Teachers: The text for this lesson is the text of last week's lesson. This lesson focuses on the "now" importance of the spiritually strong respecting and helping the spiritually weak. God's expectations for the spiritually strong caring for the spiritually weak is as demanding and complex today as it was 2000 years ago. The principle of Christians respecting another Christian's conscience deserves thought, discussion, and understanding.
This lesson focuses more on "now" matters. When Christians develop and hold a correct, balanced, accurate view of God's work and purposes, that view includes a correct, balanced, accurate understanding of God's mercy. One pillar supporting God's purposes is God's mercy. God's mercy sent Jesus. God's mercy allowed Jesus do die. God's mercy atoned for our sins. God's mercy redeemed us from evil's consequences. God's mercy forgives. God's mercy saves now and in eternity. Any view of God's work that ignores or diminishes God's mercy is an inaccurate view of God's will.
An essential key to developing godly conduct and attitudes is a biblical view of God. Likely the number one reason for many congregations experiencing internal problems is found in the flawed views of God. Mercy is an attribute of God's being. In the same sense that God is love, God is also mercy. One's view of divine justice is out of balance if that view does not comprehend divine mercy. When a person considers God's mercy to be of secondary importance, he or she guarantees that he or she endorses an unbiblical view of God
No Christian knows a person God does not wish to save. No Christian knows a person God does not wish to forgive. No Christian knows anyone in Christ God does not want in His family.
Few Christians grasp God's enormous desire to forgive the wicked. God made provision to forgive every person on earth in every age. God will not abandon the weakest man or woman who accepts His forgiveness. That Christian may abandon God, but God will not abandon that Christian. If the Christian separates himself or herself from God, it will be his or her choice, not God's choice.
How can Christians represent the God who wishes to save everyone (2 Peter 3:9) by discouraging and condemning people in Christ? The God who wishes to save everyone is represented by those in Christ who wish to encourage and nurture others in Christ.
If we as Christians properly represent God, we must grow in our compassion for (1) the wicked [those who are not Christians] and (2) the spiritually weak [struggling Christians].
Jewish Christians in Rome felt God's purposes were best served if they had contempt for those whom they considered weak in faith. Christians who were not Jews felt God's purposes were best served if they judged those whom they considered weak in faith. The result: many Christians believed they best served God's purposes when they discouraged or rejected other Christians whom they considered weak in faith. Their view of God ignored God's mercy.
Today many Christians make the same mistake the Christians in Rome made. Too many of us decide God's purposes are best served through us if we either judge each other or hold those with limited understanding in contempt.
Recall the context. Christians in Rome seriously disagreed about eating sacrificial meat offered to idols. Paul said they were to accept those with a weak faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on their opinions (14:1). They were to understand the Lord could and would make his weak servants stand (14:4). They were accountable to God, not to each other (14:11,12).
To understand how Christians should conduct themselves toward each other today, we must focus on Paul's primary emphases. Accepting differences without judging each other's consciences; confidence in the Lord's ability to make the weak stand; and understanding that a Christian's accountability to God must become understood, accepted truths.
The final paragraph of Romans 14 emphasized a primary purpose in God's kingdom. It existed to encourage Christians who pursued God, not to hinder Christians who pursued God. "Do not judge each other. Instead of being consumed by judging the correctness of each others' spiritual practices, be consumed by a focus on your own example and influence. If you consider others weak and yourself strong, your responsibility is to them. Instead of judging them, do not cause them to stumble. Do not allow your influence to place the spiritually weak at risk."
An individual Christian's responsibility to be a positive, encouraging influence on weaker Christians is enormous. Consider Paul's emphasis on this principle as stated to the Christians in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. Note the statement in verse 12: "For what do I have to do with judging outsiders [people who are not Christians]? Do you not judge those who are within the church?" The Christian man Paul referred to totally disregarded his responsibility to be a godly influence. Morally he accepted no responsibility for his influence. His immoral relationship caused weaker Christians to fall. He allowed himself spiritually to be a stumbling block. His immorality placed the spiritually weak in jeopardy. Other Christians in Corinth should recognize he caused stumbling. They were to hold him responsible for his ungodly influence.
Principle # 1: All food is good. In the beginning, God's total creation was good (Genesis 1:31). God created only good. Evil perverted the good God created. In Jesus' crucifixion, God purified His creation. The good that God created is good again. God redeemed it from evil.
