Years ago, I hosted a Bible study with some college guys who were looking to grow in their faith. One particular afternoon, we were studying the New Testament when the discussion turned to some strong opinions. One of these young men made a sweeping statement that I disagreed with, and I pounced. In my mind, I could not let that kind of ignorance slide by. He was wrong and needed to be corrected.
So, an argument ensued. He didn’t back down. I didn’t either. In fact, one of my rather embarrassing character defects is the fact that I’m incredibly competitive. I hate losing. I intentionally will avoid competitive activities because they often bring out the worst in me. This goes hand-in-hand with admitting I’m wrong, which is where the real damage is done. I was determined I would not be outdone in this argument. I continued to push it, and to my shame, I left this young man in tears. Just retelling this story brings pain and regret.
This is why Romans 14 resonates so deeply with me.
Paul rightly argues that taking a strong stance against another believer who is weak in their faith can actually do more damage than good.
When it comes to grey area issues, strong believers should not insult weaker believers by labeling them ignorant and weaker believers should not judge strong believers as worldly. The text literally reads, “do not dispute over reasonings or opinions.” There are many actions in life that land in a grey area. Paul would argue that none of these are inherently good or bad. What makes them good or bad is the posture of the heart.
Some Christians in Paul’s time only wanted to eat vegetables to the glory of God. Fine. Others believed they could enjoy all foods to the glory of God. Fine.
Consider, the only sin in this instance is causing another to fall by making a grey area issue into a stumbling block!
Think about this teaching and question yourself. Are you someone who is constantly living in hostility with other believers over grey area issues? Do you consistently leave a path of destruction within the Church? Paul would say plainly – do not destroy your brother or sister in Christ over a meaningless issue. These are wise words for our culture today. These are wise and much-needed words for me.