Accept one another
Romans 14
Key verse: Romans 14:1
Good morning. Last week, we learned even though we do not like to submit to the governing authorities, God commands us to submit to the authorities since he has established the authorities. We also learned that we need to wake up from our spiritual slumber and clothe ourselves with Christ Jesus until he comes again. In today’s passage, the Roman church had some disputable matters. When the church was small, it did not have serious issues. But as God sent more people, people from different cultures, different races, different family backgrounds, they began to disagree over some matters. This is understandable, even between husband and wife, they have different opinions over one matter. But the problem in the Roman church was that they quarreled each other, and even treated each other with contempt and judged each other. As a result, instead of building the body of Christ, they were about to destroy the work of God. So Paul commanded them to accept one other. And he explained why they have to accept each other and how they can accept one another.
- Over disputable matters
Let us read verse 1. “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters”. What are the disputable matters? In this passage, there are three disputable matters: eating food, considering one day more sacred, and drinking wine. Let’s go over them one at a time. In verse 2 and 3, one person eats anything while the other person eats only vegetables. Why do some people only eat vegetables while others eat everything? These days, many people become vegetarians for their health issue. They think eating vegetables makes them much healthier. Several years ago, a famous church pastor, Rick Warren, started the 40 days Daniel plan to reduce his cholesterol. He said he got the idea from the book of Daniel: Daniel ate only vegetables and water for 10 days. His boss found him healthier than other young men who ate meat. But in Paul’s time, those who ate only vegetables was not for their health. At that time, in Rome, meat was sacrificed to idols and then was sold in the marketplace. So as a Christian, when they eat meat, the meat might be the meat which was sacrificed to idols. This made their conscience very conflicted. The OT says “do not worship idols”. So to them, eating meat which was sacrificed to idols is a sin against God. They decided not to eat meat but only vegetables. Not eating meat is a big sacrifice. I love Steak, Pork chop, Bulgogi, barbeque. They are delicious and make us strong. Whenever I went to Mt. Etna’s Easter bible conference, since they do not provide any meat, even though I stayed there only three days I missed meat a lot. Especially, on Saturday evening, when there was beef jerky on the table, I was so tempted to eat every beef jerk.
In verse 5, some people considered one day (probably the Sabbath day) more sacred than another. So they regarded the Sabbath most holy and sacred. They also obeyed “do not work on the Sabbath”. In the meantime, other people considered every day sacred and holy. Probably every day they read the Scripture and prayed. Every day they worshiped God. To them, every day is like the Sabbath day. So they considered the Sabbath as sacred but also every day as sacred and holy.
In verse 21, some people thought drinking wine was not good. The Bible says “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.” (Ephesians 5). Actually, some people are blackout when they drink too much. So not to be drunk, they did not drink wine at all. In the meantime, others thought it was no problem to drink wine if they could control their drinking. They said, in Jesus, we have freedom in drinking anything.
As I said, because of people’s different Bible understanding, different culture, and different personal preference, they might have different opinions over these matters. But the problem was that over these issues, Christians in the Roman church quarreled, treated others with contempt, and judged each other.
- Accept one another
Apostle Paul heard their disputable matters. So he advised them how to fix such issues. Look at verse 1 again. He commanded them “accept the one whose faith is weak”. Who is the one whose faith is weak? According to verse 2, the one who eats only vegetables is weak. It is very interesting. It sounds like those who eat only vegetables are more likely having strong faith. Actually, in the book of Daniel, Daniel refused to eat the food from the Gentile king’s table. He ate only vegetables and waters not to defile himself. God blessed his faith. We respected his faith.
However, verse 1 and 2 say those who eat only vegetables are weak. How is their faith weak? Verse 14 says, “I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.” In Jesus, nothing is unclean. This means even meat itself is clean. In the OT, there were unclean and clean food. But in the NT, through Jesus, God made all clean. According to Acts 10, Peter said “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”, then God told him “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Also according to 1 Corinthians 8, an idol is nothing at all in the world and even if there are so-called gods, there is but one God. Furthermore, Jesus freed people from sins and the law. However, not everyone has this knowledge and their conscience may be weak. So Paul said “accept the one whose faith is weak”.
Then, why did they have to accept the other? First, God has accepted them. In verse 3, it says “God has accepted them”. I thought here “them” refers to the one whose faith is weak. But as I read the rest of this chapter, actually Paul mentioned both: basically he said those who eat anything need to accept the one who eat only vegetables. At the same time, those who eat only vegetables need to accept the one who eat anything. Verse 3 says “God has accepted them”. How did God accept them? Why should God accept them? There is no duty for God to accept them. God has the greatest faith. Compared to his faith, early church Christians had very weak faith. Also compared to his faith, our faith is nothing. Yet, God did not show his contempt to them. He did not judge them. Rather, he bore their weak faith and our weak faith as well. In the OT, God delivered Israel from the hand of the Pharaoh. He promised them to lead into the Promised Land. But whenever they faced difficulties in the desert, they grumbled and complained to God. Their faith was very weak. However, God endured them and provided them water when they were thirsty, mana when they were hungry. Similarly, there is no reason God should accept us. Yet, he accepted us as his people and his children. Because of our sins, his son died. Nevertheless, instead of condemning us, he loved us, helped us to grow our faith in him. Verse 3 says “God has accepted them”, it is in the ongoing tense. Yesterday he accepted us, today, he still accepts us, tomorrow, he will continue to accept us. If God has accepted both, should not they accept one another too?
