February 18, 2008 Romans 14:14

02/18/2008

Romans 14:14 - 17 (HCSB)

¹⁴(I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.) ¹⁵For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. By what you eat, do not destroy that one for whom Christ died. ¹⁶Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, ¹⁷for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:20 - 21 (HCSB)

²⁰Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. ²¹It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.

I find this an interesting passage from Paul because it is Peter who had the vision of the sheet lowered from Heaven with all kinds of animals both clean and unclean. Peter, in the vision, was told to kill and eat all of them. We do not know that Paul had any similar vision, yet here, he says essentially the same thing.

I’m sure he is saying this because in addition to the Jews, many Greeks and Romans were also joining the church who had no idea about the dietary restrictions of the Jews.

In our day, we have few dietary laws, but there are things by which the world will measure us. What Paul is talking about has less to do with food than it does with how the world will measure us. Right or wrong, the world has an idea of what it means to be Christian. The first thing we need to do is to honor God. Then we need to be sensitive to those around us. If something you are doing could be considered unchrist-like, then you should evaluate whether or not you do it.

Of course, you cannot let the world dictate your behavior, but we need to be sensitive to what the world expects. We should never intentionally do something that would cause the world to think badly on our choice to trust in Jesus.

Look at your life and what you do. Is there anything you are doing that could be considered a stumbling block to an unbeliever?

Terms of Usage: This devotional may be copied or forwarded for personal use without permission, but must include the author, publisher, web link, and copyright notice. Use in another published work must obtain permission first.

[ Previous ] [ Up ] [ Next ]