As we have been studying chapter fourteen of Romans, we have seen principles related to Christian liberty. Paul begins the chapter by discussing controversial issues within Christendom, these are also known as matters of conscience or matters of opinion. Such opinions often lead to church splits. These are areas not clearly laid out in Scripture and are areas where we have freedom in Christ. Should someone question why you engage in certain activities that they condemn, you should be able to lovingly, confidently defend your position. If you cannot, the Bible says for you this is sin.

There should be no such thing as mindless Christianity. It is a sign of laziness to take the position that the Bible says it, I believe it, so don’t talk to me about it. God gave us a mind, and believers are guided by the Holy Spirit, so we should use logic and study Scripture until we are assured of our position on every controversial matter. Even when the Bible is silent on a specific matter, we must sort out our thoughts using biblical principles. We must be able to articulate why we do what we do in every aspect of our life. And, yet, we are called to live, through the principle of acceptance, with those who differ with us on non-moral issues. Two weeks ago, we considered the…

I. Principle of Acceptance (v. 1)

Paul says: “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” We are not to denigrate our Christian brothers and sisters because we see them as being bound by superstition or elementary principles of the faith. We were there once ourselves. The next principle we discussed last week was the…

II. Principle of Honor (vv. 2-4)

The first issue Paul mentioned in showing honor to our Christian family deals with food. Some Christians would eat only vegetables for fear that the meat might have been offered to idols then sold in the market; this would violate their conscience. Others believed that idols are nothing, and so they ate everything. In verse two Paul characterizes the person who eats only vegetables as weak and the person who eats everything as strong. Then in verses three and four, he tells both the weak and the strong to not pass judgment on one another because God welcomes both, and He will make them stand. Today we consider the…

III. Principle of Persuasion (vv. 5-9)

We are called by God to be fully convinced why we live our life the way you do. In matters of liberty, we are to be convinced of our position and we need to consider how we approach others who may hold a different position. In every non-moral position, there are arguments for and against each matter. Paul began this chapter by discussing the weak and the strong. In the present context the weak are those who are uncertain of their beliefs, whereas the strong are those who are confident in their beliefs.

If we have a conviction about some matter, we need to consider how we were persuaded of this position. Reading a verse of Scripture or listening to what some pastor said or reading a blog is not how we should arrive at a position. We should be able to say I have wrestled with the Scriptures, and this is why I believe as I do. We do not have to appeal to other authorities. As we are accountable to convince ourselves of a position, we are also accountable to convince others. When we engage others and feel that they are trying to convince us that they are right, it is good. We should be trying to convince them that this is what Scripture says and this is what I want you to understand. We should believe what we do with assurance and integrity. Today, we will examine three key elements in applying the principle of persuasion.

• Necessity of Conviction (v. 5)

Paul emphasizes personal conviction. He says, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Remember that the church in Rome was a mixture of Jews and Gentiles and there was a division in the church over non-moral issues. Paul points out two specific areas; the matter of food in verse two and the matter of special days in verse five: “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.” The word esteem essentially means to judge, and the context here is judging oneself. In the context of the weak and the strong, the Jews were weak because they had dietary restrictions and considered some days more special than others. The Greeks were more liberal in these matters but they, too, celebrated certain pagan holidays: for example, they had holidays honoring Saturn, Jupiter, nature, etc.

As the Romans conquered other nations, the people brought their gods into the Romans culture, so that the Gentiles would have been more tolerant of foods and days of celebration. Converted Jews, seeing the foolishness of Gentile feast days and now understanding their significance to their newfound faith, would have been even more convinced to hold to their tradition. Though they did not recognize it, the Jewish feast days all had a Christological significance. For example:

There was division in the church over how they were to celebrate these feast days. Paul was greatly distressed that the Gentiles in the Galatian church were allowing the Jews to impose their customs on them, and this was a hindrance to their spiritual growth. Prior to knowing God, or being known by God, the Gentiles were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. The Judaizers were telling the Gentiles that to be righteous before God they had to follow the law, celebrate the Jewish festivals, and be circumcised. As the church seemed to be returning to slavery, Paul was concerned that he had labored in vain over this church.

