Romans Worksheet - Chapter 14

Review & Conclusion of Romans:

Romans 1-3 demonstrated man's need for righteousness.  Romans 4-5 examined the faith of one who is declared righteous before God.  Romans 6-8 showed how faith releases the Spirit of God to do in a believer what the law could not do; to truly transform the believer by the Spirit within them.  Romans 9-11 went back into history and to the future to show us that God began the nation of Israel to bring about glory to His Name to the earth and that He will complete and fulfill all the promises to the nation of Israel after the age of the church is complete.  Now, in Romans 12-16, Paul will return to the major theme to show how God's righteousness through the Holy Spirit shows expression in the new community, the body of Christ, the church.  We will see that the life of faith is never intended to be lived out alone, but we are dependent on one another in the body of Christ and we help one another in our personal victories over sin.  Amen!

Romans Chapter 14

In keeping with the theme of loving one another and preferring others over our self, Paul addresses the areas of debatable issues among believers. 

Some of the believers in Rome still believed they should hold to Jewish customs they had learned of eating clean meats given in the Law of Moses and observing special days such as keeping the Sabbath day.  Those who fully understood that Christ was the end of the Law to all that believed were not to flaunt their freedom around their weaker brethren who still felt they must keep certain rituals.  Those who did keep the rituals were not to judge their brother's freedom in Christ as well.  Each were to be fully convinced within themselves before God and live according to their own faith and not judge one another.

1.  When we accept a person who is weak in fully understanding freedom in Christ, what are we to be careful not to do? vs. 1 -

2.  What did those who fully understood their freedom in Christ believe? vs. 2a -

3.  What did those who did not fully understand their freedom (the weaker in faith) believe? vs. 2b -

4.  How is the one in full freedom to view the weaker one? vs. 3a - 

5.  How is the one in limited freedoms to view the one fully free? vs. 3b - 

Note:  This concerns the debatable matters like religious ordinances, not the clear matters of sin and godly living that are made clear in the teaching of Jesus and His apostles.  These are matters of food, drink, and observing special days.

6.  What does Paul want to make sure we understand in regard to all he is sharing?

What is the unifying result of walking in the love of God and in His Holy Spirit? vs. 17 -

• 1)
• 2)
• 3)

7.  Paul discusses these matters in his letter to the church in Corinth as well. 

He explains that because some of the meat sold in the markets were dedicated to unknown gods that the heathens there believed in, that should not matter to a believer who sanctified their food in the Word and prayer with thanksgiving to God before consuming it. 

Some just couldn't break free from the fact that meat had been sacrificed to idols. 

How did Paul exhort them regarding this? 

• 1 Corinthians 8:7-13 -

8. How did Paul act when with those who had a more limited mindset of his freedoms in Christ or had not come to know about freedom in Christ through salvation as of yet?

• Was he judgmental and demanding of them? 

Write out how he handled things and why.

• 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 -

9. For those who have more knowledge in Christ, what must we guard against and what should always be our driving motivation for all things?

• 1 Corinthians 8:1-6

Paul insists that to keep unity among us, we need to abandon judgmental attitudes toward those who practice their interpretation of certain rules and regulations of the Christian faith different than we do.  He is terribly blunt here.  In Romans 14:9, he says that Christ died and rose again that He might be LORD. Amen.  No one made us Lord over their conscience, but we are to be true to our own.

10. Once we grow in faith and realize that the laws in the Old Covenant were merely a shadow of the reality of Christ and that all the law has been fulfilled in Him ...

...we need to not allow those who still adhere to certain laws be judge over us as well.

What does Paul clearly teach in the following verses?

• Colossians 2:16-23 - 

Where do we need to keep our focus?

