As believers and followers of the Lord Jesus, most of us have some convictions on various matters. There are things that we choose to do or not do, things that we avoid, because we feel that as a Christian we should or should not be doing them. Some of these convictions come straight from God’s Word, the Bible. Others do not. They are just a matter of our own conscience. This is where St. Paul warns us in our Scripture today to be careful that we do not judge others or impose our own personal convictions upon others. Let’s look into our Scripture from the Book of Romans.
As the Apostle Paul wrote his letters to various newly established Christian churches throughout the Roman Empire, not only did he expound upon doctrine and practical Christian living, he also occasionally sought to resolve problems that had arisen. One such conflict was when some Christians were becoming judgmental and condemning their fellow believers over personal convictions that one or the other had or didn’t have, such as observing certain days, or what to eat or not eat. Such conflicts were causing division, even hostility among believers, and were a disruption in the church. Paul wanted to see such conflicts settled.
The issues that Paul addressed here were not moral absolutes, such as adultery, murder, or idolatry, but instead were matters of Christian liberty, such as observing a holiday, eating meat or not, and other personal scruples. Some believers at that time, likely Jewish Christians, felt compelled to honor certain days, like the Sabbath, feast days, fast days, etc. (vs. 5-6). Others, likely Gentile Christians, saw all days alike. These are non-moral issues that have no bearing on salvation. There were also some in the church who were very strict about what they would eat or not eat, while others felt free to eat whatever their tastes desired. The two groups were becoming judgmental and condemning of each other.
Paul responded to this conflict by instructing believers that when they formed their convictions they must be fully convinced in their own mind, they must act from a conscience informed by Scripture, not from peer pressure or tradition. With our personal convictions, things that are not Scriptural absolutes or doctrines, these should be personal, thoughtful, and God-honoring, not imposed upon us by others.
We occasionally find conflicts like this in some churches today. There are some who will harshly judge others for what they wear, their hair styles, what they eat or not eat, and whether they watch TV or movies. Some will even judge the other’s salvation based on these personal convictions. Paul rebukes both sides in this matter, as both groups looked down on and condemned the other (vs. 10). He rebuked the “strong” for despising the “weak”, and the “weak” for judging the “strong”. We are not to condemn someone for a conviction that Scripture does not condemn, nor to look down on someone for being more cautious. We also need to be careful that we do not elevate some personal convictions we have to the level of Christ’s commands.
Whether we are vegetarian, vegan, or enjoy a good steak, whether we enjoy an action movie, or abstain from those, we must do it unto the Lord, not because it is tradition or imposed upon us by someone else. The Christian life is not autonomous. Believers belong to Jesus, and He alone should govern our choices (vs. 7-8). Each conviction that we have should be decided by the question “Does this honor my Lord?” Our choices in gray areas, such as entertainment, holidays, or food, should reflect our desire to live for Jesus.
Paul then quoted Isaiah 45:23 to remind us that God alone is Judge (vs. 11-12). His authority, and not our own, is ultimate. We have no right to sit in God’s judgment seat over another’s conscience. Each of us will personally answer to God, not to other Christians, for how we lived out our convictions. Accountability is individual, and we should not impose our conscience in non-doctrinal or moral matters onto others, such as diet, whether we watch TV, or other such convictions.
Just as in the days of the Apostles, Christians today must allow for differences in non-essential matters without division. We should not elevate personal standards to Biblical commands. Nor should we mock or belittle others who have stricter convictions. Instead, study the Bible and form thoughtful, God-honoring positions, making every choice, whether in food, entertainment, or personal standards, an act of worship. We will answer to God, not to other Christians, in the end.
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