Romans

Remember our outline of Romans. Chapters 1-5 cover salvation, chapters 6-8 deal with our walk, and chapters 9-11 talk of Israel. This final section, chapters 12-16, gives a picture of how a person lives when he thinks with a renewed mind, applying the doctrine learned in chapters 1-11. (Rom 12:1,2; Eph 4:22-24)

This chapter will show that my life is between me and God. Many people may be involved in my life, but I have only one Judge, and that is God. So I should live to please Him, not just myself or other people. And I should not expect people to live to please me - or to live by my standards. They are accountable to God, not to me.

Knowing this gives terrific freedom. The approval of people need no longer control us. We can love people because we aren’t depending on them, so we don’t need to control them, or even approve of them.

This chapter is not dealing with obvious disobedience like murder, fornication or cheating, but with things that are not so clearly stated in scripture, such as what we eat, drinking alcohol, smoking, going to church every Sunday or not, or going to dances and movies. Watch how the doctrine we have learned in chapters 1-11 is now applied to such details of our lives.

1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another who is weak, eateth herbs.

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eatheth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

4 Who art thou that judgeth 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.

5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

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 eatheth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

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.

9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

(Vs 1.) One who is “weak in the faith” is a saint (Rom 1:7; Ps 50:5) who does not have much understanding of the doctrine for today that makes up our faith. We should accept him as a brother, even if we don’t agree with everything he thinks or does. We should not get together with him just to argue or prove him wrong. (II Tim 2:23-25; I Tim 1:4,5)

(Vs 2.) Verses 3 and 5 give examples of the kind of things we should not dispute about.

In this present dispensation (revealed in Paul’s writings, Eph 3:1-5) we can eat anything. (I Tim 4:3-5; Col 2:16,20-23) But in the past dispensation, Israel had very strict dietary laws. Many things were absolutely forbidden. (Lev 11) A saint who is weak in understanding of our dispensation, may still be trying to live under the rules of the former age. (Gal 3:24,25; 4:9-11)

Paul is not saying it is okay to live under the former laws, but is telling us how to deal with people who do.

(Vs 3.) Don’t look down on (despise) a fellow saint who lacks understanding of dispensations. Neither should he condemn (judge) the liberty we have. (Gal 5:1,13; I Cor 6:12) God has equally received us both in Christ. (I Cor 12:12,21-25)

(Vs 4.) We stand individually before God. (Ps 73:22-26) He is the Master and Judge. His verdict is what counts, not yours or mine. (I Cor 4:3-5; Mat 7:1-5; Rom 2:1)

God’s verdict is “Not Guilty” for every person who has trusted Christ to pay for his sin. (Rom 4:22-25&8:33,34) We stand 100% righteous in His sight because we are in Christ, (Gal 3:26-28; I Cor 12:12,13) not because we have more understanding or are somehow more “spiritual” than others. (Rom 3:22-24)

(Vs 5.) In time past, God required Israel to keep the Sabbath (Saturday) and other holy days. (Lev 23; Ex 23:14-17) The Sabbath was a sign of their covenant with God, and anyone who worked on the Sabbath was to be killed. (Ex 31:12-17)

Now in our age of Gentile opportunity (Rom 11:13,25) we are not under Israel’s laws, (Rom 9:4 & 6:14) and all days are alike. (Col 2:16,17)

But not all saints understand this. We should be willing and prepared to share the truth we know (II Cor 2:14; Phil 2:15,16) but it is not our business to force people to see it. (I Cor 3:6,7) So be “fully persuaded in your own mind”. In other words, know for sure, but do not expect everybody else to agree with you.

(Vs 6.) In matters of the conscience, do whatever you think the scripture (God) is saying. As your understanding of scripture grows, you may change what you are doing now, but always live according to the understanding you have of God’s word. God sees the heart and knows our sincerity and motives. (Heb 4:12,13)

(Vs 7 & 8.) Since you have been purchased by God, your life is no longer yours alone. Your life is now between you and God. “What? Know ye not that …. ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Cor 6:19,20)

God also participates in our death. (Ps 116:15) “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (II Cor 5:8)

God is involved with us at all times, during life and after death. No matter what happens or what we do, believers will forever belong to God. (Rom 8:38,39; Phil 1:6)

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”