The Righteousness of God

• Sin – Unrighteousness of Humanity

• Salvation – Righteousness Imputed

• Sanctification – Righteousness Imparted

• Sovereignty – Righteousness Vindicated

• Service – Righteousness Practiced

Food in World Religions

• Hinduism (c. 2,000 B.C.) = Vegetarian

• Judaism (15th century B.C.) = Kosher

• Jainism (c. 6th century B.C.) = Vegan

• Islam (7th century A.D.) = Halal

• Mormonism (19th century A.D.) = Alcohol and Caffeine Restrictions

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.

One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man

who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who

does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God

has accepted him. (Romans 14:1-3)

Disputable matters

“The church was never meant to be a cozy club of like-minded people of one

race or social position or intellectual caliber. Christians are not clones,

identical in all respects. One of the difficulties the church has always faced is that included in its membership are the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, those from every stratum of society, the old and the young, adults

and children, the conservatives and the radicals. People from a great number of

nations are Christians, and people of every temperament. This is a wonderful thing about the church, and most of us

have thrilled at some time at the contemplation of the rich variety in our brothers and sisters in Christ. But this very variety puts strains on us all. How are we to coexist within one church?”

(Leon Morris)

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.

Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

(Romans 14:13)

As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is

unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean,

then for him it is unclean. (Romans 14:14)

If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not

by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.

Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.

(Romans 14:15-16)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,

but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because

anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and

approved by men. (Romans 14:17-18)

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to

mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God

for the sake of food. (Romans 14:19-20a)

All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that

causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything

else that will cause your brother to fall. (Romans 14:20b-21)

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and

God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats,

because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not

come from faith is sin. (Romans 14:22-23)

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please

ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who

insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through

endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

(Romans 15:1-4)

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ

Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify

the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Romans 15:5-6)

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to

bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)

So,

what can we learn from “food” that will help us as Christians to experience

corporate unity amidst diversity, spiritual growth for all, building Christ’s kingdom rather than dividing it, and resulting in

the reflection of God’s grace and glory?

Food in the Bible

• Moses (15th century B.C.) = Food Laws and Prohibition against Eating Meat Offered to Idols (Exodus 34:15; Leviticus 11)

• The Maccabees (Intertestamental Period) = Food a Test of Jewishness

• Jesus (c. 30 A.D.) = Fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17-18), Declared All Food’s Clean (Mark 7:19)

Food in the Bible • Peter (c. 40 A.D.) = “Do not call anything

impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10)

• James (c. 50 A.D.) = The Jerusalem Council and Food (Acts 15)

• Paul (c. 60 A.D.) = Food Sacrificed to Idols (I Corinthians 8-10) and Food Laws (Romans 14-15)

• John (c. 90s A.D.) = Food Sacrificed to Idols (Revelation 2)

We must learn to differentiate between

moral and amoral matters.

We live in a culture in which “clearly immoral behavior is

tolerated on the one hand, and clearly amoral behavior is prohibited on the other.”

(Craig Blomberg)

• The Whole Counsel of God’s Word

• The Life and Teachings of Jesus

• The Testimony of the Church

• The Consensus of Christians in

Diverse Cultures of the World

Our “food fights” have broadened considerably!

– Baptism Mode and Meaning

– Acceptable Bible Translations

– Communion Elements, Frequency, and Significance

– Hair Covering, Length, and Style

– Appropriate Movies, Games, TV Programs

– Political Ideology

– Schooling Choice – Public, Parochial, Home School

– Tattooing and Piercing

– Worship Music Preference

We must refuse to erect unnecessary barriers

to the Gospel.

For a Christian, freedom and love must not be

divorced.

We must endeavor to resist the powerful pull of associating only with

Christians who agree with us on amoral matters.

We must embrace the golden opportunity God

has given us to demonstrate to our world

what true unity amidst diversity looks like.