Thoughts on Romans - Day 40

                                           Romans 14:13b-16
 Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. ¹⁴ I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. ¹⁵ If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.

        Paul continues in Romans 14 to talk about how we as Christians who form one body and belong to each other, are to handle areas of behavior which are debatable in their legitimacy in the Christian walk. One brother or sister might be avoiding a certain behavior like reading Harry Potter because they think that it is celebrating witchcraft. Meanwhile you and your kids are waiting in line for the midnight release of the next volume and have no convictions opposed to it. How do we deal with this disagreement and keep peace. Last blog I talked about removing judgement from the equation. Today Paul talks about not putting stumbling blocks in people's lives. What does he mean by that?

        I knew of a youth pastor in our town that was fired for taking some High School youth to Hooters after taking them to a Christian concert. Let's unpack that decision based on this passage. Going to a restraunt like this is one of those areas that Paul has been discussing in this passage. There is no passage "Thou shalt not go to Hooters, but thou canst get curbside service." Paul would say that nothing is unclean in and of itself. Therefore, if a Christian wanted to go there and have wings and a beer or two and be served by scantily clad women, it wouldn't be a sin. So what is the problem here? The problem is the whole issue of stumbling blocks which are obstacles that are placed by ourselves in the paths of other believers which cause them in their personal walk with Christ to trip up. We should be thinking not of ourselves and what we are free to do on our path but rather how can I help my brother or sister, who I belong to, to succeed in their spiritual life.

        Even though alcohol isn't a sin, getting drunk is. I might have no problem stopping at one drink but some brother or sister whom I have now by my example given the go ahead to drink may have an addictive personality and I have caused them to sin. I may have no problem with lust or pornography but by bringing someone with me, I may have lit their fires of passion that God didn't want lit. I, by my freedom have caused them to stumble. In these days of social media, you don't have to take someone along with you, you can just post your freedom on Facebook and destroy people. For example, if I go on a cruise and my wife takes a picture of me pulling the handle of a slot machine, I may cause someone to start gambling and ruin their life. Paul would say, if you are going to participate in a controversial activity, don't advertise it - do it in secret. Do it out of town. If you are unable to discreetly do this activity, then give it up. It is so much better to give up an activity or a freedom for the sake of another brother or sister, than to do this activity even if you love doing it. In the scope of living millions and millions of years, denying ourselves for a relative 5 seconds is no sweat.

      Lord, help me to be sensitive to the things I am doing that are causing my brothers and sisters to stumble. Increase my love for them that I am more concerned about their growth than my freedom. Help me to live in the light of eternity so I don't feel like giving up something in this life is that big of a deal as compared to eternity. Amen