24 19 Romans Chapter Fourteen
19 Romans Chapter Fourteen
INTRODUCTION
It is wonderful to behold the beauty of studying the Bible in the light of its harmony and soul-stirring, lifting power. This lesson could be called one of the most important of all to the congregation. We remember the Pharisees’ demand that our Lord tell them "when the kingdom of God should come." Our Lord knew well that there is another way of looking at the kingdom, of more importance to the human soul than knowing exactly when it would come—viz., the fact that the kingdom must be in us if we are ever to be saved. (Luke 17:20-21). In this study we will cover Romans 14, beginning with the last verse of chapter 13 and concluding with verse 3 of chapter 15. Hence Romans 14 will be studied in the light of the verse that precedes it and the verses that follow. This is studying it in the light of its context.
HOW TO RECEIVE MEMBERS INTO THE LOCALCHURCH
"Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations"; or, as the American Revised Version gives it, "not for decision of scruples"; the Twentieth Century Translation says, "not for the purpose of passing judgment on their scruples." This certainly is telling us how not to receive members into our local fellowship. Then Paul follows this by speaking of some who believe that they may eat all things, while others eateth only herbs. pure teaches clearly to let each one be fully persuaded in his own mind and then eat and drink accordingly. He teaches the same about days. Some esteem one day above another, and others esteem every day alike. We are not to receive members into our local fellowship to argue and fuss about such things. Some in the church at Rome were setting aside and condemning others about such matters. Hence, Paul puts these questions to them: "But why cost thou judge thy brother? Or why cost thou set at nought thy brother?" Then he reminds us that we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and each give an account of himself to God. How well we are doing when we live daily with the certainty of the judgment before us! We are admonished: "Let us not therefore judge [condemn] one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way."
"Let not then your good be evil spoken of." How many local churches’ influence have been destroyed by party makers who had rather fuss than to be filled with the Spirit of our Lord and love and pray together! Php 2:14-16 reads well right here: "do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life."
People we can receive into local fellowship, but never should they be received for the purpose of doubtful disputations. If it is their desire to come in and set us right on some frivolous or unimportant question, tell them to go their way, that we have orders not to so receive them.
"An heretic after the first and second admonition" we are commanded to reject rather than to retain. (Titus 3:10 : "An heretic" is a factious man--one who seeks to break the local church up into parties. Well should we remember the admonition: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." This is found in Romans 16:17, not very far removed from the very chapter we are studying. The church of our Lord is often brought into disrepute and its influence destroyed by self-willed leaders in the congregation, tearing the congregation asunder over "doubtful disputations," or wrangling over things not essential to our salvation or any line of work our Lord wants the church to do. How fearful is the judgment to come for all such! For does not our God say, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren"? (Proverbs 6:16-19). Get it: there is no sin more hated by our Lord than that of strife and confusion and division among his people. Such destroys the influence of the church for good. For is not the reason for which he prayed, that we all might be one, as he and the Father are one, that the world might come to believe that God sent him? Strife and confusion destroy faith even in many of the members of the local church when they arise, and they prevent faith from ever being established in the hearts of those out of the church who behold the divided condition of the church. THE GROUNDS FOR THE EXHORTATION
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Staying with the context, Paul simply states that the kingdom of heaven does not consist of these things over which some were judging others and setting them at nought. Righteousness can be made a test of faith. Those who destroy the peace of the church can be disciplined, and should be. Joy in the Holy Spirit can be made a test of faith. These are vital things, and no one should be set at nought except over these vital things. Anyone who is wrong here is fundamentally wrong, and the local church has to take cognizance of such.
It would be well that we study Paul’s letters to the church at Corinth. That church certainly had many evils in it. But as you study, you do not find Paul instructing other churches to disfellowship that church because of these evils. He certainly endeavored to get the evils out, and condemned them in no uncertain way. But he did not tell the ones who had made the mistake of saying, "I am of Paul," to disfellowship those who said, "I of Apollos; and I of Cephas." The fact of the business is, this letting a preacher have too high a regard in the heart was condemned, and our Lord was presented as the essential being to exalt. It is too sad today that some judge you to be sound or unsound, not because of your loyalty to Christ, but your loyalty to this preacher or that one. I speak this to the shame of those who claim to have fallen in with the effort to restore the true church to the people. This tendency to be too quick to disfellowship, to blacklist, is an evil that has come among us. The church at Corinth had some among them, though claiming that Christ arose from the dead, who were not very well established in the faith of a general resurrection; hence, 1 Corinthians 15 is called the "resurrection chapter." Read it. Even those members were not ordered out of the church. And with this before us, think of the little things over which churches split today and for which brethren disfellowship brethren. It is a crime that cries to the highest heaven. The only sins for which the church at Corinth was instructed to withdraw fellowship are named in chapter 5—viz., fornication, covetousness, idolatry, railing, drunkenness, extortion. Learn what each of these words means. Take the railer. Who is he? The meaning of "railing" is: "To use scornful, insolent, or abusive language; to scold." Well, that gets by in these days in the church.