Second, Jesus is the Lord of both. According to verse 4, those who eat only vegetables are God’s servants. At the same time, those who eat anything are also God’s servants. I could see here how Paul helped the Roman church believers? He helped them to approach their disputable matters from God’s perspective. God has accepted them as his servants. A servant can stand or fall only before their own master. A servant cannot judge other servants. Only their master has the right to judge each of them. According to verses 8 and 9, Jesus is the Lord of both. He is the Lord of those whose faith is weak. He is the Lord of those whose faith is strong as well. He purchased those who eat anything with his blood. Also he purchased those who eat only vegetables with his blood. In Jesus they are not separate, they live together, they die together for their Lord Jesus. Then, if Jesus is the Lord, how could they sit in the seat of judge and quarrel with one another?
Third, for the kingdom of God. Look at verse 17. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” They need to accept one another for the kingdom of God. The reason why God sent them to the church was not to quarrel but to build the body of Christ. The kingdom of God has nothing to do with eating or drinking. But God’s kingdom is about righteousness (having right relationship with God through Jesus), peace and joy. These days, this whole world has no peace because of Delta COVID 19 virus. There are fires or extreme heat everywhere. Where can people find peace and joy? Where can people find the kingdom of God? The church should be the small kingdom of God: learning how to have the right relationship with God and enjoying peace and joy. If people treat one another with contempt, how could the church build the kingdom of God? Impossible. So, Paul commanded them to accept each other for the work of God.
Then, how can they accept one another practically? Let us read verse 15 and verse 21. “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.”. Verse 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.” We need to act in love. How? In verse 21, in Jesus, even though we have freedom in doing whatever we want, it is better not to eat meat or drink wine for the sake of brothers and sisters. So let’s say Dre and I are invited to a friend’s house, I eat everything, Dre eats only vegetables, if the friend brings out meat and wine, though I am crazy about eating meat, I should act in love through not eating meat for the sake of Dre’s faith. Otherwise he will fall. The same principle is applied to drinking wine.
Charles Spurgeon was a famous Bible speaker. But he was also famous because he smoked even though he was a pastor. Some people protested him about his smoking, but he said in Jesus I have freedom: freedom even to smoke. Though through his message, he brought many people back to God but at the same time, because of his smoking habit, many were hurt that they left his church. In the meantime, a British missionary Hudson Taylor (actually they both lived in the same time) gave up his comfortable British lifestyle for the sake of Jesus. He went to China to share the gospel. In Jesus, he had the freedom to live like British. While most missionaries lived in their own community, he accepted Chinese style: wearing Chinese clothes, living in a Chinese house, and eating Chinese food. In one interview, he said “I believe that to share the gospel in China, we should become like them: their clothes, their culture, and their food. When they saw a missionary who wore the Chinese clothes, first couple of times, their eyes caught on the clothes itself but soon they paid attention to the message itself. What I really prayed is they might become a true Christian in their own language and culture”.
Paul himself was not a man who accepted others. When Jews believed Jesus, he could not forgive them. He arrested them and put them into prison. But later as Jesus accepted him, he was changed. He began to accept every different person. He said in Corinthians 9 “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to those not having the law I became like one not having the law, to the weak I became weak, so that by all possible means I might save some.” For the sake of God’s kingdom, for the sake of brothers and sisters, Paul was open-minded and accepted any types of people. Under him, all people became one mind, one heart, and one spirit to build the body of Christ together.
I wish I knew this truth before. There was one student Ruth and I cared in the past. He was a vegetarian. He did not eat any meat. I liked sushi and meat. Often I tried to convince him why he should give up eating only vegetables and open to eat anything. However, he did not agree with me. Outwardly, I pretended to respect his decision but inwardly I judged him: how narrow-minded he is. Now I am thinking if I knew this teaching earlier, I would have accepted him as he was. His conscience could not allow him to eat meat. At that time, he had faith of only eating vegetables. I repent sincerely that I did not accept him.
I am weak in many ways: in terms of faith, leadership, message, speech, and so on. Today’s passage says “accept the one whose faith is weak”. So please accept me and pray for me and work out together to build the body of Christ.
As a conclusion, today, we have learned we need to accept one another as God has accepted us. In Jesus, we have freedom in eating whatever we like, drinking whatever we love. But for the work of God, and for the sake of our brothers and sisters, it necessary, it is better not to eat meat or drink wine.