Come back now to Romans chapter
14, and we want to look closely at
verse 18 down through the end of the chapter, verse 23. Now, let me make this introduction.
We come back again to the vital lesson that Paul has been teaching. Remember, this is just not the
opinion of Paul. What he gives us is by the inspiration
of God the Holy Spirit. And he's been teaching us about
liberty and freedom that believers enjoy in the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember from Galatians chapter
5, he says, Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath set you free, and don't be entangled again with the yoke
and bondage of the law. But also, Paul has been teaching
us as believers To use our freedom and liberty we enjoy in Christ,
to use it wisely. To use it wisely. We are to be
careful not to needlessly offend the weaker brother for whom the
Lord Jesus Christ died. Notice verse 15. If thy brother
be greed with thy meat, now walkest thou not in love? Destroy not
him with your meat, for whom Christ died. Now the Lord Jesus
Christ chose him by his grace, redeemed him by his blood. The
Lord said, be careful that you offend not these little ones,
remember? So let's not do anything to needlessly destroy fellowship
and harmony we have with believers over things that are non-essential. Things that are of no, things
that are what we call of indifference. Verse 17, the kingdom of God
is not meat and drink, but these three key elements, righteousness,
peace, and joy, in and by the Holy Spirit. Our salvation is
based totally upon what Christ has done for us, not what we
do for Him. Not what we do for Him. Salvation
is all of grace and has nothing to do with meats and drinks and
days, does it? not whatsoever, or the traditions
of men, or the ceremonies of the law. Salvation that is taught
in this book from first to last, as we say from election to glorification,
is all of God and all of grace. Now, having said that, let's
look at verse 18. For he that in these things,
now what are these things? Talking about righteousness,
peace, and joy we have in Christ. For he that in these things serveth
Christ. Now we have been blessed to be
called the servants of God, every believer is. In these things
serveth Christ is acceptable to God and also approved of by
men. Believers do submit serve and
honor Christ in these essential things of the gospel. Righteousness
we have only in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lord our righteousness. The peace and pardon we have
with God through Christ, the shedding of His blood. And we
do rejoice in Christ Jesus, and we have no confidence in the
flesh. We delight to serve Him by love
and gratitude, and honor Him by faith, and with glory only
in Him. The love of Christ constrains
us to serve Him. Faith worketh by love, not law. Faith worketh by love. That's
Galatians 5 verse 6. And we know, we know that We are only accepted, justified
before God, and accepted in the Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ. For he that in these things serveth
Christ is acceptable to God. Our acceptation before God is
only being found in Christ. We are accepted in the Beloved.
And we know this. We've been taught this. To you
who believe the Lord Jesus Christ, He is altogether lovely, and
He is precious unto us. This is the approved way of all
believers, those who know the true and living God, as it says
there, approved of men. This is approved of, not by all
men everywhere, that wouldn't be true, would it? But it's approved
of those who are taught of God, talking about God's people, God's
church. We know that the Son of God has
come and he's given us an understanding that we might know him who is
the only true God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, verse 19, let us
therefore. Now, whenever you see that word
therefore, It goes all the way back to verse 1, and it builds
the table, sets the table for what he's about to say. Let us
therefore follow after the things which make for peace. Now, what
would be the things that would make for peace? Well, the gospel
of God is called the gospel of peace, the God of peace. Let
us therefore follow after the things which make for peace,
Romans 14, 19. And the thing wherewith one may
edify, edify another. Now, this goes back to verse
13 as well. In Romans 14, let us not therefore
judge one another any more, but judge rather But judge this rather,
that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his
brother's way. And then across the page Romans
15 verse 2, let every one of us please his neighbor for his
good to edification, to edify one another. Let us therefore
follow after the things which make for peace and the things
wherewith we may edify. That means to build up, to encourage
one another. So let us pursue peace. Let us
seek peace. Let us seek peace and harmony
among all believers. Let's seek peace and pursue peace
among all believers, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace, as it says in Ephesians 4. Verse 3, there
is one body, one spirit, even as you're called, and one hope
of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. With all
lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one
another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit
and the bond of peace. So let us seek peace, let us
pursue peace and harmony among believers. Let us not be the
cause of needless division over matters of indifference, but
let us use temperance in all things that we may edify one
another. That is, building up one another,
not tearing down one another, but building up one another. Let us be a building block rather
than a stumbling block before one another. Remember from Hebrews
10 verse 24, let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works. Let us provoke each other, not
to wrath and anger, but unto love. Now, having said that,
this is not talking about compromising the gospel. We can't do that. Divisions over vital issues of
the gospel are most necessary. We cannot compromise on any gospel
principle. That is how God saves sinners. Now, we can't compromise there.
