Insight for Living

Narrator: Unity and diversity are two words that seem impossible to hold together in today's polarized world. We're told to choose sides, draw lines, and separate from those who don't share our convictions. But scripture offers a radically different vision, a church where believers genuinely accept one another without prejudice. So, how do we achieve this?

Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll tackles this challenge head on as he teaches from Romans chapter 14. Along the way, he'll offer three principles that free us from the twin killers of judgment and control. Chuck titled his message, Putting Grace Into Action.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll: Our Savior in His last prayer recorded before He went to Gethsemane remembered us. He prayed for those who would believe in Him that all of them, quote, may be one. Bring them into a unit, Lord, because there will always be my followers in a minority. But they must impact the majority of a world that doesn't know me. So hold them together.

That was His hope for us before He ever went to the cross and after He left this earth. Knowing that we together as a unit can accomplish so much more than we will ever be able to accomplish with divided ranks and separate fellowships.

The apostles and early Christians, as different as all of them were, were remarkable examples of people who dwelt together in unity. They got along. In spite of all of that, there have always been conflicts in the church. You cannot find an era in which some of the people of God are not at each other's throats, to put it bluntly.

Pastor Kent Hughes writes, "Churches have been ripped apart by disagreements over which factions have polarized." The more broad-minded becoming openly contemptuous of their narrow brothers, and others becoming hardened in their criticism of their loose brethren. Which is what Romans 14 is all about. The goal is that we learn to live together, even though we disagree. That's the goal.

We can disagree, but why do we have to become disagreeable? Now, when we get to Romans chapter 14, we get into subjects that seem kind of screwy to us. What's this about eating meat, and what's this about observing days? Why, if you lived in the first century, you'd understand.

Give me just a few moments. Those Romans who were converted out of paganism had had a a background in idolatry, many of them. And you worshiped an idol by bringing meat to the altar of the idol, and you sacrificed the meat on the fire of the altar, and you do it in honor of the god.

Well, not all of the meat burned up. Since there wasn't refrigeration in those days, the part that didn't burn up, some enterprising man or woman who had a butcher business would take the rest of the meat and chop it up and turn it into great steaks and sell it at the meat market.

And there were Christians who had been born again out of this background, "No, no, no, that's terrible! If you eat that meat, you'll contaminate yourself with idol worship." And then there were other Christians who said, "What are you talking about? An idol is nothing. It's wood or stone or clay. It's just an idol. There's nothing to it." So these were the meat-eaters and these were the non-meat-eaters. And it got to where they were so different that Paul gave them labels.

Those who had the scruples and felt they couldn't eat the meat are called weak, and they needed to be taught and brought to maturity so they could know there's nothing wrong with the meat. And those who were strong, who had the tendency to kind of slap around those that were weak, needed to be told, "Calm down, lighten up. You may see your freedom in doing this, but don't throw out the weak brother." And by the way, weak brother, don't become a legalist, trying to make the strong brother live with your convictions.

And by the way, strong brother, don't try to make the weak brother as strong as you are. Give him time to grow up. So I think Paul is saying to the strong, "Lighten up." To the weak, "Grow up."

The strong tend to put down those who can't press 400 pounds, spiritually speaking. And the weak tend to despise those who take liberties that they don't think is right. I mean, you got alcohol in your refrigerator? Don't invite me over. It offends me. Well, what's in somebody's refrigerator is none of your business. You like a good cigar? Just, you know, preferably don't blow it on somebody in your adult fellowship. Okay?

People don't think. They come back from a hunting trip and they say, "Yeah, that's me with the beer. That's me right there." Yeah. And you don't have a problem with that, but the person you should. So be quiet. Quit flaunting it. Enjoy whatever you enjoy within reason. Don't go against anything set forth in scripture, and live your life.

Okay, lighten up, grow up. Accept the one who is weak in faith. Strong folks, please, stop putting down the weak ones. Accept them. I'll get to the word "accept" in a moment, but for right now, just let it stand. Accept the one who is weak in faith, not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. Look, we've got a divided opinion here, verse two.

One person has faith that he may eat all things. Now, you know what that means? He's the strong one, called the strong one in this passage. He who is weak eats vegetables only. Feels like it's safer. My conscience says I ought to eat vegetables only. That's fine for you. That's great. Don't make me eat vegetables only. That's your diet. Keep it to yourself. Buy what you want to buy, fix it and eat it, but don't force it on anybody else.

The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who doesn't eat. Got it? It's just common sense. And the one who does not eat should not judge the one who eats for God has accepted him. In fact, could very well say both of them. Both of them. Let's learn to live within the framework of this kind of grace. Look closely.

