Lesson 2840

(Lesson 2840)(10-05-19) Romans 14:14-23
    “ I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

    In today’s quote, Paul uses a metaphor about the very restricted diet of the Jews to explain why we, the children of God, should not condemn our brothers and sisters in Christ because they might do things differently than we. An example, some believe that instrumental music is offensive to God and that it should not be played. Others believe, as I do, that it’s perfectly ok to have instrumental music as a part of a worship service. According to what Paul wrote herein, we are to accept whatever method of worship one chooses so long as that choice does NOT interfere with the basic faith of those who believe.
    As Paul established in a prior lesson, to demand certain rituals or actions that require that a part of ones faith be placed in that ritual, such as water baptism etc, is a dissolution of God’s established means of spiritual rebirth.
    To place a part of one’s faith in water baptism and another part in the blood of Christ, is like maintaining a golden calf and claiming that one is saved by the blood of Christ yet he/she must also worship the calf so the blood of Christ can do it’s job.
    Those who put forth the claim that their faith remains in Jesus Christ alone, also, by reasonable assumption, claim that without the ritual of water baptism the blood of Christ is not sufficient for the remission of sins. That contention is more than wrong as Paul established in the final part of today’s quote when he said, “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
    Therefore, if one makes the ritual of water baptism requisite to spiritual rebirth and claims that that baptism is not a part of the faith required for that spiritual rebirth, requiring that the act of being baptized in water as a part of a spiritual rebirth becomes a stumbling block and is therefore a sin unto those who require it.~