ROMANS 31
We will begin this lesson in Romans 14:1 "Him that is weak in the
faith receive ye, [but] not to doubtful disputations."
We can easily see from this, that just because someone is not a
trained Bible scholar is no reason not to fellowship with them. We are
warned not to get into arguments with them that might lead to their
not believing. The new convert to Christianity should be fed milk and
honey for a while, until they are able to understand the deeper things
in the Word. I Corinthians 3:1 "And I, brethren, could not speak unto
you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, [even] as unto babes in
Christ." I Corinthians 3:2 "I have fed you with milk, and not with
meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are
ye able." You can clearly see from this that, a person who has just
been saved is not quite ready for the things of the Spirit. A babe in
Christ needs a little time to get the flesh under subjection of the
spirit. We Christians of long standing sometimes forget how hard it
was at first to get the flesh to obey the spirit.
Romans 14:2 "For one believeth that he may eat all things:
another, who is weak, eateth herbs."
I Timothy 4:4 "For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing
to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:" We know that
anything we have prayed over is clean and may be eaten without fear of
condemnation from God. The secret is the prayer, the prayer made it
clean for us. I Timothy 4:5 "For it is sanctified by the word of God
and prayer." The person who is eating herbs is doing it from lack of
knowledge. We, who know that it is alright to eat meat, should not
make fun of a fellow Christian who feels it is wrong. We could however
show him the following Scripture. I Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"
I Timothy 4:2 "Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience
seared with a hot iron; " I Timothy 4:3 "Forbidding to marry, [and
commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be
received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."
Romans 14:3 "Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not;
and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath
received him." Romans 14:4 "Who art thou that judgest another man's
servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be
holden up: for God is able to make him stand."
This tells me that to the fulness of the knowledge that we
possess at the time, we should do our best to be pleasing to God.
I Corinthians 10:29 "Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the
other: for why is my liberty judged of another [man's] conscience?"
Here, we see the answer to it all. Whatever we do, we must do it with
a clear conscience. Again I say, God will not hold you responsible
for the things you do not know, if you have made an effort to do what
you believe to be pleasing to Him. Why don't we just let God handle
His business? We are not anyone's judge, God is. What God does with
someone else is not our business.
Romans 14:5 "One man esteemeth one day above another: another
esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his
own mind."
Colossians 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in
drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the
sabbath [days]:" These are both interesting Scriptures, in face of
the fact that, the Jews celebrate Saturday as their Sabbath, and the
Christians celebrate Sunday as the Lord's day or first fruits. We are
told to be fully persuaded that what we are doing is pleasing to God.
We are to celebrate with a clear conscience. Whatever day you esteem,
do it as unto the Lord.
Romans 14:6 "He that regardeth the day, regardeth [it] unto the
Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not
regard [it]. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God
thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth
God thanks."
God is not so interested in the technicality of what day we
celebrate as He is in the fact that we have chosen an individual day
and set it aside to worship in. God wants our heart to be in
worshipping Him. We know that Jesus said, that the sabbath was made
for man and not man for the sabbath. Mark 2:27 "And he said unto
them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:" You
see from this it is not the day that is important, but the fact that
we choose to worship God one day a week.
Romans 14:7 "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth
to himself."
I Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own?" I Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which
are God's." We can do nothing of ourselves. The Spirit is our teacher
and guide. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Romans 14:8 "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and
whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or
die, we are the Lord's."
I Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." Jesus
bought us on the cross with His own precious blood. We are not our
own, we belong to Jesus. Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me." You see, if I am a Christian,
then Christ lives through me and in me.
Romans 14:9 "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and
revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."
John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the
life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he
live:" We see from this Scripture that, Jesus not only rose from the
dead, but because He rose, we have the promise that we will rise also
if we believe in Him. Jesus is actually Lord over everything.
Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
[things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the
earth;" You see, there is no limit to His power and rule.
Romans 14:10 "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost
thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ."
Ecclesiastes 12:14 "For God shall bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be]
evil." Jesus is the Judge of all the earth. We will stand or fall by
whether we are accepted by Him as His sheep, or whether we are among
the goats. Jesus sends the sheep to eternal life in heaven with Him.
He sends the goats to eternal damnation. Matthew 25:32 "And before him
shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats:" Matthew
25:33 "And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
the left." Matthew 25:34 "Then shall the King say unto them on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" Matthew 25:41
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
Notes
Questions 31
1. We are to receive the weak in faith, but not unto what?
2. In 1 Corinthians chapter 3, why could he not speak to them about
spiritual matters?
3. In Romans ch.14 v.2 the weak eats only what?
4. What makes all food clean for us to eat?
5. What kind of doctrine does 1 Timothy chapter 4 say it is to
practice not eating meat?
6. What caution is given us in verse 3 of the 14th chapter of Romans?
7. Who is able to make us stand or fall?
8. 1 Corinthians ch.10 v.29 uses what one word that tells us what we
must be guided by?
9. What are we to be fully persuaded of in Romans ch14 v.5?
10. What day is Sabbath for the Jews?
11. What is Sunday for the Christian?
12. The Sabbath was made for ___.
13. Our body is the temple of what?
14. I can do all things through______ who strengthens me.
15. Whether we live or die, we are the ______.
16. Quote Galatians ch.2 v.20.
17. Christ is Lord of both the ____ and the _______.
18. Jesus called Himself 2 things in John ch.11 v.25, what were they?
19. In Philippians ch.2 v.10, Jesus is Lord of what?
20. Who shall stand before the judgement seat of Christ?
21. What 2 animals represent those who are bound for heaven and those
bound for hell?
Notes
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