 The matter of days was also an issue within the Roman church. The crux of the matter is revealed in verse six: which is the proper day to celebrate? He refers to the day, which the Jews would associate with the Sabbath. The Jews had been exiled from Rome for a few years, during which the church began celebrating on the first day of the week. When the Jews returned conflict arose over whether to worship on Saturday or Sunday. Exodus 20 clearly specified that the Jews were to worship on Saturday. It was to be a day of rest so that they could maintain the Mosaic Law, and it was also a sign of the relationship between the Jewish people and the Lord (Exodus 31:13). 

The Sabbath was a day of rest where no work was to be done, and the Jews developed a system of thirty-nine categories of laws, the Halachot, to ensure that the Sabbath was a day of rest and celebration. The laws were unbiblical and imposed a great burden on the people. This is an example of what Jesus taught in the synagogue on Sabbath days (Mark 6:2). The people were astonished that Jesus possessed such great knowledge as He was teaching the people the true reason why God instituted the Sabbath. No where in the Bible does it prescribe that the church should worship on the Sabbath. Numerous times it is stated that the church met on the first day of the week (For example, see Acts 20:7) to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Also, Acts 2:46 says that they worshiped every day.

There was division over the Sabbath in the Roman church, and there is division over the Sabbath in the church today. Some people within the Reformed Camp argue that Sunday is the Sabbath while others claim that Sunday is the Lord’s Day. The issue is not whether the Sabbath is an important day to remember, but what can we do on this day? How do we honor this day? The Continental view of the Sabbath focuses on the Lord’s Day being a day of worship and rest, recognizing that all the Old Testament ordinances were fulfilled in Christ. The Puritan view is a strict adherence to the Regulative Principle, Christians are permitted to do only the things specifically allowed in Scripture. This view also includes making preparations on Saturday so that you don’t have to work on Sunday. Engaging in sporting events on Sunday was forbidden. 

Even to this day, sharp divisions remain over how we should commemorate the sabbath, yet both groups believe that the Sabbath is still in effect and is still important. Both groups agree that the Sabbath is a day of corporate worship and rest set apart for the Lord and we should abstain from unnecessary commerce. The groups begin to diverge regarding recreation on the Sabbath and even some regarding mercy ministry. Each person should know what he/she believes and be able to defend their beliefs. In verse five, Paul said, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” We should believe wholeheartedly the things we believe and yet continue to pray and study Scripture, testing our convictions, and listening to others, with the goal of solidifying our own convictions.

The way in which we become fully convinced in our own mind is through knowledge, using our intellect and rational reasoning; this results in discernment because we have prayed and studied the Scriptures. The principle of persuasion, persuading first ourselves, then others, is a matter of conscience. As Romans, Chapter 2 points out, every man, by God’s common grace, has a conscience that can discern right and wrong. For the believer, the conscience must continually be informed and transformed so that it acts as a judge of our actions and thoughts. Paul wrote to Timothy encouraging him to continue “holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made a shipwreck of their faith.” (1 Timothy 1:19) A good conscience guides us through the perils in life and helps us understand why we do what we do. Paul says in Romans 14:23, “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.” The bottom line is that it is a sin, if we do not know why we do the things we do.

Not only is doubt sin, but it also makes us susceptible to being led astray. First Timothy 4:1-2 says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.” A principle that comes forth clearly in Romans 14 is that, in no situation are we to ever violate our conscience. Our conscience may inform us that something we do is wrong, but we must be careful not to sear our conscience. Paul continues in verse three to describe those whose consciences are seared; they “forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” If we stop eating certain foods because someone told us it is wrong to eat them, or if we continue to eat but think we may be sinning, we are searing our conscience. We must be fully persuaded one way or the other.

Paul continues in verse four to say that “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” There are theological implications in dealing with matters of opinion: one is personal responsibility for knowing why you do everything you do in life. This requires studying Scripture and dialoguing with people who disagree with you. With an open Bible, have the other person explain how they arrived at their position. Learn from other believers, especially mature believers. Use your God-given conscience to guide you. The second theological implication in dealing with matters of opinion is that being fully convinced is tied to faith and conscience, aligning your faith with the Spirit and walking by faith. 

• Proper Motivation (v. 6)

In verse six, Paul says both positions are acceptable because the motivations are proper: “The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.” There is an underlying motive behind everything we do in life. Both those who observe a day and those who do not, and those who eat and those who do not have proper motives because both give thanks to God. To get to the point of giving sincere thanks, we must be pure spiritually minded.

