I believe this chapter is one of the most important chapters in the Bible, because it explains in detail what it means to have a personal relationship with God. While many Christian churches preach a personal relationship, more often than not, what they really mean is: Have a relationship with God in accordance with our rules and dictates.
Chapter 14 teaches us that each of us stands alone before God. Each of us hears God in a different way, and that is OK. God is greater than all our differences, and God comes to us where we are. To the extent that we are ready and willing to go, God brings us to where God wants us to be. The only voice we are to follow is God’s voice as God speaks to us in our hearts. Because of God’s personal relationship with each of us, we cannot judge how another conducts his or her Christian walk. By the same token, no one else has the right to judge our individual walks. However, we must take care with our spiritual freedom that we don’t use that freedom to hurt others or lead others astray.
Romans 14:1-4
Accept those whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat everything, but another person, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not look down on those who do not, and those who do not eat everything must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own masters they stand or fall. And they will stand, for God is able to make them stand.
Paul tells us to accept those whose faith is weak. What constitutes a weak faith? Some may tell you that a person whose faith is weak is one who doesn’t know much scripture. Or who doesn’t follow “the rules.” I’m going to tell you that faith is less about knowledge and more about being willing to trust. Trust what? Trust in God’s love for you. In Matthew 18:1-4 Jesus was asked, “Who is the greatest in the realm of heaven?” Jesus called a child to come into the midst of the disciples and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the realm of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles him or herself like this child is the greatest in the realm of heaven.” Jesus was teaching that the way to heaven is simply to trust in God’s love. To have simple trust as a child trusts a loving parent–to be there always with unconditional love, to be there when the child needs support, to accept the child just as he or she is, to forgive childish mistakes. The more you are able to trust in and accept God’s love for you, the greater your faith is.
It stands to reason, then, if the mark of a strong faith is the ability to trust in God’s love for you, then a weak faith is a faith based in fear. One can know lots of scripture, but if that knowledge is tainted by fear-based interpretation, then it’s a good bet that person’s faith is weak. If the person in question believes they have to earn salvation and their way into heaven somehow, it’s a good bet that person’s faith is weak. If a person feels their faith would be threatened if they accepted that there could be more than one interpretation of a particular passage of scripture, it’s a good bet that person’s faith is weak. Paul is saying that God’s heart is great! God has room for all kinds of people and God understands and accepts all kinds of ways of expressing love to and for God. God even accepts those whose faith is weak as well as those whose faith is strong. Remember, the only requirement for salvation is faith–the strength of that faith isn’t so important. “Faith as small as a mustard seed,” Jesus said, is all it takes.
God accepts various, even opposing expressions of that faith. One person who feels secure in God’s love for her believes she can eat anything, and God accepts her. Another person, who may be afraid that eating meat is offensive to God, eats only vegetables, and God accepts him. The important thing, Paul says, is that we ought not look down on each other–we ought not condemn those who practice their faith in a way that is different from the way we practice our faith. We are not to judge one another, we must not condemn one another, for it is God who accepts, not us.
Some denominations teach, “outside of our church there is no salvation.” Other denominations teach it is a sin to drink, or gamble, or smoke, or wear makeup. Some denominations teach that a person’s sexuality determines their acceptability or unacceptability to God. These are disputable matters, and we are not to pass judgment on one another over these things. We are all God’s servants and we are not subject to the judgments of others. Those who judge us do so wrongly. If we are serving God, our only judge is God, no one else.
Romans 14:5-9
One person considers one day more sacred than another; another person considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in their own mind. The one, who regards one day as special, does so to God. Those who eat meat, eat to God, for they give thanks to God; and those who abstain, do so to God and give thanks to God. For none of us lives to ourselves alone and none of us dies to ourselves alone. If we live, we live to God; and if we die, we die to God. So, whether we live or we die, we belong to God.
Some denominations celebrate the Sabbath beginning Friday evening to Saturday evening; some celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday, some celebrate in on Sunday. What’s the difference? Paul says that the important thing is; whatever you do, follow your own conscience! This is having a personal relationship with God. When you have a personal relationship with God you don’t have to worry or fret about what other people think. They have no say so in your relationship with God. Your relationship with God is like no other–nor should it be. How you live your life is between you and God and no one else! Ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you confidence in what you believe. Then act in accordance with your own conscience! If you ask the Spirit to guide and direct you, then you must be willing to trust that the Holy Spirit is giving you that guidance and direction. Then you can grow in trust of that “still, small voice within.” You can be fully convinced in your own mind. And you don’t have to be afraid of what others do.
One treats one day more special than another; one eats meat, another doesn’t. These things are petty. What is important is not so much the actions you take. What is important is that you are trying to follow God’s leading. If you are putting God in charge of your life–if you have asked God to guide and direct you footsteps, if you are trying to live your life to the best of your ability in honor to God, then you aren’t going to go wrong. Regardless of what you do, if your intention is to live as God’s child–then you belong to God!
Romans 14:9-12
For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you look down on your brother or sister? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “As surely as I live,” says God, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.” (Is. 45:23) So then, each of us will give an account of himself or herself to God.
Paul is very clear that each person has a personal relationship with God, and no one is to judge another on how they handle that relationship. What matters to God is not the disputable matters–not the picayune things that often separate one church or denomination from another. God doesn’t care if you celebrate one Sabbath or another; God doesn’t care if you eat meat or only vegetables; God doesn’t care if you drink or smoke or gamble or sleep with a person of the same gender for that matter. Jesus told us what matters to God: “Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself. On these hang all the Law and the Prophets,” (Matt. 22:37, 39 & 40). If everything you do in your life is based in love of God, neighbor and self, then nothing you do will be displeasing to God. If you do not break the law of love, then you will never break a law that is important to God. The rest doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about what anyone else says or thinks. It is you and you alone who will stand before God. It is you and you alone who have to make an accounting of yourself to God. God knows your heart. And if your intention is to act with love, then God will understand. God will bless you. God will accept you.
LIFE APPLICATION