Conscience and Religious Feelings

Introduction

Paul here continues his discourse on disputable matters and how those strong in the faith are to behave with regard to those who are weak in the faith. He does so by giving two examples, including a repetition of the last concern about those who eat all things and those who do not. We want to continue considering that theme and the love God through Paul calls us to when brethren differ. But it may well serve a good purpose to go over once again the idea raised in verse 1 of disputable matters. Let us ask a good question: What would not be considered a disputable matter. Let us begin there, review verses 1-4, and then our text will fall into place.

We are to have an attitude of acceptance in love of a brother who differs in disputable matters. I do not believe that I was wrong to call us to love one another by not condemning one another, as the text clearly teaches. But, my choice of application was a bit off and so tonight I want to correct some of what I said and I do believe we will be clearer at the end. I mentioned several issues: Psalms vs hymns, special days vs no special days, instruments vs non-instruments, and elements used in communion. In my zeal to give examples I erred. In our text Paul is dealing, not with corporate ethics, that is, what the Church must do because God has commanded those things to be done. But Paul is not dealing with those issues here, and I went too far in mentioning them last time. Rather, the text is dealing with personal ethics, matters of conscience and religious feelings. So I need to deal with those matters and be clear as to what they are. And then we can correctly apply the text.

And to deal briefly with the question of what a disputable matter is, here is the difference between disputable and non-disputable matters. Disputable matters are matters of personal conscience over which believers may disagree. Non-disputable matters are matters that concern the church as a whole. They are not matters of personal choice, they are matters in which God has given a definite command-baptism, faith in Christ, repentance, etc. It will be clear from the text that Paul is not dealing with those. His doctrine is rather this: Where God has commanded certain things to be done we may not differ or dispute with one another but must find out what the Bible teaches and obey the Bible. But where God permits liberty we are to allow liberty. And that is what Paul and I wish to deal with in this passage.