We're going to take a stand. As divisions come, they just
have to come. But we cannot compromise the
gospel. There are other issues, side
issues of indifference where we can compromise for the sake
of harmony and peace, but not over the essentials of the gospel.
Now, many of the old timers Martin Luther, John Calvin and others,
many were burned to the stake standing for the gospel. That
reformation doctrine, they would fight for it and many of them
gave their lives for it. Those five things, the word of
God alone, The Word of God alone, that's the only, that's our only
means of faith and practice is the Word of God alone, not the
words of men. All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
And then we must stand for the grace of God alone. Salvation
by grace alone. And then They stood thirdly for
this, Christ alone. Salvation is found in the Lord
Jesus Christ, not in any particular domination or church. Salvation
is in Christ alone, the Word alone, grace alone, Christ alone,
and then they insisted upon receiving salvation by faith alone. Faith alone, not by works, faith
alone. Remember Romans chapter 1 verse
17 where it says, the just shall live by faith. You know it's
in the word of God four times. Hebrews, Habakkuk, and in Galatians
and Romans, four times, the just shall live by faith. Faith works
by love. And then the fifth one, remember
those old timers They'd die and they'd fight over this issue,
God's glory, God's glory. They insisted upon that the salvation
of the Lord gives God all the honor and glory in our salvation. We must not, by His grace will
not, and by His mercy shall not, preach or believe anything contrary
to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul put it this way
very strongly in Galatians 1, didn't he? Though we or an angel
preach any other doctrine, any other gospel than which we have
already preached, let him be damned when Christ comes. That's
pretty strong, isn't it? We cannot compromise on the vital
issues of the gospel, how God saves sinners. We're determined,
as Paul, to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. Now, look at verse 20 carefully.
For meat destroy not the work of God. Now, the work of God
is an eternal work. The work of God in Christ is
a finished work. Do you think anything involved
in our abstaining from certain meats or using certain meats
would destroy the eternal work of God and the salvation of his
people? For meat destroys not the work
of God. Well, that's a comfort, isn't
it? That's a comfort. All things indeed are pure. But
it is evil for that man who would eat with offense. Now, let me
see if I can help us on this verse. What we do or do not do
has nothing to do with the gospel of Christ. Nothing we do or do
not do cannot destroy the work of God. that is salvation in
Christ and those who are blessed to be in Him. The Lord Jesus
Christ came to do the will and work of God and He always did
those things that pleased the Father. The Father says, and
He speaks from heaven not once but twice at the Lord's baptism
and again on the Mount of Transfiguration. He said, this is my beloved Son
in whom I am well Pleased. Everything the Lord Jesus Christ
did as our representative and mediator was perfect before God. He honored the law of God perfectly. Satisfying the law of God for
us and God the Father said, I'm pleased with him. I'm pleased
with him. Our Lord said in John 4, My meat
is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.
