Don't Even Go There

Romans 14:13-16 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. (14) I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (15) But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. (16) Let not then your good be evil spoken of: (KJV)  

Strong’s definition for judge:
2919  krino (kree'-no); properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish: KJV-- avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.  

If you notice in verse 13 Paul is dealing with a brother, a fellow believer in Christ, one who has chosen the law of liberty rather than remaining under the condemnation of the devil. Paul uses the example of eating meat, which before under the old law had strict laws and provisions concerning its uses. Paul himself was well versed and understood the old law with the best of them, but had come to an understanding of the truth, that in Christ all meat was good, and nothing had to be refused anymore but was now sanctified and fit for use by prayer and thanksgiving; thanking our Father for providing healthy food for His temple. But you know, whether it is food or drink, or any other area that someone is dealing with, it is not for us to judge or condemn them just because they haven’t come to a working knowledge of the truth in certain areas of their walk. Remember how God dealt with you when you first came to Him, and how loving and longsuffering He was in teaching you to walk in the newness of His realm. So with this in mind, would it not be the same for us in how we deal with others; rather than being so high minded and judgmental the most important thing to watch out for would be that the devil doesn’t use one of his workers to trip them up with a false doctrine, a stumblingblock, or a detour to keep them from accessing God through the Son.

Romans 14:17-19 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (18) For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. (19) Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. (KJV)  

Instead of trying to get your point across and engaging in endless petty debates over foods and drinks, or anything else that is of the carnal realm, keep it in the Spirit, and concentrate on the things that make for peace, and that which will build someone up more than tearing them down or putting them down for where they are at in their walk. It is much more important that someone comes to a working knowledge of who they are in Christ, rather than spending more time on what they can eat, or any other thing that pertains more to the temporal than the eternal. That is where you learn and continue to keep your spiritual senses exercised so that you know what the real priority is and what is not worth striving about. Those that use wisdom in these areas will find themselves approved of God, and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight.  

Romans 14:20-23 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. (21) It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. (22) Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.(23) And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (KJV)  

Thayer’s definition for offence:
4348  proskomma- a stumblingblock
a) an obstacle in the way which if one strikes his foot against he stumbles or falls
b) that over which a soul stumbles, that is, by which is caused to sin  

Here is an interesting take on it; rather than watching out on their behalf and helping them to avoid stumbling by your actions and motives, taking offence to what they believe, you now became the stumbling block, or should I say block head. Rather than being the one that should be helping them in overcoming a situation you are actually setting them back again; and rather than giving them truth you are keeping them in bondage. That does not sound like something that a true servant of Christ is going to find acceptable let alone pleasing in God’s sight. Realize that when we wound someone’s weak conscience, or lack of knowledge in certain areas they haven’t been enlightened to, we are actually sinning against Christ Himself; ouch. You have faith in certain things and have been set free; great, then keep it between you and God; you don’t need to make a public proclamation or a spectacle out of yourself. Verse 21 makes reference to things that rather than building someone up it is actually making them weaker. Which again we see words like stumbling and offending, something we should be keeping out of their path and not putting into it. Basically what are your motives; are you doing your so called good deeds before men to be seen by them, or are you more concerned with pleasing God and doing that which is acceptable in His sight, which by the way is looking at the heart right now? Let me ask this, is everything you do on the up and up; are you able to do it faithfully, or is there some doubt in your walk as well, something you are not able to wholeheartedly justify before God? When you start entering these areas of doubt, whether it involves you alone or how you are handling situations involving others, are you able to do it faithfully? Because if not, it is now in the realm of sin and condemnation of the devil. Maybe that thing you see in someone else’s life, that shortcoming you perceive, is actually a reflection of your own fault and shortcomings; rather than removing the obstacle from your own path it is much easier to concentrate on someone else.  

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (KJV)  

The carnal mind is enmity with God, and they that are in the flesh cannot please Him. When one withdraws themselves from the realm of the Spirit and back into the flesh they enter a realm of doubt and confusion, one that is not of God, a place of condemnation and a snare of the devil. So please Church, for your sake, don’t even go there.  

God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord.