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Correctness Is Sometimes Wrong
Romans 14:13-23
Mari Ikeda
Today we’re going to read the second half of the chapter 14 of Romans. Following the first half of the chapter we read last time, the problem of different opinions in the church on what to eat and what not to eat as believers continues to be discussed here, but the point of emphasis is different today from last time. Let’s start reading, first from v.13-16.
1. We need to know our correctness can sometimes hurt others (13-16)
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 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 someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.
From v.14, we can see Paul, the writer of this letter, is convinced himself that no food is unclean. As I said last time, Jewish people have their own food law, and Paul, who was a Jew, had used to follow the law before, but came to change his mind gradually after he believed in Jesus and met many Gentiles who joined the believers’ community. Finally he came to have a conviction that anyone who believes in Jesus no longer needs to keep the Jewish food law, and that anyone who sticks with it is conservative and old-fashioned, a person of weak faith. However, his point is that we should care for them, rather than we try to correct their mistake, even if we know their opinion on food is conservative and wrong, because things about food is not the essence of faith and is not a matter of importance.
Now, we need to pay attention here that what is disputed here is not about the essence of faith, but rather is about people’s culture, tradition, and lifestyle. It’s not about justice and injustice either. If it were a dispute over something fundamental about faith or something related with God’s justice, it would be just irresponsible for us not to decide our attitude and approve everyone’s position. However, because what is disputed here is not that important, Paul says we should approve each other’s position and respect differences with each other. As I said last time, we need to understand there are two type of disputes, when we face a conflict between conservatives and liberals in the church. One is a dispute that we should not avoid a conflict but argue and discuss. The other is a dispute that we should respect each other’s position.
But what is difficult here is how we can discern what is a fundamental matter of faith for us to argue with each other and what is a peripheral matter for us to respect different opinions. For example, taking from my last message, is it an essential matter of faith or just a peripheral problem, to teach we should attend the church every Sunday by any means? To put it differently, do we need to correct such an idea because it is wrong, or should we just let it be as a different opinion? This is not so easy to answer. It’s easy for us to end the talk, saying, “They should change their mind, because such an idea is simply legalistic and obviously wrong.” I think Paul will scold us if we do so.
We need to learn that our correctness can sometimes hurt others. I myself did not know something so obvious and not so important to me was so important to that friend of mine in the seminary, and I hurt her. I did not even imagine that time that I was completely denying her lifestyle that she had been cherishing from her childhood. Although perhaps she needed to think about it herself sooner or later anyway, my words and attitude were absolutely thoughtless and imprudent. But it is same for her as well. If she forced someone to attend the church every Sunday by any means, and judged people according to whether or not they followed the rule, she was wrong. She also needs to know that her correctness can hurt others.
Let’s move on, v.17-21 next.
2. It is good to compromise one’s conviction for the sake of God’s Kingdom (17-21)
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. 19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
Here Paul is saying that even if someone is convinced that he can eat anything, if that conviction he has causes other people’s faith to be shaken, he should rather put his conviction aside for a while and adjust his action to be acceptable to them. It means for that person to have his actual behavior contradict to his conviction, by compromising what he believes is true, but Paul says it is right to do so. Because our priority is not to persist in our conviction to satisfy ourselves, but rather to seek God’s Kingdom and what pleases God.
Verse 17 says that God’s Kingdom is the righteousness, peace and joy given by the Holy Spirit. God’s Kingdom will appear, where each of us seek the help of the Holy Spirit and aspire for what pleases God, rather than we rely on our own ability or knowledge or experience. Holy Spirit will surely guide us in order for us to follow Jesus and choose the act of love for others instead of the act of protecting our own honor. By such a way, in our relationship with others, both God’s justice and love will stand together, and there will be peace and joy in us.
This is also the standard for us to decide how we should deal with others when we have different opinions on our faith-related issues. However just and right one’s opinion is in itself, it becomes wrong, once he excludes someone from God’s love for having a different opinion. We should ask ourselves as well, if we not forget that God loves those who have opinions opposing to ours as equally as He loves us. At the same time, we should not hesitate to resist to those who try to exclude us or someone from God’s love for whatever reasons.
Let’s move on to the last part today, v.22-23.
3. We should cherish our one-on-one relationship with God (22-23)
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
These words apply both to the Christian conservatives and the liberals. It is important for each of us, whether conservative or liberal, to value the one-on-one relationship with God more than anything else. As I said last time, the faith given to us is the faith to believe Jesus Christ alone as the Lord, who died on the cross for us and rose again. Although all of us need someone else to teach about this faith at first to believe and grow in faith, no one can should take the place of Jesus in our heart, whether it’s someone whom we owe greatly for our growth or some pastor whom we trust very much. Each of us needs to stand alone before Jesus and confess to him our doubts and worries and desires, and get the first hand experience of Him being with each of us even if He is invisible. Without this foundational relationship with Him, we will end up always worrying about other people’s eyes and seeing others only either as our enemy or friend.
The last word of Paul is quite heavy. He says, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” It means that each of us should think and discern well by oneself what pleases God and how we can realize God’s love. However, in other words, it is ok even if other people say we are wrong or our conclusion is different from others,’ as far as each of us gave a serious thought by oneself and reached the conclusion. If only each of us understands about this, we should be able to avoid hurting each other but rather learn from each other’s differences.
To close my message today, I’d like to read Jesus’ words from Mark 2:15-17.
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
As long as we think we are right, we will never be able to understand the magnitude of love of Jesus, who enjoyed eating together with many sinners. Each of us is just one of those sinners who were invited to the table with Him only by His grace.
(Prayer) Dear God, while we share the common faith to believe in you as our Lord, we all are different in our way of thinking and life, and there are many churches so various and different from each other in this world. Please help us in order that we can learn from each other’s difference, rather than we judge and condemn each other to decide who is the most righteous or which denomination is the greatest. Guide us and make us able to always come back to our one-on-one relationship with you, listen to you well, think well, and make a right decision, whomever we are with or wherever we are. Pour out Your Spirit on us, so that we can compromise our own conviction and change our heart if it’s necessary in order to make your love revealed. Dear Lord Jesus, we pray this in your name, Amen.
Summary
There are various ways of life for believers and various kinds of church. We should all learn from such differences of each other. In the meantime, each of us needs to ponder in our one-on-one relationship with God what way is right for oneself, and tackle every doubt and question one gets in life and faith. However, even if we think our conclusion is correct and others’ is wrong, we don’t need to correct their wrong if it does not harm anyone. Also, it is good to compromise one’s conviction in order not to hurt others.
For Discussion
- Has your correctness about your faith and life hurt others?
- How can we know what pleases God, in our way of living and the way of church?