Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. 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. (Romans 14:10–15)I had a Christian friend visit when our young granddaughter was with us. As I prepared a meal, this little one asked my friend to play a card game with her. She refused and suggested another activity that didn’t include cards. She later explained that she grew up in a gambling family. For her, playing cards involved greed, unkindness, loss of grocery money, and a whole lot of unpleasantness. For her, card playing was sin. I understood.
This passage says that if I had insisted it was okay and she should do what the child asked, I would be putting a stumbling block in front of her. Not only that, it would be an unloving thing to do. The card game was not sin in itself (It was “Go Fish”) but for her, it was a cause of grief because of her family history.
Drinking wine could be another sin for some and not others. I heard of a man that had been hooked on a sport and it messed up his family life. When he became a Christian, he considered even watching a game was a sin.
The Bible may have no ground for such convictions. It may be a “weaker faith”, but to judge or put down someone for their ‘weakness’ is a sin too. Just because I feel free to play cards, have a little wine, or watch sports does not mean I can speak of another person as being in error or wrong about their ideas of what is sinful.
I suppose on the other hand such a person could call me a sinner for my freedoms and certainly for being judgmental. More verses tell me not to let my freedoms be spoken of as evil. Instead, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) Instead, this is the way:
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. (Romans 14:20–22)I’m not to show off my freedom in Christ at the expense of someone’s peace of heart. The final criteria is this: “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 14:23)
Jesus, whatever You say is okay and I trust You is not a problem. But if You say YES and I say NO, or if You say NO and I say YES, my life is a stumbling block for someone else. Enable obedience from a willing heart, and that I am aware of those who may be watching and prone to stumbling!
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