The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who doesn't eat, verse three. The one who doesn't eat is not to judge the one who eats. While he's asking questions, verse four, he gets right to the heart of it. Verse four, great question. "Who are you to judge the servant of another?" Who's the Lord if that's the servant? The Lord God.

Since we're serving the Lord God, whatever we do, we ought to be doing for the Lord our God. We've all been saved out of a sinful past. We all come from varied backgrounds, different kinds, different convictions, but we still answer to the same Lord. Lord, make us one. Lord, hold us together. Lord, give us an understanding. Lord, give us a breadth. Lord, give us grace. Free me from feeling the need to straighten everybody else out or anybody else out.

Didn't work on your children. So you ought to know it's not going to work on other people in the family of God. That's God's job. He's the one that has to wring his hands over people. That's what He does. Why, verse five. One person regards one day above another. Another regards every day alike. Did you know that that was an issue in the first century?

Some came out of a deeply religious past and they were converted to Christ and, and now they're under grace and living in this church at Rome, the the church that Paul writes and and they weren't observing the days. And some were saying, "Well, what about the festival? What about Pentecost? Oh, my goodness. What about Passover?" I mean, And now they were in the New Testament. Now they were in this era. "What about Sunday?" I mean, you're not going to desecrate Sunday and do that on Sunday, are you?

And you'll find people that are like that. They make something of the days. If we live near a beach, we would be able to go to the beach on a Sunday unless we have convictions that you shouldn't go to the beach on Sunday. Never could figure that one out, but Sunday's not a day to go to the beach. Sunday's like Thursday. Sunday is like Wednesday. It's like Saturday. It's like every day the same. You see the category I'm in.

Now, you may feel Sunday's special. So you need to then set the mark and put the boundaries. Just don't put them on me. They're for you. That's fine. You want to live within that close framework? You know what? You have every right to. Be careful about jamming that down the throat of your kids because they may not buy it.

Your convictions you formed from your parents, quite likely, or maybe through some experiences you've gone through. And so your day is different. But look at verse five. Look at the end. "Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind." I love that. That's grace. You know what? You've got to think on your own.

We had a person call us at Insight for Living and say, "What does Chuck believe about so and so?" And the guy answered for us at Insight, he said, "Actually, Chuck hasn't made a statement about." "No, I got to have an answer from Chuck. How are we going to know what to do if he doesn't tell us?"

Grow up is the answer. Not my job to tell you. You have the scriptures. You have Christ. You have your own life to live. Live it. Don't wait for me. If you get all of my stuff, you'll be led astray because then your conscience will hurt you because you don't feel you should do that or vice versa.

You see, we're to be convinced in his own mind. He who observes a day observes it for the Lord. I would hope. "Lord, this is your day." It may be Wednesday for you. You may work Sundays. You can't be a part of the fellowship. So Wednesday is your day of worship. And you do it for the Lord. And and he who eats, eats for the Lord. I believe in that. Or he who gives thanks.

And he who eats not for the Lord, he doesn't eat. That's great. If you don't want to eat, don't eat. Just don't make me not eat. You want to fast? Don't brag about it. Just fast. Get thin. That's great. Don't try to make me thin. You see how it works? It I mean, some of you are already leaving. You think, "How boring is this?" I understand. It's so obvious.

It's so obvious. But we have been so enamored of religion and we can't think for ourselves. Get a life. You are on your own, Christian. Glorify God. Connect with Christ. Stop making other people your reason for living. They'll drive you nuts.

They'll tell you how to make every move if they get a chance. Don't let them. By the way, control and compare. Those are the killers. You get around controllers, they'll drive you nuts. You get around comparing people, that's another killer. Because somebody will always be better looking or thinner. Someone will always be brighter. Someone will always make more money or less.

Then depending on which, you'll fight pride or envy. Quit looking at people as your standard. We do it for the Lord. Not one of us lives for himself. Not one of us dies for himself. I love that seventh verse. Before our first service started today, we gathered as a small enclave of people and and we talked about one of our own here at Stonebriar who's dying.

And someone said, "How's she doing?" And another had said, "Well, I talked to with her husband this week," and every day she just moves closer to the end. And we all kind of sighed. You know why? Because we felt the hot breath of death on the back of our neck. Something of us dies because one of ours is dying.

Last week, one of the guys here threw his arms around me and whispered in my ear, "Remember a year ago today?" Yeah. Hey, that's when Lance died. Yeah. We just got hung on to each other as we remembered him. And someone rejoices in how great it is when the body rejoices. How great it is. How wonderful that good news comes and we all terrific. How great.

Rather than, "Well, I wonder what he pulled off to get that to happen." If we live, we live for the Lord. If we die, we die for the Lord. Whether we live or die, we're the Lord's. How good is that? How great is that? If we all believe that, then we're like a room full of pianos, all tuned to the same sounding. Same tuner. Same note. You don't tune them with each other. You tune them with the same tuner. That's Christ. They're all in tune.