Paul says that both groups are careful, methodical, and intentional in the way they observe and practice the day. Each group had spent time praying and studying and were intentional in the way they observed the day. Essentially, they were worshiping in Spirit and truth all for the glory of God wholeheartedly. Both groups were laying their lives on the altar (Romans 12:1-2) and saying to God, this is the way that I am going to honor You. This is the true heart of worship as expounded in Colossians Col 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” This is akin to saying Amen at the end of a prayer. We acknowledge that everything we have prayed for should align with God’s will to the best we understand it and should align with faith to the best we understand it. We should use all our time for the Lord. At the end of the week, we should be able to look at the things we did and say Amen.

A clear conscience results from doing all things for the Lord. If we do things for ourselves or for others just because we know it will make them happy, our conscience is violated. We must have an attitude of pure abandonment in order to understand the principle of persuasion. Neither of these groups was focused on the other group, both were focused on the Lord. They also understood that God alone was to be their judge. Colossians 2:16 says, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” In verse seventeen Paul said, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” We, too, should be fully convinced that we are doing everything for the Lord. 

Galatians 1:10 addresses Paul’s motive: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Paul’s point is that when he was persecuting Christians, his motive was to please himself and his Jewish brothers, not God. Paul could look at the two groups divided over the Sabbath day and be convinced that both were holding the day for God, not for man. We know this because both were giving thanks, thus they were worshiping God.

As we consider God’s grace, worship should be the natural outflow. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” If we diligently study Scripture and meditate on it, the word of Christ will richly dwell within us. Then in verse seventeen Paul says, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Worship begins with knowledge, and in response to God’s grace, we give thanks to Him.

Pure unadulterated worship is giving thanks to God for all that He has done for us. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” The Jews entered the temple with thanksgiving flowing from their hearts because they remembered who God is and what He had done. Hebrews 13:15 states, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” If we examine ourselves, do we find that we effortlessly give thanks to God for all the things in our life? If so, then we have a proper response to God’s grace and a pure motivation for worship, and we are focused on God and all He is doing. If we are not so focused, then it will be reflected by a lack of thanksgiving in our life. Paul saw both groups as being focused on God and His glory, so it doesn’t matter how we celebrate the Sabbath. Also, it is wrong to automatically assume that someone who holds to a different standard from us is sinning. Each group is persuaded; they see the need for personal conviction, the need for proper motivation and an understanding of…

• Divine Accountability (vv. 7-9)

Here Paul wants us to step back and see the big picture: no one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. Whether living or dying, it is all to the Lord. If someone is fully persuaded, fully convinced that their worship is pure before the Lord, they will answer to the Lord, not to you. We must understand that as we are living to the Lord, so is the person with whom we disagree if they are persuaded of their position. Then we need to pull ourselves out of the argument and focus on Christ and to whom we are accountable and rest in that. Remember that God is your Father and also Father of the one with whom you disagree. Verse nine says that God is Lord of all. It was for this purpose that Christ lived and died. 

Paul is telling both groups to remember what brought them to the Lord, what was the source of their salvation. Both groups had confessed with their mouths that Jesus is Lord, and both had believed with their heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). Therefore, both were saved. Paul goes on to say that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. God bestows His riches on all who call on Him. If both are believers, both are submitting to the authority of Christ in their lives. So, whether you eat or drink, or whether you honor a day or not, you are honoring the Lord with all your days. In the end God is going to be your judge.

Acts 10:42-43 says, “And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.” Remember that no one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. We all live and die to the Lord. If we have submitted ourselves to the supreme authority of God, then we serve the same Master as other believers. This gives us peace but now we need to be persuaded in every aspect of our life. We need to dialog and persuade one another, and we need to interact with the Scriptures, not for the purpose of convincing others that you are correct, but in order to be able to do so because you are persuaded that you are right. Iron sharpens iron, so that as we live for the Lord and as we die for the Lord, we die well. Then when we stand before the Lord, we will hear Him say well done, good and faithful servant. In everything we must be persuaded. Don’t shy away from discussions or even arguments, but as you enter into these, know that we are both living for the Lord.

Selah:

1. Is there some matter in your life of which you are uncertain? What will you do about it?

2. Do you find yourself holding a different opinion than another person? What should you do about it?

3. If you are unable to persuade or unable to be persuaded, how will you deal with the other person?