Adiaphora

(Rom. 14:1-12)

Introduction: Last Sunday’s sermon title was ‘Love and light’ based on Rom. 13:8-14. We all have love debt to Jesus who died for us on the cross. With this love debt, we should love our brothers and sisters. If we love our brothers and sisters, we will not harm them, and that is the fulfillment of the law. We also need to understand the present time and wake up from the spiritual sleep. If you love computer games more than reading the Bible, you will be spiritually choked and your life will be ruined. If you have a continuing fellowship with the Lord, you will be spiritually awake, walking in the light, and will receive the power to love other people. Today’s passage is Rom. 14:1-12. Today’s passage describes two of the adiaphora issues in theological doctrines. When we say, ‘Diaphora’, we mean some important doctrines such as the theology of God, of salvation, and of the church. However, when we say, ‘Adiaphora’, that means some unimportant issues such as whether we eat meat or should observe certain days. We should consider important issues important and unimportant issue unimportant. Otherwise, our life will be upside down. Through today’s passage we will learn which are important and which are unimportant.

1) Eating meat (1-4): In the Roman churches, there were both Jews and Gentiles. Since most meats in the market place were once offered to the idols before the meats were put on the market, most Jews did not eat meats when they lived or traveled outside the land of Israel. But according to the gospel, we know everything belongs to God, and we can eat any meat if we want. Some Jews did not have that knowledge and were reluctant to eat the meat in the market place. Thus, in the same church, some people ate the meats and some did not. Those who ate meat looked down those who did not, and those who did not eat meat passed judgment to those who did. Paul is teaching that eating meats or not is not important; preaching the gospel is the most important issue. It is wrong to look down on other brothers and sisters because they are different from us on minor issues. God loves all of us, and we should love other believers.

2) Observing certain days (5-9): Jews observe the Sabbath starting Friday around 6:00 p.m. through Saturday 6:00 p.m. However, through the blood of Jesus, we are liberated from all the laws, and we do not observe the Sabbath anymore. It does not mean you do not have to come to worship God because the Bible teaches us not to give up meeting together. We should encourage one another to meet together for worshiping God (Heb. 10:24-25). We are meeting on Sundays to worship God. We are not observing any specific days. It is our public promise to worship God on Sunday. Since it is our public promise, we should consider it important. Worshiping God on Sunday is an important ritual as a believer. I want you to consider it important. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

3) God’s judgment (10-12): It is not desirable to look down on or criticize other people due to unimportant issues. We will all stand in front of God for judgment. I hope you do not get confused. We will not have any condemnation on the Judgment Day due to the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus washed away all our sins, and the law of Spirit of life set us free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:1-2). But, we will receive God’s evaluation on our behaviors in Christ (II Cor. 5:10). All our behaviors and hidden thoughts will be revealed (Ecc. 12:14). Thus, we should not criticize or look down on brothers and sisters on minor issue, but should pay attention to the important thing, preaching the gospel to save human souls. Thank you and God bless you.