260 JOURNEY ROMANS 14 MY FAITH IS PERSONAL BUT IT’S NOT PRIVATE

Romans 14 is a chapter on personal convictions not a private faith. The no where gives anyone the right to a private faith though it is a personal faith. Because not everyone is at the same place in their walk with God. And when we don’t take notice of where people are in the Christian walk… THEN THE STRONG BECOME A STUMBLING BLOCK TO THE WEAK. Instead of stumbling block. Eugene Peterson says it in the Message like this.

Romans 14:13 (MSG) 13 Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is.

“Making life more difficult for newer Christians.” That is a horrible thought. How does that happen? It’s when the lines of personal and private faith are blurred we end up with legalism. Imposing our standards on others. We just got in the way of people’s growth in Christ.

Welcome to the 260 Journey. Let me explain the origin of legalism and how important Romans 14 is to keeping it out of our lives.

Legalism originates when Christians make a personal conviction, the corporate conviction. When you believe what God demands of you , He is demanding of everyone. Now there are extracurriculars that God will call His servants to that is not meant for everyone. But be very careful of imposing those extracurriculars on those around you. Your convictions are not meant for everyone around you. What I have seen is… The greater the anointing the greater those kind of personal convictions happen. The wider the influence the more intense those personal convictions are for a peson.

As you listen to the Holy Spirit, He may be speaking to you personally. If that's the case, don't expand any larger than the personal dimensions. Once you expand your convictions to everyone, then your relationship has turned religious and religion always sours and goes rogue into legalism.

Just because God tells you to get up and pray at 5 am does not mean everyone has to. Just because you fast once a week doesn't mean everyone else in your house has to go hungry. I have seen this with what people wear, with bringing in Jewish elements into the church. Be careful.

If God has something to say specifically to others, let Him say it. He is very well capable of speaking. He did speak a universe into existence, I do think He can tell someone “that’s too much TV”.

Romans 14 helps us with this. In fact, an old friend helped me with understanding this chapter by categorizing a few things.

There are BIBLICAL ABSOLUTES, COMMUNITY STANDARDS & PERSONAL CONVICTIONS Let’s explain

BIBLICAL ABSOLUTES are for all people, all times and all places (ie. Homosexuality, adultery, lying). These are things that you cannot do or you will die spiritually. These are fixed things. And these are clearly in the Bible for us. then there are…. COMMUNITY STANDARDS: For some people, for some situations, for some times. I’ve heard it said “If it was sin then, then it is sin now…” How many have ever heard that before? It really depends upon what you are talking about. There are things that DON’T impact salvation but impact your growth. There were times in the church decades ago when a woman could not wear black panty hose or red shoes. It used to be a sin to have a radio or TV or read the comics on Sunday. There is a difference between that which impacts salvation and that which impacts growth and that has to be differentiated. People confuse Biblical absolutes with community standards and they say if you don’t do these things you will go to hell. You will not go to hell but you won’t grow. Acts 15:1 has a key phrase to notice…

1 Some men came down from and began teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of , you cannot be saved.”

Did you see it? “you cannot be saved…”

They just imposed a community standard as a biblical absolute.

Finally there are PERSONAL CONVICTIONS: it is for you, it is custom made for your personal life from God. Your personal conviction is not every person’s conviction. Do not make a personal conviction into a community standard. It is immaturity when people say if it’s wrong for me then it is wrong for everybody.

Paul helps us in Romans 14 by encouraging us to ask 3 Questions in regards to our personal faith and the things we do. It’s a great grid for our walk with God when something we do could be misunderstood.

Does what I do… Ø glorify God (v5-8) Ø Does it bring peace? (v 19) Ø Does it edify? (v13-16)

If it doesn’t ….Paul says the reward for doing it just isn’t worth it. I want a life that will glorify God and help others. It’s not simply about me. I don’t want my actions to be a stumbling block to anyone’s faith.

The best description of the church was made by one of the church’s first enemies in the first century named CELSUS. His was the oldest literary attack on of which any details have survived about AD 178. We get it from Origen’s reply, CONTRA CELSUM, Celsus wrote, “The root of Christianity is its excessive valuation of the human soul, and the absurd idea that God takes an interest in man.”

Exactly right Celsus! And that’s why Romans 14 is so important, because people are important even if I have to cease and desist something that may be right for me but a stumbling block for another. I will do it. Because we excessively value the human soul.

Thanks for joining the 260 Journey.