Romans 14:13

    Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in another’s way.

    Letting go of judgment seems to be such a stumbling block for so many people, no less Christians. We have industries based on judgment of others, and I’m not speaking of the judicial system. Where would all the gossip columnists be if they could not entice you with provocative tidbits of information (and misinformation) about your favorite celebrities? What would we all talk about in our coffee-klatches if we couldn’t talk about our families, friends and neighbors? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to infer that all we do is spend our lives gossiping about and judging other people, but you must admit, it’s the favorite topic of conversation, perhaps world wide. However, when you give up judging others, there are big payoffs in it for you.

  1. It’s a time saver. Just think of all the time you’ll save by not having to keep up with the life/lives of the person(s) you’ve been judging.
  2. It will give you more time to focus on yourself. Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your neighbors eye and pay no attention to the plank in your eye…first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your neighbors eye.” (Matt. 7:3, 5)
  3. Jesus also said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1, 2) Remember, we just read that we all will have to stand before God ourselves. Jesus says that however we judge others God will judge us. If that’s the case with God, it would seem that if we let go of judging others, then we’ve got Jesus’ word that God will forego judging us. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
  4. If Paul calls us to not judge one another, Paul calls all Christians to stop judging others. If you and I have not the right to judge others, then neither does anyone else have the right to judge us. This is an especially important point for the GLBT community. When churches close their doors on anyone they deem unfit for association, they are engaging in the sin of judgment.

 

Romans 14:14

          As one who is in the Sovereign Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.

    From the time of the exodus the Israelites lived in accordance with strict dietary laws. There were animals that were considered clean and therefore edible; there were others that were considered unclean, and therefore inedible. Additionally, foods had to be prepared in ritualistic ways or they would again be considered inedible. Foods that had been sacrificed to pagan gods were also considered inedible to the observant Israelite.

    These laws remained in effect till the time of the book of Acts. Acts 10:9-16 tells the story of how Peter had a vision. In it, heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat. Surely not, Lord! Peter replied. I have never eaten anything impure or unclean. The voice spoke to him a second time, do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Paul demonstrates that he agrees with Peter’s vision, but Paul adds something more. He remarks that ‘…If anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.” This is really a continuation of his thought that each person has to decide in his or her own minds and hearts what is right and true for themselves, with consideration to what they understand God is asking of them.

    You may well ask, what does this have to do with me? In today’s world we who consider ourselves Christian don’t concern ourselves with the concept of clean or unclean animals (foods), we aren’t restricted by any rigid religious dietary laws, nor do we fret about animals sacrificed to idols. To answer this let’s go back to chapter ten of the book of Acts. Right after Peter had his vision where God had invited Peter to eat both the clean and unclean foods, right after God declared to Peter:  “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean,” (Acts 10:15), Acts 10:17 says that while Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, three men arrived looking for him. They had been sent to find him by a Roman centurion named Cornelius who, even though he worshipped God was nevertheless a Gentile. Peter accepted Cornelius’ invitation and went to his home where a large crowd was gathered. Peter said, (Acts 10:28) “…you are well aware that it is against our Law for a Jew to associate with Gentiles or visit them. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.” While God in the vision declared all foods clean, Peter understood that God wasn’t speaking only of food. Peter took the heart the statement “Do not call anything–A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G–impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:15)

    Think of what this means to those of us in the GLBT community! Think of what this means in the light of what we have read in the earlier chapters of Romans:

I also want to include here a passage we’ll come to just below this section we’re currently looking at:  “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.” (Rom. 14:16) What Paul is saying is that:

Ø     If you love God with your whole heart, mind, body and spirit

Ø     If you love your neighbor as yourself

Ø     If you accept Jesus as your Savior

You can’t go wrong! No one has the right to judge you. No one has a right to try to separate you from the love of God that is yours in Christ Jesus, no one has the right to judge you–and don’t you allow it!

    No one less than the Apostle Paul himself is telling you:  Don’t allow anyone to take away what God has given you. God is on your side! It is for the self-appointed dictators of morality to stop judging you. Nothing is unclean in and of itself, according to Paul, if you love someone, if they love you, if that love is caring, supportive, nurturing, if that love builds you and your partner up, then don’t allow anyone to speak of it as evil. You may not be able to stop the rhetoric, but just let it roll off you. In a hostile climate, be weatherproof. If it’s damning, if it’s condemnatory, it isn’t from God.

 

LIFE APPLICATION

  1. Have you ever judged someone falsely, or have you ever been falsely judged?
  2. Are you or do you know someone who has believed that God has condemned them for being “Who they are?”
  3. Can you now:

Ø     Give up the need to judge others? 

Ø     Recognize that no one has the right to judge you? 

Ø     Free yourself from the condemnation of others? 

Ø     Show your friend that the condemnation of others is not the condemnation of God? That others can’t judge?

 

Romans 14:13-14 (part 2)

    Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in another’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.

Romans 14:15

If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy this person for whom Christ died.

