For the Sake of Peace and our Reputation
Let not then your good be evil spoken of…
Romans 14:16
When our Lord Jesus created Adam and Eve, He gave them free will. This free will operated perfectly and freely when they were in the Garden of Eden, without sin. Their personal decisions about what was right and good, never caused strife and contention between them and all was peaceful and harmonious. However, when sin entered into world, selfishness and the thought for self entered in as well. Now, the motivation what was right and good was determined by their selfish desires more than the will and love of God. The Roman Christians, coming from a strong-willed culture, prided themselves in the strength of their arm and might of their empire and were filled with self and haughtiness. Though having been saved and cleansed by the blood of the Lord, the old nature of sin yet persisted in its own ways over issues that didn’t matter (specifically, food and days) to the hurt and harm of other younger and immature believers. Paul admonished the Roman Christians by teaching them that what they think and considered to be right and good, which may be in itself right and good, had the potential to be blasphemed – thought of wrongly – when they insisted on their way and refused to change for the sake of the other, even in matters of little importance. So, Paul taught them not to let what they thought as good and right to be wrongly judged. Notice four lessons from this simple verse:
We have our liberties. When the Lord saved us, we all had our freedom to think and decide for ourselves what was right and good. If one thinks eating vegetables is the way to spirituality, then let the individual give thanks individually (Romans 14:6). Paul made it clear that meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse (1 Corinthians 8:8). Whether we eat meat or not, we are not spiritually affected.
Other have their liberties, too. While we have our liberty, Paul intimates that other people also have their own thinking and understanding of any given situation and so they are as right as we are. When we think of being vegetarians as being the way to spiritual life, others may think otherwise, that food is neutral and we are able to eat or refuse as we please.
There is potential for conflict. Paul highlights the potential for conflict due to this diversity of views. Albert Barnes, a commentator, writes, “Do not so use your Christian liberty as to give occasion for railing (criticism) and unkind remarks from your brethren, so as to produce contention and strife, and thus to give rise to evil reports among the wicked (in other words, that non-believers may report Christians only wanting to fight among themselves)”. Is it not true today that brothers and sisters in the Lord can separate and bicker over the slightest of matters?
There needs to be self-denial.Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? (1 Corinthians 6:7) In order not to have our good be blasphemed among Christians and non-Christians, is it not crucial that we practice self-denial? For the sake of the Lord and the peace of the Lord’s assembly, we need to willing to forgo what which we think and allow the peace of Christ to rule in His church.
Lord, help us to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Written by: Pastor Johnny Tan
Edited by: Timothy Lee
Image Credit: Timothy Lee