6) I already mentioned
(v. 10) “You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat” God will judge us all for how we dealt with other brothers and sisters (Slide 7)
Also, I already shared the prayer of Paul for Thessalonians: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13) The life of love is the best way to prepare to stand blameless in holiness before God, who judges. (Slide 8)
Do you want to have confidence on the day of judgment? The answer is this: “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.” ( 1 Jn 4:16-17)
If God judges me based on how we treat other brothers, then the success in my lives will also depend on how much I love our brother. (Do you agree?) (Slide 9)
Do you want to abide in the light? There is only one condition required: “Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 Jn 2:10-11)
Do you want God to live in you,
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:12) (Slides 10)
The scripture even challenges us to see whether we are really born of God if we don’t love. “... Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8)
But, then Loving brothers is easier said than done. I found myself talking about love always. But, when I look at my life, I don’t see much evidence of loving. I think most believers are like me. It’s not so much because you and I are evil persons, but because this kind of love is humanly impossible to put into practice. (Slide 11)
Then what would be the difference between those who just talk about and those who practice love, like Paul? I think we can find the answer in the last portion of verse 15. “Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.”
Paul saw each brother as Christ saw him. Did you notice that Paul was referring to a singular person when he said, “someone for whom Christ died”? Paul is telling Christ would have died if there had been only one person in the world. (Slide 12) That was how Paul looked at another brother as well as himself. He confessed that “The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) He believed Jesus loved him so much and gave Himself for him. Even if there had been only Paul in the whole world, Jesus Christ would still have died for him.
That was how much Jesus loved Paul. That is how much Jesus loves each one of us. Love of Jesus is unlimited and boundless. If you divide Jesus’ unlimited and infinite love by billion and even trillion people, His love would still be endless and boundless.
Your life is so precious, and my life is so precious because we are so precious in Jesus’ eyes that He gladly gave Himself for each of us. Do you realize that Jesus hadn’t commanded His disciples to love one another as He loved them until His last moment before He died on the cross? Jesus knew His disciples could love one another only in understanding and believing how much Jesus loved them.
You and I believe the gospel that Jesus died for us. But, if I fail to see one another from Jesus’ perspective, I will value my opinion and right more than other brothers. Then, I could ruin others for whom Christ died.
That’s why when we participate in the Lord’s Supper to remember the death of Jesus, we are commanded to examine ourselves, especially our relationship with others. If I don’t love the brothers and if I judge other brothers or sisters, I am not prepared to take the supper because I don’t truly believe Jesus died for the brothers and sisters. (Slide 13)
But, Paul says, “Christ died for all.. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” (2 Co 5:15-16) He is saying he regards no one from a worldly point of view but Christ’s perspective. How could Paul consider the brothers as his hope, joy, crown, and glory until the day of the Lord Jesus? It was because the love of Christ compelled him to love the people.
But, Paul didn’t say, the love of Christ compelled me, but the love of Christ compelled us. You and I also could live a life compelled by the love of Christ because “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Co 5:17)
You and I are in Christ; each of us is a new creation. As a new creation, each of us is called to love other brothers as Jesus loves them. You and I were born again spiritually. So we do have a spiritual eye, spiritual ear, as spiritual lips. We are able to see other brothers as Jesus sees; we are able to hear as Jesus hears; we are able to speak as Jesus speaks, more and more as we become mature in Christ.
I am glad that I was able to see many evidences of love in this church. So far, I have never seen anyone judging or criticizing others. But, I have seen your compassion and your love for other brothers and sisters in need, which wouldn’t have been possible without the love of Christ. I am thrilled that you are my companions in the journey to becoming more like Jesus.
Before I finish, let me briefly review the important points I shared today:
I. Stop passing judgment on one another because:
God has accepted them as His children. (v.3)
They are the servants of the Lord, not my servant (v. 5)
They honor the Lord through their different opinions or preferences (v. 6)
God will judge us for how we dealt with other brothers and sisters. (v. 10)
II. Whatever you do, “ACT IN LOVE” because:
You will be judged by whether you acted in love or not.
You would be blameless before God if you acted in love.
You would have confidence on the day of judgment if you acted in love.
You will abide in the light or darkness depending on whether you act in love or not.
God lives in us if we act in love.
You have evidence of being born of God and knowing God if you act in love.
III. To act in love means we see the person as someone for whom Christ died.
We are a new creation, born again spiritually in Christ Jesus.
We see people from a new perspective with spiritual eyes: we regard no one from a worldly point of view but from Christ’s perspective.
May God bless us.
* I wanted to upload it but I don't know how to upload it from google drive. If you want the slides in google presentation format, let me know. barnabaspark@gmail.com
