Romans 14 – The Righteousness of Conscience

1. Read: Romans 14:1-4

2. About the Text:

1) God wants everyone to follow Christ.

2) Different cultures have different customs that are not inherently sinful.

3) What one culture accepts another culture finds distasteful.

4) How does the righteousness of God address these issues?

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. We are to receive people who are weak in the faith, but not to disagreements over matters of conscience.

2. Two kinds of people.

1) “Eats only vegetables.”

2) “Believes he may eat all things.”

3. Two kinds of attitudes.

1) The one who eats should not despise the one who does not eat.

2) The one who does not eat should not judge the one who does eat.

3) Despise means to “set at nought,” “mock,” “hold in contempt,” “consider less than.”

4) Judge means to “condemn,” “call in question,” “discriminate.”

4. What should be said about judging someone based on one’s conscience?

1) He is not to do it.

2) We are all in the same position of being a servant.

3) One servant is not in a position to judge another servant.

4) Only the Master—God—may judge the servant.

5) The condemn is to make one fall.

6) But God, the Master, is able to make him stand.

7) Do we want to oppose God?

5. Two attitudes toward holidays.

1) One person regards a day above another—he celebrates holidays.

2) Another regards all the days equally – he does not celebrate holidays.

3) This is also a matter of personal conscience – not inherently sinful.

4) It is a matter of being fully convinced in one’s own mind one way or another.

6. The principle of doing things “to the Lord.”

1) As servants, we are to do all “to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

2) This includes matters of personal conscience.

3) One may either participate or abstain in . . .

a. Observing days

b. Eating certain foods

4) Both may be done to God’s glory—in service to God.

7. The principle of ultimate ownership means that everything we do is to the Lord.

1) We do not live to ourselves, that is, in a self-centered way apart from God.

2) We do not die to ourselves, that is, in a way that excludes us from from God’s judgment.

3) We both live and die to the Lord because we belong to the Lord!

4) To prove this, Christ died and rose again.

5) This makes Him the Lord of both the dead and the living.

8. Where does this leave our attitudes?

1) It means that we must not judge or hold our brother in contempt.

2) We will stand before the judgement seat of Christ, not one another!

3) This is supported by Isaiah 45:23.

4) Each Christian will give an account to God.

9. What should we conclude from this?

1) We should not judge one another on such matters.

2) Neither should we put a stumbling block of conscience before another brother.

1. A Jewish Christian might ask what about the issue of cleanliness of foods.

1) There is nothing unclean in and of itself.

2) If one considers it unclean, however, it is unclean due to one’s conscience.

2. To the gentile Christian who does not believe in unclean foods.

1) If you grieve your Jewish brother by eating something in front of him, you are not loving him.

2) Grieve means to cause consternation, sadness, or offence over a matter of conscience.

3) One could destroy faith in Christ by eating food around him and tempting him to do likewise.

4) Don’t let YOUR good (of eating without a troublesome conscience) be spoken of for evil.

3. The kingdom of God is . . .

1) Not defined by what we eat or drink as a matter of personal conscience.

2) Defined by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

3) One who serves Christ being defined by Christ in the Holy Spirit is acceptable to God and approved by men.

4. What is the end goal of righteousness of God in Christ?

1) It is the pursuit of peace.

2) It is the pursuit of edification in Christ.

3) The righteousness of God in Christ does not destroy the work of God for the sake of conscience.

5. The issue at hand should be handled appropriately.

1) All things are indeed pure (to eat and drink) regardless of their cleanliness status.

2) For one who eats against his own conscience, however, it is evil.

3) For one who does it in a way that causes a brother to stumble, it is evil.

4) If you have faith, eat and drink before God alone.

5) If your conscience does not condemn you, then you are blessed.

6) If you have doubts and your conscience condemns you, do not eat or drink.

7) If you do something against your own conscience, that is a sin.

1. In matters of personal conscience . . .

1) We must not judge our brother, and

2) Our influence must not be detrimental to him.

2. Invitation