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"Whatever is not from faith is sin..."

Text: Romans 14:23

THE PLIGHT OF THE WEAK

Paul was right to urge stronger believers to be deeply mindful of those who were weaker. The following text illustrates the reason for this emphasis.

“But he who doubts is condemned if he eats,
because he does not eat from faith;
for whatever is not from faith is sin.”
Romans 14:23

1. He who doubts

The apostle James well describes the person given to doubts.

“He who doubts is like a wave of the sea
driven and tossed by the wind.”
James 1:6

2. He… is condemned if he eats

a) The condemnation does not come from God.

b) Not does the condemnation come from the Scriptures.

c) The condemnation comes from a conscience that troubles the weak person.

d) He feels condemned by his action (“eating and drinking”).

3. Because he does not eat from faith

a) Faith is presented as a system

i) Of thought

ii) Of beliefs

b) Faith in the Lord Jesus brings the individual into the New Covenant

c) Where there is weakness of faith the individual feels condemned by his previous knowledge of not eating anything “unclean”.

4. Whatever is not from faith is sin

a) The old covenant included a strong list of things that were forbidden.

b) The new covenant freed believers in more ways than one.

c) However it would take a clearly defined understanding of faith to be truly free from the influences of an age-old system of thought! Outside faith sin can prevail mightily!