You could play a hundred pianos in a room and there won't be one of them off key if they're all tuned to the same tuning fork. Now, I have to tell you, good people will disagree. Okay? I studied at Dallas Seminary. One of my eye-opening experiences was that not all the profs agree at every point.

I remember in my young immaturity, I would go, "I just heard Dr. Fingfang say so and so about that." And Dr. Dingdong says this about that, and I, "How come Dingdong doesn't agree with Fingfang?" And so I'll go back to Fingfang, he'd say, "I just don't agree with Dingdong." And Dingdong would say, "Well, you know, that's the way it is." I'd go, "Gosh." And I found myself saying, "How am I going to know what to believe if you don't tell me?" You know what they said? "Grow up."

"What does the book say? You got a mind? Dig it out." Two men who lived in the Victorian era of great old England were Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1834 to 1892, didn't even live to be 60. Joseph Parker, born four years earlier and died 10 years later. Older and stayed on after Spurgeon was gone. They were fast friends.

They exchanged pulpits, both great preachers. Hearing one was as great as hearing the other. What a great era, the Victorian era. Until Spurgeon learned that Parker went to the theater. So he criticized him because Joseph Parker on occasion was seen at live theater.

Speaking of that, side bar, when Abraham Lincoln died, he died in Ford's Theater. You remember that. The following Sunday, you know how many preachers said he got what he deserved? He was in a theater. What a treacherous comment. What a terrible remark. That's how vicious we can become in our judgmentalism.

Well, Spurgeon looked down on Parker. So Parker found out that Spurgeon smoked cigars. So he put him down for smoking cigars. We got two brothers who used to change pulpits. Now they're at odds with each other because of theater and stogies. Someone asked Spurgeon about his cigar smoking. He justified it, saying he didn't smoke to an excess. When asked what he meant by excess, he said, with a twinkle in his eye, "No more than two at a time."

Now, you who laugh probably like a good cigar. Okay? Maybe not. I don't care. I don't care what you smoke when you're out hunting or when you're out fishing or when you're in your home. I'd rather you not light up in here, but you smoke, you smoke. It's your business. I'm not out on a crusade against whether you ought to smoke or not. And Joseph Parker, it's none of your business that Spurgeon smoked.

Parker was never convinced that going to the theater was sinful. Spurgeon was not persuaded in his heart that puffing on a cigar was wrong. And it broke their fellowship. Come on. Come on. It bothered Spurgeon later on when he saw his face in an advertisement. "This is the cigar Charles Haddon Spurgeon smokes." And then that broke him from it. That made a little difference because he saw how it impacted the world without Christ. It's another subject.

But in the family of God, you tell me the two great men could not get along. They could not. Why? Because they weren't big enough to overlook each other's scruples. Are you? Have you stopped fellowshipping with somebody because they don't fit your convictions? I'm not saying you've got to marry him. I'm not saying you've got to, you know, live next door. And by the way, when you enjoy your liberty, just enjoy it and keep your mouth shut.

Now, before we get too pious. That's it. You it starts to land pretty hard on us, doesn't it? Do I have convictions? I have convictions you know nothing about. They're none of your business. And I will not voice them on you because I can't find a book, chapter and verse for that conviction, but I have that conviction in my life. So I sustain it. But that's mine.

But you have the freedom to find out what yours are because you're going to grow and you're going to discover and you're going to learn, you're going to become stable. So when I'm gone, dad and gone out of your life, you'll have your own convictions. You won't need mine. You need yours. I don't care where you go in the scriptures. You have the freedom to guide your life as God guides you. And I'll stand behind you.

I'm not saying it'll do you good. I'm not saying it won't harm you. I'm saying you have the freedom to make that decision. You'll never get the rules from this pulpit unless the rules are set forth in the Bible. Then you'll hear them. And I'll drive them home and they'll convict me just like they'll convict you. So there will be those who will disagree, and when they disagree, there are going to be weaknesses on each side.

Look how he develops it. I love Paul's approach. Verse eight. "If we live, we live for the Lord. If we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we're the Lord's." Point being, we answer to Him. Our desire is to please Him. What a great thing to remember in your life. Keep your eyes focused on Christ.

When you try to please someone else, you'll fail or you'll fall under their thumb and they'll control you, they'll dominate you. Focus your life on Christ. Let Him guide your decisions, guide your thinking. See what it says? "Let everyone be convinced in his own mind."

Verse nine. "For to this end, Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." "But you, you who are weak, why do you judge your brother? And you who are strong, why do you regard your brother with contempt?" In case you wonder where Paul was, look at 15:1. Just for a moment. Glance at 15:1 of Romans. "Now we who are strong"