Sermon Tone Analysis

“Let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.

For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love.

By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

“Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.

Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.

Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

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.”

[1]

The Christian who will please God must accept responsibility for his or her own actions.

This becomes evident by Paul’s use of the word “decide” in VERSE THIRTEEN.

The text today explores relationships between believers; we each have a choice of how we will relate to others.

Either we reflect the character of our Father, or we reveal our fallen roots.

We cannot, as is so often attempted by contemporary Christians, dismiss our actions with a casual statement that we can’t help ourselves.

The passage before us begins with the word “therefore.”

An old adage states that anytime you see a “therefore,” you should ask what it is “there for.”

The co-ordinating conjunction directs our attention to the preceding verses.

In those verses immediately prefacing our text, Paul asks some pointed questions that should make each Christian somewhat uneasy.

In response to the questions he raises, he cites the prophecy of Isaiah in order to provide a warning for each Christian.

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother?

Or you, why do you despise your brother?

For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,

“‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall confess to God.”

“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” [ROMANS 14:10-12].

Each of us will give an account before God for our own actions and for our own choices.

The Apostle pointedly cautions in another missive, written to the Corinthian Christians, “We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:10].

Ultimately, it is God’s judgement of our actions and choices that matters.

At the outset, I am compelled to establish an essential truth that seems to confuse many Christians.

Discernment and judgement are distinct concepts that must not be interchanged.

The word “judgement” that Paul uses in this instance is a judicial word that speaks of “condemnation.”

God alone is capable of rendering just judgement; God alone is able to condemn.

No Christian may assume the role of divine judge issuing proclamations of condemnation against another individual.

However, the child of God is responsible to be discerning.

Actions that bring reproach upon the cause of Christ must be recognised and the one performing all such actions must be held accountable.

One of the premier Greek scholars of all time says this opening verse communicates the following thought; “Let us no longer have the habit of criticising one another.”

[2] He contends that what is in view is calling into question the motives for a given action.

Thus, what is proscribed is judging motives—an action for which none of us is deemed capable.

Though we must not shrink from holding one another accountable to live godly, holy lives, we must not permit ourselves to question motives.

In order to understand fully the importance of this issue, and in order to equip ourselves to treat one another with proper respect, I invite you to join me in examining the teaching of the Word that sets limits on judgement for us as Christians.

GOD CALLS CHRISTIANS TO ACCEPT WILLINGLY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE ANOTHER — Paul begins his instruction in righteousness by reminding readers that the church is a community.

Western society promotes individualism as an ideal.

Consequently, almost all of us come into any relationship or association with “self” as our primary focus.

Our own self-centred interests drive our choices and our actions.

We convince ourselves that our personal happiness is the most important value of our existence.

Whatever makes us happy is good, and whatever causes unhappiness is bad.

That this is true is evident from even a cursory review of social currents.

Marriage was at one time for life, despite whatever hardship that union might entail.

Today, however, marriage is until the going gets rough or until a better opportunity presents itself.

Neither should we expect that the situation differs greatly within the church.

Christians are focused on their own happiness and not on what honours the Lord.

Does the preacher speak too long?

We can fire him and hire another preacher that will do our bidding.

Does the message calling us to repentance make us uncomfortable?

We can compel the preacher to say what we want; we can force him to tickle our itching ears.

If he refuses to obey us, we will find a preacher that says what we want to hear.

Do we have conflict with a fellow church member?

We can ignore that saint whom we detest and pretend that we are correct.

We Christians seem categorically convinced that our opinions are infallible.

If we don’t get our way, we will quit the assembly, knowing that another church will always accept us—no questions asked!

However, the teaching of the New Testament, and especially the instruction Paul provides in our text, is that we must accept responsibility for one another.

We must determine that we will not deliberately trip up our fellow Christians; we must decide not to hinder others in any way.

This does not mean that we must ignore sin, but it does mean that if we are mature, we will not worry about issues that ultimately are insignificant; we will learn to distinguish between what is unimportant and what is vital.

This teaching is not unique to this particular letter; it is a constant theme throughout Paul’s letters.

The Apostle says we must dedicate ourselves “to do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” [GALATIANS 6:10].

We who are Christians must be careful to avoid repaying “anyone evil for evil.”

Rather, as Christians we must “always seek to do good to one another” [1 THESSALONIANS 5:15].

Because they are a Community of Faith, congregational members do have an impact on one another.

Though we are responsible to encourage one another and to build one another in the Faith of Christ the Lord, it is nevertheless true that we can injure one another and hinder one another in the Faith of Christ our Master.

The Apostle states that we can cause others to stumble, we can grieve others and we can even destroy others.

Other Christians—perhaps weaker than we are—are watching us, listening to what we say, observing the way we treat one another.

None of us want to think we are weak in the Faith; we believe we are strong.

However, if we are “strong” we will act in love toward one another and we will accept one another.

The strong Christian has spiritual knowledge; but if he does not practice love, his knowledge can hurt the weak Christian.

Knowledge must be balanced by love.

Little children are sometimes afraid of the dark; they imagine that there is something or someone hiding in the closet.

Of course, a parent knows that the child is safe; but the parent’s knowledge alone cannot assure or comfort the child.

You can never argue a child into losing fear.

When the mother sits at the bedside, speaking lovingly to the child and assuring her that everything is secure, then the child can go to sleep without fear.

Similarly, Paul’s advice is clear: It is our Christian duty to think of every action and of every word—not as it affects us only, but also how that word or action affects others.

Note that Paul is not saying that we must always allow our conduct to be dictated by the views of others; there are issues that are essentially matters of principle and in such instances, a man must take his own way.

Nevertheless, a great many actions are neutral and indifferent; they are what theologians refer to as “adiaphora”—things neither commended nor condemned.

These things are in themselves neither good nor bad; rather, such things belong to what we might call the extras of life.

It is Paul’s conviction that concerning such things we have no right to give offence to the more scrupulous brother by doing them ourselves, or by persuading him to do them.

Life must be guided by the principle of love; and when it is, we will think, not so much of our right to do as we like as of our responsibility to others.

We have no right to distress another man’s conscience in the things that do not really matter.

Christian freedom must never be used as an excuse for riding roughshod over the genuine feelings of others.

No pleasure is so important that it can justify bringing offence and grief, and even ruin, to others.

The Puritan writer Richard Baxter spoke with wisdom when he advised, “In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity.”

Like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, Christians today have a way of majoring in the minor [see MATTHEW 23:23, 24].

I have seen churches divided over matters that were insignificant when compared with the vital things of the Christian faith.

Churches have been split over such insignificant and meaningless issues as the location of a piano in the auditorium and the colour of carpet in the auditorium.

We who are Christians must always remember that “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking” [ROMANS 14:17].

Remember, also, that “Food will not commend us to God.