Rom. 14:5,6 Let’s Talk About The Sabbath

SPEAKER 01 : 0:05

So I would like to say a little more about the question of people not eating meat because they’re afraid it’s offered to idols. I know it doesn’t apply to us today because we don’t have that issue, but the principle applies, certainly. Remember, Paul is talking about the weak in faith in Romans chapter 14, and he’s saying receive them, don’t despise them. And the weak in faith are not those who don’t have enough faith to overcome a problem, but rather their lack of faith does not realize that God receives them whether they have a problem or not. That’s the key understanding that we have here. Now, regarding the food offered to idols, there were Christians who didn’t buy meat from the market, some Christians, because they were afraid it had been offered to idols previously before it was put on the market to eat. and to be sold and taken home for food. And so they had put this meat issue as an obstacle between them and Christ. And you remember what Paul said in Romans about that, when he says a little later, and we’ll come to that, but I’ll just jump ahead for a minute. Now, why does Paul say that in relation to food offered to idols and other issues? Because he wants us to understand that our ownership by God is established by Christ having died for our sins and risen for our eternal life. Our ownership before God does not come by how we dedicate ourselves to him, but by how he claims himself for us. We are God’s property, God’s children. That’s the wonder of this. Now, if you look at 1 Corinthians 8, you see a similar thought. He says, But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other god but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is one God, the Father of whom are all things, now notice this ownership idea, of whom are all things, and we for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” Now, you see, he’s making a point here that we are owned by the Lord, and God has regained us by the sacrifice of his Son. So we need not fear that various rituals or situations like whether meat has been offered to an idol or not can separate us from God’s love, because nothing can separate us now from him, for Christ has taken our judgment upon himself. So then he goes on to say, However, there is not in everyone this knowledge. For some, with consciousness of the idol, until now, eat it as a thing offered to an idol, and their conscience being weak as defiled. But food does not commend us to God, for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. Now what’s he talking about here? Well, I think, based upon my limited knowledge, that there was food supplied in idol temples, in the temples of idols, which poor people could go and eat if they were hungry. But they didn’t necessarily go there to worship the idol, they just went there to get some food. And Paul is saying, now if you go into a temple of idols to get some food to eat, and you’re bringing a brother along who you know is weak in faith, and he thinks that going into that temple will separate him from God, and eating that food will separate him from God, then you are offending that brother and weakening him all the more. So you don’t do it out of love in your brother’s presence because it could weaken him. That’s the principle Paul is getting at here in regard to not despising the weak and not arguing over them in disputes. Receive them and build their faith and help them to grow. That’s the point that Paul is making. Now, he goes even further, and quite frankly, he surprises me here, or did or used to when I first read it. He says, one person, well, let’s get verse 4 as connection, who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. That’s the idea of ownership, you see, that Christ has died for us and atoned for our sins and taken the judgment upon himself and therefore owns us. We are owned by God. That’s the wonder of it. It’s not whether we eat meat or not that will determine whether we’re owned by God. And again, I repeat, this is not about vegetarianism, which… model of diet is more healthy and less healthy, but it’s about ritual fellowship. It’s about faith in God and relationship to him. Who are you to judge another servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. You see, God is the one who is going to take care of our weak brother. Don’t despise him. Don’t argue with him. Trust God’s care for him. that God will gradually build his faith and strengthen him and bring him into the kingdom. So Paul then says, one person esteems one day above another. Another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day observes it to the Lord, and he who does not observe the day to the Lord, he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks, and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. You see, we don’t… die or live or die in isolation. We live or die in fellowship with God. He owns us, and that is the issue. Now, this one day, one guy observes one day above another, and another guy or another person observes every day alike is very interesting to me. because for 45 years of my Christian life, or 40-so years, I worshipped on the Sabbath day, Saturday. And it was a beautiful day. I enjoyed it. From sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, I did not put on the television or the news. I didn’t read newspapers. I simply, and my family, we had this beautiful time in which we were at peace. We didn’t feel obligated to do any work. We enjoyed each other’s fellowship and the fellowship of other believers. It was a beautiful day. And I say it in the past tense because I don’t do that now. I haven’t done for 20 years, I guess. But I want you to know that there is freedom to do it or not to do it. The problem was that the church I was a member of at that time required Sabbath observance as a condition for membership and a condition for baptism. And by their eschatological last-day teaching, they implied that only those who keep the Sabbath will be saved. And so, you see, they turned this blessed day into a work, into a condition of membership and baptism in Christ and salvation. And that is where they were wrong. Because here Paul says, He who observes the day, well, let me restate it, read it to you. One person esteems one day above another. Another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. Now look, Paul is a very comprehensive preacher and teacher in the gospel. He gives all the necessary details to build our faith, to put our faith in Christ, and to put our faith in Christ as our reconciliation to God. In Christ we are counted righteous. In Christ we are reconciled to God. In Christ we are dead to the law’s judgment and condemnation. In Christ is our peace and our resurrection. So it is amazing if he should have omitted to mention the importance of the Sabbath day. How could he possibly miss that out in giving counsel to the Gentiles, who ought, one would think, to keep the Sabbath as the Jewish people kept the Sabbath? But he does not do that, and he says, let each be fully convinced in his own mind. Now, if you keep a Sabbath, praise God. Wonderful. Enjoy it. Be blessed. Let your family have fellowship with God. But don’t impose that as a condition on others for salvation or as a requirement to become a member of your church. That is wrong. That places the law ahead of Jesus Christ. That place—and Paul has said, and read Galatians— that we cannot exalt the law and make it above Jesus Christ. Now, some of you may or may not know that Charlie Kirk, he kept the Sabbath. He and his family, he was so busy. He worked like Winston Churchill, I think, like three or four men in one. He was a very busy man. But he disciplined himself to be with his family every Saturday. I was surprised when I learnt this just a few weeks ago. And so it became a blessing to him and his beautiful wife Erica and their children. It became a blessing where they played together with their kids and enjoyed them and had family fellowship. If that’s what you want to do, I say go for it and enjoy it. But do not make it an obligation to others. Worship the Lord on the Sabbath. Let the Sabbath be your worship between you and the Lord. So, this is enormously important. Why is it important? Because Paul is teaching the supremacy of Jesus. He is making it clear to us that salvation comes through Christ alone. His sacrifice for us, atoning for our sins and being our judgment, reconciling us to the Father and being our righteousness. That is what Christ is for us. And let no Sabbath or ritual of eating certain foods make that a stumbling block between you and Christ. Because if you do, you have diminished Jesus and you have limited his salvation to your neighbor and to the world. Thanks, everyone, for joining me today. Colin Cook here. You can hear this broadcast any time of the day or night on your smartphone, simply key in soundcloud.com or podbean.com and key in how it happens with Colin Cook when you get there. Would you please consider a donation? The funds are extremely tight. It’s touch and go whether we can make it from month to month. If you would like to make a donation, send it to Faith Quest, P.O. Box 366, Littleton, Colorado, 80160, or online at faithquestradio.com. Thanks so much. See you next time. Cheerio and God bless.