• Notice the subjects of Paul's discussion in verses 1-6, namely dietary restrictions and the observance of days.
• Both are tied to the Jewish Law which clearly forbade the Jews to eat things that were unclean and to observe certain days in the year as feast days (2,5). We know that Christ fulfilled and therefore abolished both. The dietary restrictions were lifted by Christ in Matthew 15:11 and Acts 10:9-16. The feast days were fulfilled by the work of Christ-Passover by his death on the Cross, and likewise the day of atonement. Pentecost, the feast of the first fruits, was fulfilled by his resurrection from the dead as the first fruits, and we could go on. The point is that Christ fulfilled these feasts.
• But in Rome there were those who did not recognize this. There were those who did not believe one could eat all things (2). The matter likely involved eating meat that had been offered to idols or perhaps even eating pork. There were also those who still observed the feast days commanded in the Law (5). These were the weaker brethren. These believers did not understand the teaching of the Holy Spirit as yet that such scruples, such pangs of conscience, as required dietary restrictions and keeping certain feast days, were no longer necessary. These were the ones Paul called weak in the faith. The strong in the faith Christians understood these things.
• What made the difference was a differing maturity in Biblical knowledge. That was easy to understand since they did not have the New Testament in full at this time. We noted last time as well that Paul knew these weaker brethren were wrong. One look at Galatians 4:9,10 and Col 2:16,17 will tell you that Paul was not one to compromise the truth. But in Rome the truth was not at stake. In Colosse the issue was with the heresy Gnosticism and it legalistic call for observance of days. In Galatia it was the heresy of needing to keep the Law in addition to trusting in Christ that concerned Paul. Here in Rome, on the other hand, he is concerned that the brothers love one another. No one was trying to disobey a command of God. It was simply that some had not matured to the point where they could eat meat and not observe special days. Which defines disputable matters as those matters over which brothers differ in their understanding of Scripture. And the point then is how we treat those who differ from us. And Paul's answer is that we are to treat them with love and tolerance and as brothers. In other words, Paul is telling us God has given liberty on such issues.
• We have similar matters in our day.
• There are believers who are convinced that it is a sin to celebrate Christmas and Easter in the family. There is but one holy day to such brethren, and that is the Sabbath. Is that what the Bible teaches? Yes, based upon Galatians 4:9,10 and Colossians 2:16,17. But there are those who believe that to ignore an annual celebration of the Lord's birth and his resurrection would be wrong-not sinful, but, well, it just does not seem right. So on December 25^th they put up a tree and gather around the family room and read Matthew 1 or Luke 2 and pray together and give thanks for the Lord Jesus birth. Similarly on Easter, they do not even use the word Easter (knowing it to be pagan) but they do use the opportunity to rejoice as a family in the resurrection of Christ. And be clear about this-they do not want to establish a new holy day. They simply want to remember Christ's incarnation and resurrection.
• Again, there are those in the church who believe that to drink alcohol at all is wrong; even a glass of wine is a scandal to such believers. What such a Christian believes is that it is a temptation to drunkenness. So he does not touch the stuff. But on the other hand there are those who know that in the Bible Paul told Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach's sake and that the Lord gave man wine to make his heart glad-- Psalm 104:15. So he will have some wine with dinner and even a glass or can of beer at a ball game.
• Once more, you have some in the church who read 1 Peter 3:3 and its command to not emphasize outward beauty and conclude that make-up is wrong. But the Bible does not say that. It merely says in that passage to concentrate on Spiritual beauty, holiness.
• And the point of application is this: these are matters of conscience and we are not to judge or condemn or unchurch one another over such matters. To repeat what I said last time, we may not make our personal convictions or religious feelings on such matters the rule for the conscience of another. Rather we are to love and accept one another as true believers in Christ (3-4). God has given liberty on such issues to those who are not yet mature.
• Paul takes this matter of conscience and religious feelings and warns us not to replace the Lord as the one our brother will answer to (4). Those who have such convictions, such personal convictions stand or fall before the Lord. They serve him and not their fellow believers in such matters and so we may not judge them. Does that mean we do not pray for them and help them to maturity? No. We may and should do that. But that is not best done by condemnation of the weaker brother. Give them room to grow and patiently await that day.
• And so Paul teaches us to love one another even when our convictions on such matters, that may be called indifferent. Give liberty. But how are we to hold our convictions, then, when we see a brother or sister differs with us? He has told us not to do it with a spirit of judgment. Now he gives us the positive side of the matter.
• Paul give us two rule that teach us how to hold our convictions (5,6).
• Rule one: Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (5).
• One man considers one day more sacred than another. There are those who think of certain days in the year as more important than other days. It seems pretty certain that he is thinking of Jewish believers in Christ who have transferred the various feasts of Israel into their Christian yearly calendar. They would then observe the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, the Day of Atonement, Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks, among many, and perhaps even Purim from the days of Esther. Their reasoning would not be hard to follow. Where is it stated in Scripture that they may cease observing these things? Such believers would be counted among the weak in the faith, because they have not matured to the point of seeing that Christ has fulfilled these feast days. On the other hand, Paul says,
• ...another man considers every day alike. There are those who do not believe that there is any command by God to observe special days apart from the Sabbath. The Jewish feasts have all been fulfilled. And Purim belonged to the Jewish nation as a political entity and not to the church. Therefore all days are alike, except the Sabbath, which is to be kept holy each week. Such believers would be counted among the strong in the faith, because they have matured to the point of seeing that Christ has fulfilled the feast days of the Old Covenant.
• But, says Paul, each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. In other words, no one should do or not do something just because it "feels right." What we do as believers with regard to special days, alcohol or makeup should be based upon conviction and not situational ethics or what the crowd is doing. Even less should it be based upon personal preference or it just feels right. The religious feelings I spoke of earlier are different in that they are based upon love for God. In disputable matters, those matters that involve personal conscience or religious feeling, we are to do what we believe God would have us do based upon the Bible. Once again, the Bible is to be our only rule for faith and practice-something many in the church do not apply to their own lives as often as they should. But that is the way to deal with such matters as celebrating Christmas or Easter as families-I am not talking about how to deal with it as a church here, just about personal choices.
• Rule 2 for holding convictions is this: Do it unto the Lord (6).
• The one who observes the day, to the Lord he observes; and the one who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe. The key phrase in this part of the verse is the words, to the Lord. The question that decides whether or not a practice is based on conviction or preference is who is being served by the practice-is it for the Lord and his glory or is it for men to see and praise you. If it is for the Lord and his glory it is a conviction. If it is for men or even for yourself, it is personal preference and not conviction. Conviction is something held unto the Lord and is not sacrificed, or should not be sacrificed, because of the fear of what others may think or say, or on the spur of the moment. Paul reinforces this by raising the issue of diet again:
• The one who eats to the Lord eats, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat to the Lord he does eat, and he gives thanks to God. Here the key phrase is he gives thanks to God. again the point is to see who is the main concern in the conviction. Is it to be seen and approved of by God or by men? If by God it is a conviction, it is a conviction. If it is to be seen by men, it may be a conviction but it is for the praise of men or to avoid their criticism. A good example of what I am referring to takes place in Galatians 2:11-12.
• A true conviction, a true matter of conscience, will be held and practiced for God's sake. You have studied your Bible and determined what to do on Christmas and Easter, to drink or not to drink wine, to wear or not wear make-up. Follow your conscience for the purpose of obeying God based upon what you are convinced he has told you in the Bible. Do it for him and not for the approval of men or even to convict the conscience of men. Do it as unto the Lord.

Conclusion

Let me sum up the important points I want you take home with you:

1. Paul is not speaking to the issue of the commands of God to the church regarding worship. In those matters the church has no liberty to do as it pleases. So we must as a church learn what the Bible says about such matters as the singing of Psalms and Hymns, the use of instruments and what elements we must use in the Lord's Supper. We must as a church study these matters and obey God's clear commands.
2. Paul is speaking to the issue of Christian liberty in the matter of personal religious convictions, personal conscience and religious feeling. Each one of us must determine from Scripture what God wants us to do in such matters as observing special days, the use of alcohol and the use of makeup. When I am personally clear as to what the Bible teaches on a particular issue, then I am to obey God. But if my brother or sister comes to a different conviction then

I am to love that brother or sister and respect their conviction. I am not to try to impose my conscience upon them. Pray for them I may, but I may not condemn or unchurch them or refuse to have fellowship with them. They are God's servant, and not mine.

3. In matters of personal conviction you are to hold and practice your conviction unto the Lord, serving him according to the light he has given you. Be fully convinced in your own mind as to what the Lord wants you to do and do it unto him with all your might.

   This then is the way to hold and practice a personal conviction before God. God grant that we may love one another even when we differ.

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   Rev. Arthur J. Fox, Pastor
   10 Spruce Street
   Middletown, PA 17057
   (717) 944-5835