Introduction Despite our generation’s unparalleled opportunity to connect and communicate with more people than ever before, division in America might be the worst it has ever been. Trust in our institutions and media outlets is at a record low. People are becoming more rigid in their opinions but less understanding of the logic for their views, as well as the views of others. The ability to reason with others who hold differing opinions is vanishing, and those who provide verbal smackdowns in sound-bite helpings are rapidly gaining traction. What is absent from this chaos is any clear possibility of unifying people increasingly determined to hold views they cannot articulate to others. If nothing else, one thing we should all be able to agree on is there is a tremendous need for peace. 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Need for Peace
God promised to establish peace on Earth through righteousness. God sent Jesus, as the Anointed One, to accomplish the redemptive plan for creation and to make good on all of God’s promises, including the promise to bring in everlasting peace. Jesus appeared so that the creation, alienated from God due to sin, might be restored to the harmony God made us to enjoy. Restoration of this harmony by eliminating all traces of sin is true peace. Hence, Scripture refers to Jesus as the Prince of Peace. He alone has the authority and power to usher this new reality into a fallen world. While many would claim to pursue peace, there remains a great deal of disagreement on what that peace actually is, never mind how to achieve it. All the conflict and division we see stems from sin; any attempt for peace must solve the problem of sin, which is what Jesus did through the cross. The benefits of Christ’s work do not belong exclusively to the future, however. Those saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus can enjoy aspects of this peace now, with the fullest experience yet to come. However, the ongoing experience of this peace will be enjoyed only by those who are spiritually maturing. Growing in Maturity So what does it mean to be spiritually maturing? Scripture uses several expressions to convey this process of growing spiritually. For example, it can refer to becoming more like Christ, walking by the Spirit, or walking in love. Spiritual maturity entails transformation from what we were into what we are supposed to be. Jesus often said the kingdom of God had arrived, and Jesus instructed His followers to proclaim the gospel of His kingdom and make disciples of all the nations. Paul understood his call in ministry was to “bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among the nations” (Romans 1:6). The kingdom-expanding work of discipleship brings former rebels to God’s will (sinners) into peace with God through the saving work of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Those who trust Jesus are changed, and this is evident in the new “obedience” (pattern of living) that characterizes a Christian. So what do we know about spiritual maturity from Romans 14:13-19? Love is the Goal First, spiritual maturity manifests love. Paul writes that we are not to “pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother" (v13). Christians are to put the well-being of other Christians ahead of their preferences. The context deals with deciding debatable matters not explicitly addressed in Scripture; specifically, Paul is dealing with questions of what Christians should eat and drink to honor God and give Him thanks. Since the matter is debatable, both sides seek to take the principles of Scripture and bring them to bear on this practical question. Both sides are involved in good-faith efforts to wrestle with Scriptural truths and apply them well. On one side, Christians are rightly claiming that eating meat (with an apparent connection to idol worship) is good because ultimately God owns the meat, and we can offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving through it because God is real and the idol is not (1 Thess 5:18; 1 Tim 4:4). The other side is concerned that eating meat defiles a person (again, likely due to its association with idol worship), and thus interferes with the holiness to which we have been called (Eph 4:17-24). So what should a Christian who sincerely desires to follow Jesus do? Paul’s admonition is not to settle the matter by giving the “right” answer to whether someone should eat the meat; instead, Paul urges both sides not to judge the other, and to determine not to undermine their brother’s sincere efforts to walk in obedience to the Word of God. Spiritual maturity is not marked by head knowledge, religious activity, or emotional experience; it is marked by the ability to love a brother or sister in Christ by aiding their pursuit of God. Having strong, biblically reasoned convictions is good, even if that means disagreeing with other Christians. Earlier in Romans 14:5 Paul dealt with another debatable issue and said, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Differing opinions on debatable questions do not produce conflict, pride is what brings the conflict. And love, which is possible only for the one who knows Jesus’ love, destroys pride. The one who is growing in his spiritual walk will be increasing in his ability to let go of “being right” about debatable matters and be more concerned with seeing someone follow Jesus according to Scripture and a clear conscience. Living the Cross Second, spiritual maturity comes from living the cross, which requires dying to self for the good of others. Loving someone means letting go of our preferences for the sake of the spiritual good of another, and the ability to do this will only come when we appreciate and imitate what Jesus did on the cross. Paul has said that Christians must determine not to put stumbling blocks in front of other Christians, and he now warns the individual who believes eating meat is fine that he must not exercise this “right” in such a way that he would “destroy the one for whom Christ died" (v15). How would this man’s eating of meat “destroy” the one who thinks it is wrong to eat it? 1 Corinthians 8:10-12 explains that if the “weak” brother (the one who thinks it is wrong to eat) sees the “strong” brother eating meat in the temple, the weak brother will feel pressured to participate in eating and be ruined. Acting contrary to conscience is a sure path to destruction according to Scripture. What is worse, this breach of conduct was aided by the selfish exercise of supposedly stronger Christians' “rights” in front of his “weaker” brother. Christ came to save sinners and to bring about the obedience of faith. Faith trusts what Scripture reveals. If we want the same thing Jesus wants (and a spiritually mature person does), then we should make every effort to encourage others to live by faith. If a Christian is more concerned with being right, or exercising personal preference about a debatable issue, than with aiding the faith of others, then he is no longer walking in love. 1 Corinthians 8:12 says, “Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.” If we love Jesus and understand what the cross aims to achieve, we will grow in our ability to love others. The Good of the Body And third, spiritual maturity pursues the good of the body of Christ. In Romans 14:19, Paul states, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding.” Instead of judging others or putting stumbling blocks in front of them, we are to focus on enjoying harmony with our brothers and sisters in Christ by working towards the necessary things to encourage faith in one another. What is required of us to obey this command to pursue peace and mutual upbuilding? It depends, in part, on the situation. Obedience is always contextual (depends on all the factors of any given situation). But the goal for every Christian should be to live in such a way as to honor and thank God in everything he does. In Romans 14:6 Paul was dealing with whether or not Christians should eat or not, and Paul says, “The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor to the Lord and gives thanks to God.” The main point was not whether or not someone ate the meat, the question was whether they decided to honor the Lord and give thanks. The issue about meat was an opportunity to worship, and only decisions made by faith (conviction, trust, and obedience to Scripture) are pleasing to God. The Christian must encourage other Christians to live by faith, as this pursuit will require we act in love towards others by putting their needs above our own. Final Thoughts Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, came to this world so that we might find peace with God through faith in Him. But He also came so that we would experience that peace in the church. If we want to know this peace daily, we need to trust the Word of God in such a way that it translates into joyful obedience, the obedience of faith. We must all be committed to living according to our understanding of the Word of God, and we must be zealous to see fellow Christians do the same. A church full of people ready to put others’ walk with the Lord ahead of the exercise of their “rights” will be a church at peace.
1 Comment
Rod Kerley
10/6/2023 12:07:33 pm
Matthew 7:3-5 NIV
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AuthorI am follower of Jesus Christ by God's grace, married to Kelsey, father to four children, and pastor of Lighthouse Church (EPC). Archives
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