Righteousness. David says, in Psalms 119:172, "For all thy commandments are righteousness." This being true, any teaching therefore that leads us to even feel indifferent toward obedience to any one of his commandments, cannot be from God, but rather from Satan. This means all of God’s commandments. There is not one command given to us today that we may pick out as a little or unimportant command. Our meat and drink, spiritually speaking, must consist of, from the heart, doing as best we can everything God says for us to do. His word to us must be sweeter to our souls than honey is to our mouth. His word to us must be more precious than the finest of gold. (Psalms 119:103; Psalms 119:127). This is the kind of righteousness of which our Lord’s kingdom consists. Think not, for one moment, that you have this righteousness if you are knowingly trampling under foot even one thing our Lord says for us to do.
Peace. Remember this kingdom of our Lord consists of peace. The Head of this church is "The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6). The angels—a multitude of them—sang at his birth, "on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:1-14). To his disciples he said: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." (John 14:27). The fruits of the Spirit that in us should dwell are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." Hence, as members of this church, we must "follow peace with all men," and "as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men." (Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12:18). We must seek peace and pursue it. (1 Peter 3:11). The members of this kingdom—that is, the true members—are governed by that wisdom that is from above that is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:17-18). And above all, true citizens of this kingdom are "peacemakers" and they have the blessings of our Lord pronounced upon them. (Matthew 5:9).
Joyin the Holy Spirit. There is a joy that is unspeakable for the true citizens of this kingdom. (1 Peter 1:8). And, too, associated with this joy, a peace that goes beyond all understanding. (Php 4:4-7). We are the true church, the book declares, if we hold fast our rejoicing in hope firmly unto the end. Read it in Hebrews 3:6.
WHAT FOLLOWS OUR LIVING AS HERE DIRECTED?
"For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men." Of what things does Paul here speak? "Righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
"Acceptable to God." Could you think of anything more desirable and that means more to a human soul than to be accepted of God?
"Approved of Men. " This, too, is very desirable. Our lights for good must shine before men that they, seeing our good works, will be constrained to glorify our Lord. To live lives of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit before them certainly is the only way we can be salt to save them. Oh, will we not stop letting our good be evil spoken of by biting and devouring each other before an unbelieving and lost world! In studying the model church, or the church in Jerusalem, your attention was called to the fact that it was a popular church in the good sense of that term. Acts 2:47 declares that that church praised God and had "favor with all the people." Where is the congregation whose influence is not felt far and near if in that church righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit are seen and felt?
"Let us therefore follow after the things which snake for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. " It would be well here to turn to the word "peace" in your concordance and read every reference on it. The peacemakers have the blessings of our Lord resting upon them, and they are called "children of God." As before stated, we are commanded to follow peace with all men. (Hebrews 12:14). We are commanded, as much as in us lieth, to live peaceably with all men. (Romans 12:18). of course, I know there is a peace that God does not want—viz., peace between right and wrong, peace between truth and error. But let us remember that our Lord is called the "Prince of Peace," and that we cannot be his disciples unless we love peace and seek peace and pursue it. If we have the spirit of Christ, we will be peacemakers, and not peace destroyers. In 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul teaches us, in the local church, to "let all things be done unto edifying. " Every sermon we preach in the local church, every conversation we have with anyone about the work of the local church, should be done with two questions before us: (1) Will what I say promote peace? (2) Will what I say edify? But Romans 13:14 was suggested as the place to begin the study of chapter 14. It is the last verse in chapter 13; hence, is connected directly with chapter 14. And what does it say?
"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." This can only mean to put on the spirit and life of Christ, for these Roman brethren had already put him on in baptism. In receiving others into our local fellowship, receive and treat them, as nearly as poor mortals can, exactly as Christ would receive and treat them. I think it correct to say that Romans 14 goes a long way in teaching us how to put on the life of Christ. This is all the more evident when you read verses 1 to 3 of chapter 15, the words that immediately follow chapter 14. And what are these words? "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me."
Learn to always study whatever chapter, or even a short statement of Scripture, in the light of its context. It has been well said: "Any text of Scripture used out of harmony with its context ceases to be Scripture and becomes only a pretext for Scripture." These may not be the exact words of the one quoted from memory, but they express the thought exactly. We need to stay with the context in all of our efforts to teach others. The context is an infallible commentary on the Scriptures. Use it, and you will have no trouble learning what to do to be saved from your past sins, and also how to live the life in Christ he wants us to live.