2003 Shepherd's Conference, A Ministry of Grace Community Church 818.909.5530. © 2003 All Rights Reserved. Grace Community Church. A CD, MP3, or tape cassette copy of this session can be obtained by going to www.shepherdsconference.org Walking the Thin Line Combating Legalism in the Church (Handout – Study Notes) Carey Hardy Pastor, Adult and Family Ministries

INTRODUCTION

The church in Rome was a cosmopolitan type of church. It experienced the strains that can come in a local church when there are differences. In this passage are three truths that, if understood and embraced, form a foundation for learning how to get along with people who do not see what you are doing as the ideal way of living out the Christian faith.

• I. THE TRUTH ABOUT ISSUES & ACTIVITIES (vv. 1-2, 5)

It is a fact: The Bible does not DIRECTLY address every particular issue or activity in life.

And when we are discussing these issues not addressed in Scripture, we may well hold different opinions as to what is right and wrong.

I don’t mean issues that are clearly laid out in Scripture. For example, we MUST share the same convictions about who Christ is. And certain activities are clearly described in the Bible as being sinful. So we can't sit around trying to decide what our personal conviction might be on (for example) adultery, drunkenness, or lying, murder, or homosexuality, etc.

There is no doubt as to the sinfulness of these activities.

But many issues are NOT clearly spelled out in the Word of God like these are as being sinful. There are principles that can guide us, but there’s no particular verse to tell us whether the activity is right or wrong.

We call these the gray areas of life (not exactly black…sinful and forbidden; and not exactly white…good and encouraged). We tend to form personal convictions about these issues, which is FINE. We ought to. And we ought to live by those convictions.

But regardless how our conscience is trained, no matter how we try to make black issues to be white or white issues to be black, the truth remains: THERE ARE MANY ISSUES THAT ARE GRAY.

In this passage, Paul addresses some particular activities to illustrate his point:

THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE TRUTH ABOUT MANY ACTIVITIES WE INVOLVE OURSELVES IN: Such things are in themselves indifferent.

It doesn’t matter, biblically, what your conviction is, because the Bible neither encourages nor discourages them.

People in the church at Rome were both different and similar, as we are today:

When it comes to differences in the subject of conscience, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul informs us that there are two basic categories of people:

Those who are strong…and those who are weak.

This doesn’t refer to strength OF faith. In other words, Paul is not describing people who did or did not believe in Christ, or who were struggling with some aspects of the gospel, or who were or were not morally strong or weak.

BOTH THE STRONG AND WEAK BELIEVED THE GOSPEL AND WERE TRULY SAVED.

But the strong were those who were able to grasp the significance of Christ's death for daily living—he has grasped the truth expressed in Col. 2:14:

The strong:

§ Have laid hold of the great faith and live accordingly. They are strong in the sense of comprehending the meaning of the Christian faith and it's implications for daily living.

§ Have entered completely into the rest of the Lord.

§ They know that justification is apart from works; they have realized the liberty Christ has given us and are done with rules of legalism and ceremonialism forever.

§ Understood that the ceremonial aspect of the law had been done away with in Christ…that there were no more "rules and regulations" to follow about food under the New Covenant.

§ Enjoyed their freedom in Christ and lived according to this freedom

ALL foods were okay to eat. In particular, meat was great! And every day of the week was holy, not just ONE day above other days.

As noted, this individual is saved. The weak person has faith in Christ, but has difficulty in applying his faith to the practical issues of life. His faith is weak in that it cannot sustain him in certain kinds of conduct.

Why called “weak in faith”?

§ Weren't making practical application of the position of being justified.

§ Because of their inadequate grasp of the great principle of salvation by faith in Christ, they tend to live with an anxious desire to make this salvation more certain by the scrupulous fulfillment of formal rules and so placed themselves under “rules and regulations.”

§ Were exceedingly sensitive to sin. They were so sensitive to sin that they picked out indifferent things, things that were neither moral nor immoral.

§ Preferred a system of “do’s and don’ts”.

§ Instead of enjoying their freedom in Christ, they lived according to human traditions.

§ They have not yet been able to apprehend and grasp full and free salvation as it is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. They have not grasped entirely the wonderful proposition in Rom. 8:1, which says that in Christ there can be no condemnation whatever.

§ Have not understood that when they entered into Christ, they were to leave behind legalism and ceremonialism behind.

§ Have difficulty divorcing themselves from that which they were before coming to Christ, and tend to either cling to what is legalistic or works oriented.

In this congregation, the “weak” individuals believed that certain foods were to be avoided…certain days were more holy than other days.

So in the body, there are the strong and the weak. And the difference is based upon their ability to apply doctrine in a mature way to the daily issues of life. In reality, you MAY be a MIX…strong of faith on some issues, and weak of faith on others.

On one hand, Paul points out …

This, sometimes, is the attitude of the strong toward the weak.

He looks down upon the weak person (or the abstainer) and sees them as worthless.

Even if it wasn’t at that extreme, there was still the prideful attitudes that caused them to consider themselves spiritually superior. So Paul says, “Don’t look down upon them. Instead, accept the one who is weak.”

accept Means more than just “allow to stay.” It has the notion of welcome and taking into friendship, and is a command.

not for the purpose of passing judgment Don’t try to settle every difference; don’t do anything that will discourage the weak.