• Colossians 3:1-4 -

Back to Romans 14 -

11. Who are each of us accountable to and who takes care of our fellow believers? vs. 4 -

12. Paul moves into the observation of days next. 

As we read the Old Testament, we see that God gave the Israelites special feasts to observe annually and He told them to keep the Sabbath day holy unto Him.  In the New Covenant of Grace in Christ Jesus, we celebrate His fulfillment of all the feasts and we see that He taught that He is the Lord of the Sabbath, that true rest is in Him.   Paul makes it clear that everyday is alike in living for the Lord, but some still choose to observe certain days as more holy than others.   He addresses how this should be handled between us.  There is no need for division and argument; just acceptance of one another in Him.  Amen.

• What do each one of us need to be convinced of in our own minds? vs. 5 -
• When a fellow Christian is observing a day they are convinced is holy such as the Sabbath or a religious holiday, who are they obseving it for? vs. 6 -
• What is important regardless of the way we observe certain days or the food that we eat? vs. 6 -
• Who do each of us live for and die for? vs. 7-8 -
• Why did Jesus die and live again? vs. 9 -
• If He is LORD, what is our position and how are we to view our fellow believers in Him?  
• Where will each one of us stand and bow at ? vs. 10-12 -
• Therefore, what are we not to do any longer and to be determined about? vs. 13 -

13. What was Paul himself convinced of? vs. 14 -  (also vs. 20) -

• If another person is convinced differently from Paul, what is that person to do?  vs. 14 -
• What is Paul or others who have a fuller freedom in their understanding to do with the one who is less convinced of that freedom? vs. 15 -

How is all food sanctified for the believer? Comment on these verses:

• 1 Corinthians 10:30-31 -
• 1 Timothy 4:1-4 -

14. Paul states that our freedom in Christ is precious and a good thing and we are to walk in a manner that will not have it spoken evil of.  

We should not present the kingdom of God as though it is about what we eat or what we drink and how we observe days.

What are we to represent about God's kingdom to others from our lives? vs. 17

• 1)
• 2)
• 3)

15. When we walk this way in His Spirit, who are we acceptable to?  Who are we approved by? vs. 18 -

Note: This makes a doorway to share our faith and the most important matters of faith in our Lord Jesus so that others might be saved and grow in the grace and knowledge of Him.

Have you seen doors open wide when you were not judgmental of another's religious practices but just lived in the righteousness, peace, and joy of Jesus before them? 

• In another sense, have you seen the door shut tight because you were too judgmental of them and their practices of faith? 
• How will this lesson help you in your personal life and how you relate to others?

16. What type of things are we to pursue (hunt down, chase after, work hard to obtain) in our fellowship with other believers? vs. 19 -

• 1)
• 2)

Note: If we do not tear down God's work in their lives over matters of debatable issues (examples:  baptisms, spiritual gifts, communion, special days, special foods, etc.) - but we build up one another with the unity of our faith in Jesus our Lord and in His Word - we will please God and man and God's work will not be hindered, but increased among us. We especially need to remember this in our neighborhood ministries of Heart & Home or on an inline group like RTB where we have so many in different demoninations and walks of life.  We are hear to read His Word and encourage one another to grow in Him.  That is the unifying factor!

17. What will your condition be if you walk in the areas you are fully convinced of in the Lord and if you let others do the same? vs. 22 -

18. If you doubt others or yourself, what is the condition you will be in? vs. 23 -

• If we do not walk in faith, what are we doing? vs. 23 -
• Also see 1 John 3:21 -

Application:

Take time to write out your personal convictions about food, drink, special ordinances and  days.  How do you personally view things that others have been in opposing views of with you?  Are you fully convinced one way or the other?  What are you struggling with?  Pray about it and walk in your convictions.  Be happy in them.  Do not judge your fellow Christian's differences, but accept them in love.  Pursue the things that will build up one another, not tear down or discourage one another.  Amen?

Your summary and prayer today:

Written by Brenda LeMoine for Heart & Home Bible Fellowship© with permission to use on RTB sites only. For personal or ministry related use, please email Brenda for permission and conditions.