All food is good because God created it. In Christ God reclaimed it (see 1 Timothy 4:3-5).
Principle # 2: If a Christian did not understand God purified all food, if he or she regards meat offered to an idol as impure, then to that Christian the meat is impure. If he or she eats sacrificial meat, he or she sins even though God purified the meat.
God purified all food including sacrificial meat produced by a sacrifice to an idol. (1) Some Christian Jews did not understand such sacrificial meat was pure (remember Acts 10:9-16). (2) Some Christians who formerly worshipped idols were convinced that eating such meat honored the idol. If either Christian knowingly ate sacrificial meat that came from a sacrifice to an idol, they sinned.
The mature Christian understood both principles. By understanding, he or she was not required to eat sacrificial meat. He or she could understand correctly that God purified even sacrificial meat and never eat such meat. The concern of the spiritually mature was nurturing weak Christians, not eating sacrificial meat.
The mature Christian who correctly understood God's accomplishments in Christ could eat the sacrificial meat from an offering to an Idol, and thank God for the food. He could eat the sacrificial meat in faith's understanding and a godly conscience. With correct knowledge, he knew he could eat sacrificial meat and honor God. Yet, he understood eating such meat could cause some Jewish Christians and some converted idol worshippers to stumble. Understanding the truth about sacrificial meat did not require him [her] to eat the meat. He [she] was more concerned about nurturing weak Christians than satisfying his [her] appetite.
Therefore, when a mature Christian realized eating sacrificial meat hurt a weak Christian with an immature understanding, he or she ceased eating sacrificial meat. Love for weak Christians would not permit him or her to allow food to spiritually destroy a person for whom Christ died.
A mature Christian quietly refuses to do correct things that would be misunderstood by weaker Christians. Love for weak Christians [people whom God loves] alters his [her] behavior.
At this point we must note a truth: the weak were never noted for wonderful attitudes, marvelous spirits, and kind dispositions. Often the weak are obnoxious, difficult, and exasperating. The mature do not help the immature because it is easy. They help the weak because they love (agape) the weak. The mature love (agape) the weak because the mature understand the magnitude of Jesus' love shown them when they were obnoxious sinners. Understanding God's mercy transformed them into people who showed mercy.
A mature Christian does not love immature Christians because they are lovable people. He loves (agapes) the weak because God loves them. Since a merciful God loves him [her], he [she] loves those God loves.
In the matter of sacrificial meat, several principles governed the mature Christian's attitudes and conduct. (1) They refused to allow a correct understanding to destroy a person for whom Christ died. (2) They refused to allow a correct understanding to characterize them as evil people. (3) They understood priority matters in God's kingdom were much more significant than what he or she ate or drank. (4) They understood priority matters in God's kingdom concerned righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (5) They pursued peace and edification among Christians. They refused to allow food to tear down God's work.
A Christian cannot develop these attitudes and constraints unless he [she] realizes his [her] indebtedness to God's mercy. A sense of duty or obligation will fail to produce continuing, loving, godly motivation. Only a commitment to mercy can provide continuing, loving, godly motivation.
Paul's point was disastrous to the "rules, regulations, and technicalities" approach to spirituality. It was catastrophic to the "black and white" approach wherein "right is right" and "wrong is wrong." In this approach, right and wrong have little to do with the individual's faith or understanding. Regardless of the Christian's understanding or faith, to be "right" his or her act must be correct. If the act is wrong, he or she has sinned. Conscience is a non-factor.
Paul's objective in weak Christian/strong Christian interaction cannot be achieved through any approach based on perfunctory obedience. Godly behavior is produced by a combination of proper motive and the obedience of surrender. Motives matter. To God, motives always mattered. (For examples, notice the importance of motives in Deuteronomy 19:1-13 and Matthew 6:1-18.) A Christian's behavior cannot be justified by the claim, "I am doing what is right," even when the behavior is correct. When a Christian spiritually destroys another Christian while engaging in right behavior, he or she is guilty of grave evil. He or she spiritually destroyed someone for whom Christ died. Another Christian's conscience is relevant to my behavior decisions.
Paul said in the matter of sacrificial meat a Christian could eat something God purified, yet believe eating the sacrificial meat was an evil act, and sin against God. It was totally a matter of conscience. If he or she did something technically correct, but in conscience was convinced it was wrong, he or she sinned even though what he or she ate was pure.
