Romans 14:1–18 takes us straight into one of the most familiar tensions in church life: how do we handle “gray areas” where sincere Christians disagree? In this episode, we look at comic books, card games, movies, food laws, holy days, and generation gaps—not to settle every debate, but to learn how Paul calls us to welcome one another, refuse judgment and contempt, and let Christ—not our opinions—be Lord of each other’s consciences.
In this week’s episode, we explore:
- Why “Christian taboos” and lifestyle debates arise in every culture and era, and how Romans 14 helps us navigate them without tearing the church apart
- Paul’s categories of the “weak” and the “strong” in faith, and why greater maturity usually means more inner freedom, not more external rules
- How food laws and sacred days in the first century map onto today’s contested issues—entertainment, schooling, politics, money, alcohol, clothing, and more
- The danger on both sides: the strong despising the cautious as legalistic, and the weak judging the free as barely Christian
- Why other believers are not “our servants” to fix, but the Lord’s—He is able to make them stand and responsible to change them in His time
- How to give brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt: assuming they are seeking to honor the Lord, even when their convictions differ from ours
- What it means to avoid putting a “stumbling block” in someone’s path, and when love calls the strong to limit their freedom for the sake of another’s conscience
- The bridge and Candy Land illustrations: moving at another’s pace, protecting the vulnerable, yet still encouraging real growth and thoughtful conviction
- Paul’s reminder that the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit—and why that relativizes our cherished preferences
By the end of the episode, listeners will have a clearer, more hopeful way to approach disagreements over non-essential matters. You’ll be invited to stop trying to remake other believers into your image, to examine how your freedoms affect those around you, and to prioritize what truly lasts: belonging to the Lord, building up His people, and pursuing the kind of righteousness, peace, and joy that makes the family resemblance to Christ unmistakable.
Series: Romans: Justification by Faith
Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available now wherever books are sold.
Support the show