And then He prayed in John 17, I have glorified Thee on the
earth, I have finished the work You gave Me to do. And then we
know on His last words upon the cross, in John 19, the Lord said,
It is finished. meat and drink and days has nothing
to do with accomplishing the work of God nor destroying the
work of God and that is the salvation of God, salvation that is of
the Lord and of Him alone. Now, the second part of verse
20, all things, all things indeed are pure It is evil for that man who would
eat with offense. Now, let's see if we can find
some help here. All things are pure. Evil, as
I pointed out last week, is not in a substance. Evil is not in
a substance, not in a box or bottle. We are to eat giving
thanks to the Lord, but it would be wrong to purposely offend
the weaker brother to put a stumbling block in his way, that is, Back
in that day, for say, here's an old Jew who was raised under
that dietary law of eating things that were clean, and you would
invite him to your house, knowing that he still had a problem with
that dietary law, and you would serve him up a nice, fresh slice
of ham, that would be an offense to him. And for you to purposely
do that, to offend him, would be wrong. Just leave it off. Don't do that. Don't destroy
the harmony and fellowship you have. If you have liberty in
regard to those things that are what we call indifferent, yet
you have brothers who may be offended over meat and drink,
just leave it off in their presence. Now, if you can enjoy those things
at home, that's good and fine. But if a brother would be offended
over certain things, just leave it off. That's acting in wisdom,
is it not? Wisdom, wisdom. Now, look at
verse 21. It is good. It was good neither
to eat flesh, now he's not talking about here abstaining from all
flesh being a vegetarian, but he's talking here again about
those meats under that dietary mosaic law that were considered
unclean that the Jews were not supposed to eat. It is good neither
to eat flesh nor to drink wine. nor anything whereby thy brother
stumbleth, or is offended, or he is made weak." That would
just leave those things off. Now, it would be good either
to eat flesh of an unclean animal or to drink wine in the presence
of a brother if he would be offended. or that would cause him to stumble
or would make him weak in matters of indifference. Now, a lot of
people think on the matter of drinking what I call adult beverages,
alcohol or wine, a lot of people have, they think they should
totally abstain from those things. Some people have the liberty
to partake of those things. Now, let me give you this advice. The scriptures do not teach that
using wine is evil. I know some churches even abstain
from using wine in the Lord's table for the fact that they
might offend somebody because it's alcohol. But that wine represents
the blood of Christ. All the impurities have been
taken out. So the scriptures do not teach
us to be what is known as being teetotalers. Now, I grew up with
the strictness of rules. I could not even partake of tea,
or coffee, or Coca-Cola. They considered those things
to be evil. And to partake of those things were considered
evil. Now, let me give you this. 1
Timothy chapter 5, verse 23. You remember Paul writing to
young Timothy, he said, drink no longer water, but use a little
wine. Now, he said a little wine. Now,
the scriptures do condemn drunkenness, but use a little wine for your
stomach's sake, and not often infirmity. So, you can't say,
well, the scriptures teach that we shouldn't ever partake of
these things, it's evil to partake of these things. You'd be wrong. Let me give you another prime
example. The Lord at the wedding of Canaan, when they set the
wine out and they ran out of wine, what did the Lord do? He didn't turn the wine into
water, did he? Ah, you can't drink wine, it's
evil. No, he took those, what, six water pots and filled them
with water and he made wine. And the governor of the feast
said it was the best. It was the best wine. So there's
nothing wrong with partaking of those things in moderation,
in moderation. So I hope that's a help to you. Verse 22, hostile faith. Well, I tell you, if you have
the faith of God's elect, you're a blessed person. You are a blessed
person. Hast thou the faith of God's
elect that acknowledges the truth? Have it to thyself before God.
Faith is something personal. I can't believe for my wife.
My wife can't believe for me. I can't believe for my children
or my neighbor. Faith is something that's personal.
It's a personal gift given to you. Hast thou faith? Well, if you do, we know it's
the gift of God. It's not of works, for by grace
are you saved through faith and that not of yourself. It is a
gift of God. Have it to thyself before God. And that's what faith is. Faith
is looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ for all of salvation. And if you do that, you're a
happy, blessed person. You see that word there, happy?
Many times in the Psalms we read the word blessed. Blessed is
a man whom the Lord will not impute sin. That word blessed
is the same word here, happy. Happy is that man who has faith,
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I often think of this scripture
when Paul the Apostle was before King Agrippa on trial for his
life. And when he was asked to give
his testimony, he said this, I think myself, I think myself
happy, King Agrippa. Wait a minute, Paul. You're in
handcuffs, you're tied up, you're on your way to Rome to be executed
for death, to be executed to death for the gospel, and yet
he said, I think myself happy. Happy. You see, if you're a blessed
man, if you have faith, you're a happy man. We do rejoice in
the Lord Jesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh. Happy
is he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth,
in the liberties that he has, in different things, If he doesn't
condemn himself, he doesn't have a guilty conscience, you know,
that is something that is, it's a good thing. It's a good thing
to have, if you've done something wrong, to have a guilty conscience. That's a good thing. That's a
good thing. But when you have done nothing
wrong and still have a guilty conscience, now that's a problem. That probably drives you to despair. But happy is that man who's been
blessed with God-given faith that doesn't continually condemn
himself. I got to feel, you know, there
are some who think that you have to feel guilty all the time.