ACCEPT them. You can even discuss your freedom in Christ with those who are weak, but it should never be for the purpose of passing judgment.

On the other hand, Paul points out the sinful response of…

This is a common reaction on the part of the weak—or abstainers. And many times the weak have been the greater tyrants.

When another is enjoying some activity that is against this person's belief system, then the tendency is to condemn the other person as being in sin.

They are censorious: ”They aren't as spiritual as we are." IN fact, they can be tempted to derive satisfaction from the very fact that they are in the minority.

So the two groups have something in common. What is it? PRIDE—they have both fallen into the same error.

And both groups are clearly in danger of letting works obscure the centrality of justification by faith, for their attitudes imply, “My faith is better than yours,” and that turns the attention to what WE DO rather than to what Christ has done for us.

Each group has the same Lord who is their source of strength.

servant … the word for a household slave

of another …this is conveying possession. The servant in question belongs to and therefore is accountable to someone else, and that person is the Lord.

And in this situation, both the weak and the strong are servants of the Lord. They have this in common—both need strength, and they receive it from the same Lord. It is the Lord, not the strong or weak brother, who makes each one stand.

This really is discussing motive.

v. 6 Both groups were choosing their activities out of the same motivation: TO HONOR THE LORD.

Each is seeking the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though their actions are different, their motive is the same.

1 Pet. 2:16 We're not to use our freedom for the flesh, but for the Lord.

So the person who makes a distinction between days (for example), a distinction which strong persons would not make, must NOT be looked down upon for doing so, for he does so with the purpose of honoring the Lord.

Similarly, the one who eats, paying no attention to traditions or OT restrictions, cannot be accused of being indifferent to the will of God.

On the contrary, he too honors the Lord by doing what he does.

Both the weak and the strong, in this matter of indifference, are honoring the Lord—the weak, by giving thanks to Him for their vegetarian meal, the strong, by giving thanks for their meat, etc. Each is aware that what he eats is the gift of God to be enjoyed.

In v. 9 The death and resurrection of Jesus are related to His

Lordship. Jesus died but lived again and is living now in proof of His power and Lordship.

And since Christ is Lord over all, dead and alive alike, then clearly eating or not eating, keeping a day or not keeping a day, come under His direction.

Judging was actually going on (now seen again in v. 10), and the truth that is presented in this chapter is that this judging is an inexcusable sin—it’s HEINOUS. What makes it so bad? Two particular facts about judging that we find here answer this question:

v. 10 a “brother”

You’re not judging an outsider—you’re not judging someone disconnected from your life and ministry. YOU ARE JUDGING A BROTHER.

Judging is an option that only the Lord is to exercise.

Twice in this verse Paul uses an emphatic you:

“But you…why you…or you again…why you…” i.e., “YOU have no right to do this at all.”

People who judge the motives and character of others are taking to themselves a prerogative that belongs to Christ and God alone. Unbelievers will be judged at the great white throne judgment. Believers will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ

THE POINT OF THE PASSAGE: Each of us will give an account to God; not a single person will be exempted. Also, the account will be given to God, not man.

I will not give an account for you, nor will you give an account for me. The strong will not have to defend the weak, neither will the weak have to speak for the strong. But it is to CHRIST that we must show whether or not we have used or misused our freedom, and whether our motives have been right.

Judging motives is really what is going on in this chapter. But this is SINFUL judging in Scripture. This is GOD’S job, and ONLY His job.

When you or I judge the motives of another, or sit in condescension over another, we are usurping God’s role. We set ourselves up as being holier than God because God HAS accepted that other person (v. 3).

CONCLUSION

¨ You may ask, "Which of the two groups is right?" Doctrinally, the strong are right, for they understand the significance of the faith, and the apostle Paul would take his stand with them unequivocally. But the issues involved are broader than merely a correct view of the Christian faith. The issues involve people, those who in all sincerity have endorsed the Christian faith, even though they do not fully comprehend it. In this situation, both groups need correction in areas involving attitude and conduct.

The weak brethren need correction because their position is wrong, and they condemn other folks who do not agree with them. They engage in censorious judgment.

But the strong also need correction because, while their principle is right, they have misused it in their attitude toward the weaker brethren. Both here in Romans and in 1 Cor. 8 & 10, Paul teaches that the church—and of course believers individually—should treat with consideration and tenderness those who are weak.

SO THE STRONG AND THE WEAK SHOULD TREAT EACH OTHER WITH KINDNESS.

¨ It's okay to have different convictions.

But Paul does insist, however, in v. 5 that “each one be fully convinced in his own mind” that what he is doing is right. No one must do what is contrary to the dictates of his own conscience as illumined by the Word!

¨ And don’t require that everyone be exactly like you; don’t be threatened by someone who is different.

WE MUST BE GETTING ALONG…EVEN WHEN IT’S GRAY.

2003 Shepherd's Conference, A Ministry of Grace Community Church 818.909.5530. © 2003 All Rights Reserved. Grace Community Church. A CD, MP3, or tape cassette copy of this session can be obtained by going to www.shepherdsconference.org