“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:13–23)
In 1520, just three years after nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Martin Luther wrote one of his shortest and most influential works, On the Freedom of the Christian. Many consider it a summary of Luther’s entire theology. At the very beginning of that little book, Luther makes a remarkable statement: “The Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. The Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”
It feels like a contradiction, doesn’t it? How can a Christian be free, yet subject to all? How can someone be lord of all, yet servant of all? Luther says this paradox is actually the key to understanding the Christian life. A Christian is free in Christ, liberated from the penalty and power of sin, accepted by God not on the basis of personal righteousness but on the righteousness of Christ. Yet at the same time, this free Christian is bound by love, gladly serving others for their good.
That same paradox lies at the heart of Romans 14. Paul teaches that Christians are genuinely free in Christ, yet also genuinely bound to love their brothers and sisters. We possess real liberties, but those liberties are never ultimate. Love governs everything.
Many people find Romans 14 difficult to relate to. All this talk about eating meat, not eating meat, observing certain days, or refraining from them can feel distant. These were first-century issues. What do they have to do with us?
Quite a lot, actually. Because while the specific issues have changed, the heart of the matter has not. Romans 14 teaches us how to love each other well when we inevitably disagree on matters of conscience. It shows us how to live together in the church when we hold different personal convictions. And it reminds us that the way we treat each other has eternal implications.
Paul gives one overarching command in this passage. We see it in verse 13: “Decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” He repeats it in verse 21: “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.” Clearly, that is the theme. But what does it mean?
First, we should notice that Paul is speaking primarily to the “strong.” These are believers who understand their freedom in Christ. They know that the ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant are fulfilled. They know that food and days are not moral issues. Paul agrees with them. He even counts himself among them.
But he warns them that their freedom, if used without love, can become a stumbling block to others. And a “stumbling block” is not simply something that irritates or annoys another in the church. Nor is it the same as causing someone to feel uncomfortable who dislikes or disagrees. A “stumbling block,” as Paul uses the word, is something that pushes or pressures another believer to violate their conscience. It is leading someone to do something they personally believe to be wrong, even if Scripture does not call it wrong.
The word refers to a trap or a snare, something that leads a person into sin, ruin, or spiritual harm. Paul’s point is that strong must avoid using their Christian freedoms In a way that would lead a weaker brother or sister to act against their own conscience.
If a person believes an action to be sinful, then for that person it is sinful, because they cannot do it in faith. If they violate their conscience because they see another believer confidently doing it, Paul says that they are sinning. And he also says the stronger believer has sinned, because he helped push them into that situation.
Paul gives two reasons.
1. Because it can destroy the faith of a brother or sister (verse 15)
Paul says that causing a brother to sin against conscience is not a small issue. He uses strong language: “By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.” That word “destroy” refers to spiritual ruin. In other words, pushing a believer to violate conscience nurtures an unhealthy and dangerous pattern of ignoring conviction, dulling the heart, and hardening the soul. Paul warns that such a pattern can lead to spiritual shipwreck.
This does not mean the elect can lose their salvation. Rather, Paul is saying that Christ not only secures the final salvation of His people, but also the means to that salvation. And one of the primary means God uses to preserve His people is the loving care, restraint, and encouragement of other believers. Christ died for this brother. Will you not sacrifice a small freedom for his good?
2. Because it misunderstands the nature of the kingdom of God (verse 17)
Paul reminds the strong that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” If we insist on our personal freedoms to the detriment of others, we have lost sight of what truly matters. Christian maturity is not measured by how many liberties we can exercise, but by how willing we are to limit ourselves for the sake of love, unity, and peace within the body of Christ.
Paul gives two clear instructions.
1. Pursue peace and the building up of others (verse 19)
Rather than fighting for our preferences or freedoms, Paul says we should actively pursue what builds others up. Our first priority should be the spiritual good of our brothers and sisters. We ask: What will strengthen their faith? What will encourage unity? What will help them grow in Christ?
2. Gladly limit our liberties when love requires it (verse 21)
Paul does not call for universal abstinence from anything. He calls for intentional, occasional restraint when the situation demands it. If exercising a freedom would wound another believer’s conscience, the mature Christian chooses to refrain. Love gladly yields.
This is not weakness. This is Christlikeness. “Christ did not please himself,” Paul says in Romans 15:3. He surrendered His rights for our salvation. When we limit our freedoms for the good of others, we walk in His steps.
Romans 14 invites us into a way of life that is radically countercultural. Our world champions personal rights. Christ calls us to champion sacrificial love. Our world values self-expression. Christ values building up the church. Our world urges us to “be true to yourself.” Christ urges us to be true to your brother or sister’s spiritual good.
May God make us a church that will gladly give up what is ours for the sake of the faith of another. And may Christ, who did not please Himself, teach us to walk in His steps.
