Connect Romans 14:20 with 1 Corinthians 8:9 on Christian liberty and responsibility. Key Texts Side by Side • Romans 14:20: “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating cause another to stumble.” • 1 Corinthians 8:9: “Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” Freedom Affirmed by Scripture • Mark 7:19 – Jesus “declared all foods clean.” • 1 Timothy 4:4 – “Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” • 1 Corinthians 10:23 – “All things are permissible,” highlighting true liberty in Christ. Responsibility Elevated • 1 Corinthians 8:1 – “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” • Galatians 5:13 – “Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another in love.” • Matthew 18:6 – A severe warning against causing “one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble.” Guiding Principles for Exercising Liberty 1. Consider the conscience of others. – Romans 14:21 calls us to forego practices that distress a brother. 2. Pursue what builds up. – 1 Corinthians 10:24: “No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.” 3. Act for God’s glory first. – 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whether you eat or drink…do everything to the glory of God.” 4. Keep a clear personal conscience. – Romans 14:22–23 reminds that whatever is not from faith is sin. 5. Remember the weaker believer. – 1 Thessalonians 5:14 urges us to “encourage the fainthearted, help the weak.” Practical Check-List Before Exercising a Freedom • Will this help or hinder another believer’s walk? • Does it build unity or threaten division? • Can I thank God wholeheartedly for it? • Would I still do it if Jesus were physically present beside me? Living It Out Together • Choose love over preference at church meals, small groups, and social settings. • Model gracious restraint when around new or struggling believers. • Use personal testimony: explain why you sometimes abstain, emphasizing care for others, not legalism. • Encourage growth: gently teach the biblical liberty we have, while demonstrating self-sacrifice for the body’s sake. Summary God declares all food clean, confirming our freedom. Yet love limits liberty: the mature gladly surrender a right whenever exercising it might damage the faith of another. True discipleship weds Romans 14:20’s call to protect “the work of God” with 1 Corinthians 8:9’s caution against becoming a stumbling block, so that Christ’s body is strengthened, not scattered. |
    |