Day 131 – Wednesday, July 2, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Romans 14

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

The Law of Liberty

1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. ² For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. ⁴ Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

⁵ One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ⁸ For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹ For it is written:

“As I live, says the Lord,

Every knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall confess to God.”

¹² So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. 

(Romans 14:1–13, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul opens this chapter with an admonition to receive those who are weak in the faith, but not to allow endless debate.
• He then speaks to a common debate or dispute, that of what one may eat. Some say they can eat anything while others are vegetarians. Paul says that no one should condemn another for their diet. Judging is not Godly.
• Also, he warns against disputing over the importance of a particular day of the week over another. Some things individuals may disagree on, but one should not judge another over personal convictions. This does not include obvious teachings on the holiness of certain actions and unholiness of others, but over things that are not necessarily spoken by God. Work out those things in your own heart.
• Live to the Lord and let the Lord convict others of their beliefs. It is not our job to judge others over trivial matters. We will all stand before God for our beliefs and actions. He will judge. Don’t be a stumbling block to a brother or sister.

The Law of Love

¹⁴ I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵ Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; ¹⁷ for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

¹⁹ Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. ²⁰ Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. ²¹ It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. ²² Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. ²³ But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. 

(Romans 14:14–23, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul writes in agreement with Peter’s vision from Acts that nothing is unclean in and of itself. However, if your personal convictions cause you to consider something unclean, then do not partake of it.
• However, if your actions cause another grief or leads them against their personal convictions, then do not do those things in their company, for you could lead them against God’s will for their lives.
• Do not let your good be spoken of as evil. If it offends someone to eat meat, then don’t eat meat. This could be applied to many things we deal with today. Be cautious that your presumed freedom does not offend others or cause them to go down a bad road.
• If you have a personal conviction, do not go against it unless you feel that God has released you from it.

__________________________________________________________________________

All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.