Each Christian is responsible to honor his or her own conscience. Each Christian is responsible to develop and train his own conscience. Some Christians try to eliminate the importance of conscience by declaring the conscience is not trustworthy. They note prior to conversion Paul destroyed Christians in "all good conscience" (Acts 23:1). More understanding needs to be given to 1 Timothy 1:15,16. Paul as a sinner was introduced to God's mercy because he was a man of conscience.
How can that be possible? When a Christian violates his or her conscience, he or she rebels against his or her understanding of God's will. When a Christian violates his or her conscience, he or she knowingly, deliberately, by conscious choice rejects his or her understanding of the Lord's guidance and control. Never encourage a Christian to violate his or her conscience!
Some Christians oversimplify acceptable obedience. Acceptable obedience comes from the person's heart. Obedience that comes from the heart honors the conscience. To ignore the conscience removes one's heart from obedience. A body that complies while the heart rebels does evil even when the act of itself is correct. If the act is not the result of the person's faith [which means it must come from the heart while honoring the conscience], it is sinful (Romans 14:23).
The weak were not placed in control of the mature. The purpose was to show sensitive, kind, loving respect for the weak. Jesus' treatment of all Christians is the supreme example. He is strong with total, correct knowledge and righteousness. Christians (even the most mature ones) are the weak with partial knowledge and righteousness that is often incorrect. Yet, even at our weakest, in his mercy, he is kind, compassionate, forgiving, nurturing, and merciful. However, he never gives us [the weak] control over him. He expects us [the weak] to learn, to grow in understanding, and to mature just as the weak are expected to mature. Only then can the formerly weak minister to those who are weak.
Often overbearing Christians abuse Romans 14. Too often when controlling Christians wish to force their views and ways on other Christians, they appeal to Romans 14. They project themselves in the role of the weaker Christian. They declare those who disagree with them not only must yield to them, but place them in control.
Romans 14 has two primary focal points. (1) The first is based on mutual respect. The weak [who would never regard themselves as weak] must not hold the strong in contempt. The strong were not to judge the weak. Paul endorsed the godly attitudes of mutual respect. Paul placed neither party in a position of control. (2) The truly weak were those in danger of stumbling away from Christ and God. Stumbling meant ceasing to be Christians. In the context of Romans 14, they would revert to Judaism or idolatry. Today, commonly those who use Romans 14 as a control mechanism have no intention of ceasing to be Christians. In fact, they often consider themselves to be the only genuine Christians. They often do not seek peace. They commonly seek control.
The supreme example is seen in Jesus Christ's relationship with us. The Lord relates to us even though we are weak. But, because we are weak, the Lord does not place us in control of him. Nor does He expect us to remain in our weakness. He expects us to learn, to understand, and to mature. We cannot use our weakness to excuse ungodly attitudes and behavior or to justify remaining weak.
Romans 14 does not endorse the spiritually weak controlling the spiritually mature. It endorses mutual respect and kindness.
Paul's teaching to these Christians in Rome was not intended to place the weak in a position of power, authority, and control in which they made spiritual existence miserable for the mature. It was given to produce a relationship of love, joy, and peace by making them mutually sensitive to each other. Weak or mature must always function on the basis of individual faith. Weak or mature must always respect their own consciences--and each other's.
The mature value the weak because Jesus died for the weak just as certainly as he died for the mature. The objective is to encourage the weak to grow toward maturity. Spiritual weakness is not a virtue. God's objectives are not achieved in his kingdom by Christians deliberately defending attitudes and actions that entrench their weakness. To see the disastrous consequences of spiritual weakness in God's kingdom, consider the situations that caused Paul to write 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 and the author of Hebrews to write Hebrews 6:1-8.
Thought question: Why should Christians respect each other's consciences? Discuss the challenges in doing that.
The core truth of the discussion should focus on this fact: when a Christian refuses to honor his or her conscience, he or she rebels against his or her accepted understanding of God's will.
It is always a challenge to respect a person's acts of conscience when your information and more mature understanding recognizes the other person's spiritual ignorance and immaturity. That also means a Christian with more knowledge and understanding than you possess has the same struggles with your limited knowledge and understandings.
Link to Student Guide
Quarter 3, Lesson 11