Now, I feel guilty enough as it is, but I'm not going to beat
myself up with self-condemnation. I'm going to rejoice in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Happy is that man that doesn't
condemn himself in the things wherewith he allows to enjoy
the things in life that God has given unto us. I mean, we are
blessed. We are blessed to have nice homes,
nice cars, nice buildings. I mean, we have padded cushions
in our pews. We have carpet on the floor.
We have air conditioning. We have all these creature comforts,
don't we? I mean, we are blessed, blessed,
blessed in the creature comforts that we have. Let's enjoy those
things. Let us not feel guilty over the
fact that the Lord blessed us to drive a nice vehicle, to have a nice house. There's
no need to beat up yourself. Now, we're not going to overindulge
in those things. moderation in all things, but
there's no need to feel guilty over the things that God has
blessed you with, that God's put into your hands. Don't beat
yourself up over those things. If you've been blessed with good
health and strength and a sharp mind, well, give thanks unto
the Lord and let's do it in all things. Now, the flip side of
that, verse 23, He that doubteth or discerneth and putteth a difference
between the meats, is condemned or he feels guilty in his conscience
if he eats. Because he eats it not of faith. In other words, he thinks, well,
if I leave off that pork, I'm going to be more pleasing to
the Lord. See, he's not eating of faith, is he? He's reverted
back to the deeds of the law, thinking that he can either maintain
his salvation or remove God's wrath. That's not eating of faith,
is it? Because he eateth not of faith.
Therefore, he has a guilty conscience. He has a guilty conscience. Because
he eateth not of faith. Now, here's the last part of
verse 23, and this is a wide, big statement. Whatsoever is
not of faith is sin. whatsoever is not of faith is
sin. John Gill calls this the general
rule of the gospel. Whatever does not spring from
true faith in Christ is nothing but sin. Without faith it is
impossible to please God. Whatever springs from good works,
good deeds, and moral living is nothing but sin apart from
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, His blood has to cleanse
everything we do. Our prayers, our preaching, any
good deeds that we might have. These things in and of themselves
alone are nothing but sin. They have to be cleansed by the
blood of Christ to make them profitable unto God and unto
man. All of our good deeds, apart
from the Lord Jesus Christ, are nothing but filthy rags in His
sight. Man in his best state is altogether
vanity. Vanity of vanity. Someone said
to me the other day, well, I believe all people have a little bit
of good and a little bit of bad in every one of us. I said, well,
I agree with you on part of that statement. There's none good,
no, not one. But all of us are bad, we're
bad apples, we're bad actors, every one of us. There's none,
good, no, nah, one. If you have anything, if you
have any commendable traits, faithfulness, hope, love, the
fruit of the spirit is what? Love, joy, peace, long-term,
not the deeds of the flesh. The deeds of the flesh are anger,
wrath, malice, all these things. The fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, temperance. Apart from
Christ and apart from faith in Christ, we have no hope of salvation. Whatever is not of faith is nothing
but sin. The kingdom of God is righteousness,
peace, and joy. This is received by God, given
faith. I got this out of Clay Curtis's
bulletin yesterday and I thought it would be fitting right here. God is seen by faith. known by
faith, honored by faith, worshiped by faith, we glory in God by
faith in Christ, and this faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatsoever is not of faith is
sin that just shall live by faith." Faith in what? Well, I have faith
in myself. You've missed it. It's faith
in Christ. Faith in Christ. As we often
say, faith is objective, not subjective. Faith is objective. We look outside of ourselves
unto the Lord Jesus Christ.