"Christian Maturity”

“The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:22-23 ESV)

Chapter 14 is one of my favorite Chapters of this book. It talks about Christian Maturity and the freedom we have in Christ. It gives solid examples of how we are to love one another and explains some very practical examples of what faith and love for my neighbor really mean. It shows us how mature Christians don’t demand their rights or freedoms in Christ, but because of God’s grace and love, we are to build up our brothers and sisters in Christ.

As you read this chapter, you see that Paul tells us to love and accept one another and to stop judging one another based on outward appearances and personal convictions. The example that he uses is about food and drink, but that can easily be applied to other aspects of our lives as well. I believe the overriding principle that Paul is teaching in Chapter 14 is “whatever is not from faith is sin.” (14:23b).

You see, Paul talks in this whole chapter about doing things with or without faith. Some believer’s faith is weak, and we are “not to pass judgment on their personal convictions or opinions.” Now, what does that mean, weak faith?

First, he’s not talking about saving faith; Paul has already established that saving faith is only in Jesus and what He has done for each of us. So, what type of faith is Paul talking about? In this chapter, Paul is talking about the conviction or confidence that what someone is doing is pleasing to God.  Remember what he said in 13:14: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” How we live our lives is very important to our Heavenly Father, as we are told in Eph. 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

You see, it’s very important to our Savior that we do the “good works” that He has prepared for us to do. Now, please don’t confuse saved “by” good works with saved “for” good works, these are two completely different concepts. Nowhere in Scripture are we ever taught that we are saved “by” good works; just read the first 11 chapters of Romans for that teaching.

But yes, we are saved “for” good works. God has sanctified us (set us apart for His service) so we can live lives that bring honor and glory to our Savior through good works.

Paul uses Chapter 14 to show that eating or drinking is of no great concern to God.

Paul states in verse 14, “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” Let that verse sink in for a moment. Do you mean I can eat or drink anything, or as much of anything as I want? Well, not if it doesn’t bring honor or glory to God, or if it goes directly against clear Scriptural teachings. Just refer back to Roman 6:1 or 6:15 where Paul asks the rhetorical question, “Are we to continue in Sin that grace might continue?”

He then gives this wonderful response: “May it never be!” So, no, we can’t do “anything” as followers of Christ, “May it never be.” “How can we who have died to sin should still live in it?” That just isn’t who we are anymore. We have been changed; we have been renewed. Christ now lives in us; we have a new heart. A heart that, out of appreciation, wants to bring honor and glory to our risen Savior. We don’t want to do what we used to do; now we want to live to please God. So, Paul says that just because we have the freedom in Christ to do something doesn’t mean we should do it. Our objective is to honor our Savior and to build up one another.

Paul goes on to say in verse 21, “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.” Taking us back to the opening verses of this chapter, which speak of some believers with weak faith who only eat vegetables. We are not to judge one another. You see, we who are “strong” in our faith are the mature believers. We know that God sees the heart, He’s not impressed with what is outside the body, “It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.” (Matt. 15:11). So, we who are strong are not to judge the weak for their personal convictions, and the weak are not to judge the strong for their personal convictions. We are to love and honor one another.

Paul is talking about personal convictions regarding whether we may or may not eat or drink something, which is perfectly fine if it is based on our understanding of what God wants us, as individuals, to do. But it is not proper to hold every other believer to these same personal convictions and to regard them with contempt if they don’t agree with us (verse 1-4). Paul says neither the weak in faith nor the strong in faith may hold others in contempt; we can’t judge them for their personal convictions. Again, we are not talking about clear Biblical teachings, but about personal convictions regarding eating and drinking (or, by way of application, the type of music, style of worship, etc.) and other personal convictions we hold.

Paul sums up this Chapter of Romans in verse 23: “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin.” This biblical truth goes way beyond what we can eat or drink; it tells us as New Covenant believers we need to live by faith, not by trying to keep a list of rules or always trying to impress God or others with our good deeds, but to remember Romans 3:28: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” God is impressed only with our hearts, and as we live in, by, and through faith.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Paul uses Chapter 14 to explain the concept of Christian Maturity and living in grace, which is our confidence in Christ. We are not to hold each other to our own personal convictions. Let us be confident in our actions that we have the freedom in Christ to live to bring honor and glory to our Savior. “…whatever is not from faith is sin.”

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"