TheEditor wrote:Hi Dizerner,
I agree with your statements, but I don't think this is what Paul was talking about in Romans. He specifically outlines mundane actions (eating and drinking) and the effects these actions may have on others or one's ownself.
"Therefore let us not be judging one another any longer, but rather make this YOUR decision, not to put before a brother a stumbling block or a cause for tripping. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is defiled in itself; only where a man considers something to be defiled, to him it is defiled. For if because of food your brother is being grieved, you are no longer walking in accord with love. Do not by your food ruin that one for whom Christ died. Do not, therefore, let the good YOU people do be spoken of with injury to YOU. For the kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking, but [means] righteousness and peace and joy with holy spirit. For he who in this regard slaves for Christ is acceptable to God and has approval with men. So, then, let us pursue the things making for peace and the things that are upbuilding to one another. Stop tearing down the work of God just for the sake of food. True, all things are clean, but it is injurious to the man who with an occasion for stumbling eats. It is well not to eat flesh or to drink wine or do anything over which your brother stumbles. The faith that you have, have it in accord with yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man that does not put himself on judgment by what he approves. But if he has doubts, he is already condemned if he eats, because [he does] not [eat] out of faith. Indeed, everything that is not out of faith is sin (Romans 14:13-23)
Regards, Brenden.
Yes, but Brendon it's all in relation to a person's
own individual relationship to the Lord and when a person is caused to stumble it means they are
trusting in the work they are doing and are thus what Paul calls "weak in the faith." You think that faith is different than the other faith? In the same chapter?
Notice the argument. What the person does is acceptable to God—and why? "... that one for whom Christ died." What makes the action acceptable is
that Christ died for that person. That's "tearing down the work of God" (Christ's Work) for "the sake of food" (religious activities). Everything I said is right there in the text.
Consider again the parralelism:
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is defiled in itself; only where a man considers something to be defiled,
to him it is defiled.
Indeed,
everything that is not out of faith is sin.
Being "in" the Lord Jesus (trusting in his Work) means no religious outward activity is defiled, per se, but
how one views the act determines it, whether it is. This "out of faith" is not a generic faith.