Hold the Vegetables

In Romans 14:1 we read, "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters." One of the things missed in this verse is who it is that has weak faith. Given the context of the passage, the one who has weak faith is a person who eats only vegetables. While most of us don't argue about whether or not we should eat only vegetables, we have had experience with those of weak faith trying to put us under their bondage. Yes, it is bondage to believe that you should only eat vegetables given all the foods at your disposal to eat. However, while it may not be vegetables, the subjects that take the place of vegetables are things like baptism, church attendance, tithing/giving, asking forgiveness, and prophecy. This list is not all-inclusive, but you get the point. Just like the person who believes that eating anything other than vegetables is a sin, so it is with those who believe you have to share their views about these other subjects. They end up causing division in the church because those who do not agree with them are treated worse than unbelievers. For example:

If you believe that a Christian is not subject to living under the law, those that do will say things like, "Talk about easy believism and I am not saying that is a good thing." This is nothing more than one Christian putting down another in a self-righteous quip. This leads to offending another Christian who believes differently. The response to this comment was, "You are very obsessed with the Law. God isn't ... Hell is full of Law keepers and commandment keepers, while no one who is born again will ever go to hell." Both individuals believe they are preaching the truth. The problem is that neither one of them is acting in love. They are sacrificing their fellow Christian on the altar of beliefs because winning the argument is more important than keeping the peace. No doubt they have forgotten the warning of Paul who said, "If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (Galatians 5:15)." How would these individuals answer the question that Paul asked?

"Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand (Romans 14:4)." All we see here is Christians judging each other over disputable matters. It all starts with being obsessed with the law. When you believe another Christian is obligated to believe or behave as you do or else they are worthy of condemnation then you are the one worthy of judgment. Scripture is clear that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)." But, we condemn each other to the point where fellowship and unity are lost. We tend to treat each other the way in which we believe God is treating us. So, if we believe we are under the law then we believe that we are under the "ministry that brought condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:9)." Therefore, it makes sense that people who believe we are under the law will condemn those who believe in things like eternal security. They fear God will condemn them for their lack of obedience and their fear turns into condemnation for those who disagree.

When we were children we were told to eat our vegetables because they were healthy for us. Unfortunately, the poor taste of vegetables combined with our natural rebellion as children led to numerous conflicts with our parents. However, as you age and care more about your health, you realize the value of eating vegetables. This change of heart is what changed your mind about vegetables. When you encounter people who don't see things as you do, the memory of how you came to like vegetables motivates your behavior toward them. You don't condemn them for not eating vegetables, you give them the reason why you enjoy vegetables and trust this information will persuade them. When it comes to preaching the Gospel, what is the best tactic? Do you tell unbelievers they are going to hell for not accepting Jesus Christ or what persuaded you to accept the Lord? If sharing the Gospel with unbelievers is treated with grace, why can't we treat each other with that grace when it comes to disputable matters?