    We’ve examined verses 13 & 14 from one point of view. Now we will look at them from a different perspective. First we examined these verses with an eye as to our own responsibilities to ourselves. If we let go of judging others we free ourselves from the burdens of trying to “fix other people,” and we have more time to work on our own issues. Further, when we come to understand that it is not our right to demand or even expect that others conform to our standards for living, we discover that the gift of non-judgment that we give to others becomes a gift we can claim for ourselves. That is, if we accept that what Paul teaches in these passages is that we cannot judge others, then we can see that no one else has the right to judge us either.

    In this instance, we will see how, according to Paul, our actions affect others, and consequently, how we are to comport ourselves. Paul begins by saying that not only are we not to judge the lives of others, we must not do anything ourselves that would hamper the spiritual growth of a brother or sister. We must conduct ourselves with respect to their sensitivities.

    Paul says that even though he knows and is fully convinced that no food is unclean in and of itself, there are people (whose faith is not as strong as his) who would regard certain foods, as well as other things, as unclean. For those people who regard certain foods (and other things) as unclean, for them those foods (and other things) really are unclean.

    We have previously seen that each person has to live in accordance with his or her own ethical standards, and we are to respect the ethical standards of others even when they differ from our own. This respect must extend to include being circumspect in our behavior.

    Paul is saying that if your brother or sister whose faith is not as strong as yours is uncomfortable because of your behavior, then you are not acting our of love and respect for that brother or sister if you continue without regard to their feelings. If you know that a certain behavior of yours is going to make them uncomfortable, even if you know that behavior is innocent, don’t flaunt it in from of them. Doing so could cause them to lose the little faith they have, thereby destroying them spiritually. Remember that you may be the only Bible they ever read. You must be careful that you do not do anything that would create such confusion in them that would cause them to withdraw and hamper their further spiritual growth.

 

Romans 14:16-18

Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the realm of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God respected by people.

    At the same time, just because you are modifying your behavior out of respect for spiritually weaker brothers and sisters, don’t take that to mean that your behavior is evil. And don’t allow anyone to tell you that it is. Paul presents both sides of the issue. You must be circumspect in your behavior so as not to destroy the growth of a spiritually weaker brother or sister. By the same token, this does not mean that our conduct is to be controlled by the opinions and fears of others. Not at all. There will always be others to criticize, find fault, and yes, judge us. The point, Paul is saying, is that you “pick your battles.” 1 Peter 2:9 says that Christians are “…a chosen people, a royal priesthood…” because you are a Christian, you are a minister to any brother or sister with whom you come in contact. This means you should make every effort to live your life in a way that will uplift and strengthen the faith of those with whom you come in contact. After all, “The realm of God is not a matter of eating or drinking” or doing whatever you want. The true gift of God is not that because you have faith you can eat or drink or do anything you want. The true gift of God is that because you have faith, that faith gives you righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Realize that if you live your life with respect for your weaker brothers and sisters, you are serving Christ, which not only pleases God but will earn for you the respect of your peers.

 

Romans 14:19-20

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for anyone to eat anything that caused someone else to stumble.

    Paul admonishes us to do all we can to live in peace with our brothers and sisters, to do what we can to support them and to help build up their faith. Helping to strengthen someone’s faith is important. Indulgences are not. Don’t let your indulgent behavior destroy someone else’s fragile spirituality for the sake of you freedom. Their spirituality is the work of God, but you have the power to destroy it through lack of consideration. In fact, even though all “food” in and of itself is clean, when you flagrantly “eat” without regard to another’s fragile faith, and when by doing so you cause the other to “stumble” in their faith, then your behavior is simply wrong.

 

Romans 14:21-23

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

    It is important to note, here that when Paul speaks of a brother or sister, I believe he was referring to those of one’s own denomination. True, in Paul’s day there was no such thing as denominations, but there were various sects of Judaism. In fact, Christianity began as a sect of Judaism–the one which superseded the Law of Moses for the law of Jesus. It would not make sense to assert that Paul is insisting that one honor all the denominational or sectarian restrictions that exist, but to keep in mind those things which would create serious problems for the fledgling Christian who looks to you for guidance. 

    Paul goes so far as to say that it’s better even to forgo the pleasure of eating meat or drinking wine or doing anything else that would threaten the faith of that brother or sister. Rather, he says, keep those things private–between you and God. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be yourself. This doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything wrong. Don’t condemn yourself when you know that what you’re doing is not wrong. Be happy in your freedom! However, you must be mindful of the fact that what you do in the freedom of your faith might entice your brother or sister to mimic your behavior, even in spite of his or her own doubts that the behavior is right. What is right for you because of the freedom of your faith would prove to be a snare for them, because their lack of faith makes the very same behavior for them a sin.

    This is why no one can ever judge another person. This is why no one can ever judge us. Sin is an individual thing; something that one must keep “Between themselves and God.” Let me say this again, because it is such an important revelation that Paul makes here. Sin is an individual thing, because all sin is based on faith. And according to Paul, everything that one does that does not come from faith is sin.

          We have come full circle. What gives us salvation? Faith! What gives us freedom? Faith! What gives us grace? Faith! What frees us from sin? Faith!

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