Respect The Standards Of Others

In Romans 14:13, Paul warned, “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.”  When we begin to set our own standards, we often forget one can go too far in either direction.  We can be too strict, or too liberal.  In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Solomon stated, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” 

Life is easy when we don’t have to think about things to make decisions about what is right.  It seems pretty straight forward, when Exodus 20:13 commands, “Thou shalt not kill,” but few things in life are that simple.   As Solomon says, there is a time to kill.  Genesis 9:6 states, “Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”  Numbers 35:15-31 give specific instructions about how to determine whether a person was to be put to death or not.  Clearly there are times when it is right to kill people, even though most of the time it is wrong. 

The same is true in other areas of life, and many times we are not in position to know the circumstances and make a valid judgment.  With that in mind, Paul wrote Romans 14:14.  “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.”  The action may or may not be right, but if a person feels it is wrong, he ought not do it even if others insist it is okay.  We are not to impose our standards on other Christians.. 

We are to respect their standards, as Romans 14:15-20 tells us.  “But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.  Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.  For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

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.  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”  

When we impose our standards on others, we risk driving them away  by being too strict, or encouraging them to violate their own moral standards, leaving them with a guilty conscience that will interfere with their serving God.  We ought to be more concerned with helping them gro spiritually than with making them like us, as Paul explains in Romans 15:1-6.  “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”

We are not to allow our own standards to cause conflict with other Christians.  As Romans 14:1 says, “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.”  If the scriptures are not clear about a certain thing, we must not insist they follow our opinions, but to be considerate of their spiritual state.  If the action is truly wrong, we can trust God to show them what is right when they are ready to receive it.  If God does not make it clear they are wrong, they have the liberty to do it if they choose.   They must answer to God, not to us.