Skip to main content

Romans 14:23: But Whoever Has Doubts Is Condemned If He Eats, Because The Eating Is Not From Faith.


Romans 14:23
[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. (ESV)

This is a difficult verse to make sense of. What does it mean that our eating is not from faith? We have to remember the context of this verse. Paul is finishing a section of instruction dealing with those who had differing views on what a Christian was free to eat. Meat sold in the marketplace was first sacrificed to false idols. Should a Christian be permitted to eat such unholy food?

Paul made clear that all things are free for a believer in Jesus Christ to eat (Romans 14:14). Just because it we are free to eat something does not mean that we should. The believers whose conscience made them feel that they should not eat the meat offered to idols should not eat that meat. This is precisely what Paul is talking about in today's verse.

Whoever has doubts...speaks of the one whose conscience is telling them that eating a particular food is ungodly. Paul says here that the one whose conscience tells him that he should not eat a food, if he does eat that food, is violating his own conscience, and therefore is sinning. There is no need to force someone to change their viewpoint. If their conscience will not permit it, don't do it.

I think of various practices that believers have strong opinions on. Each one would appeal to their own conscience as to what is right. There is no need to have everybody agree about what practices should be done. We can agree to love one another. We do not need to make everyone agree with us. If your conscience tells you to leave something alone leave it alone.

Do you have a struggle understanding how some Christians can "get away" with doing things that you cannot? How can you spend more effort focusing on drawing closer to Christ?  

Comments

  1. I remember seeing a sign that said "LET YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE", but the word conscience was crossed through and the word BIBLE put in its place. The conscience isn't very dependable. The NT says a lot about the conscience. The conscience can be trained or conditioned. Those trained in legalism see sin where God doesn't. We need our conscience trained by the word of God. The conscience is like the computer, GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT. Acts 23:1 good conscience, Acts 24:16 conscience without offense, Romans 2:15 conscience also bearing witness
    Romans 9:1 conscience also bearing me, 1 Corinthians 8:12 weak conscience, 1 Corinthians 10:28 for conscience’ sake; 1 Timothy 1:19 good conscience 1 Timothy 3:9 pure conscience. 1 Timothy 4:2 conscience seared 2 Timothy 1:3 pure conscience Titus 1:15 conscience are defiled.
    Hebrews 9:14 cleanse your conscience.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yesterday's devotional on verse 23 dealt more specifically with the need to inform our conscience with the Word of God. This is something that happens with mature believers. The closer they grow with Christ, by reading his word, the more their conscience reflects that. Paul is dealing here also with the immature, young believer who is trying to reconcile how another believer seems to be exercising more freedom than they are yet comfortable with.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co