February 2, 2025 – Romans 14

Lesson Date: February 2, 2025

Focal Scripture Passage: Romans 14:1-23

AIM: To lead students to discover what the Bible says about our responsibility to avoid offending our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to commit to seek their peace and edification.

 

Before class: Read the notes on Romans 14:1-23 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.

 

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Share the following with the class:

Lisa believes Christians should abstain from caffeine, but Monique doesn’t see anything wrong with drinking coffee and soft drinks containing caffeine.

Brett thinks it’s just fine to cut his grass on Sunday, but Steve thinks that is wrong.

Esther doesn’t believe women should wear pants, but Pam wears them all the time.

Jacob feels that being a vegetarian makes him more spiritually minded, but Larry enjoys grilling and eating all sorts of meats.

Tell the class that sincere Christians sometimes have differing opinions about appropriate behavior.  Tell them in the hypothetical scenarios described above we can easily see how one believer’s behavior could be offensive to another believer.

Stress the fact that when the Bible is clear about an issue, we should obey it (for example, the Bible plainly says Christians should attend church, so that’s not debatable).  Ask: “How do we decide what to do when the Bible does not address a specific behavior?”

Tell the students that the title of today’s lesson is Avoid Offenses.  Tell them we will learn some guidelines for avoiding offenses and discover three important truths that should guide our relationships with other believers.

 

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind everyone that we are studying the New Testament book of Romans.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Christian Obligations; we discovered what the Bible says about our obligations as believers to the government and to others).
   • Ask if anyone would recite last week’s memory verse (Romans 13:1).
2. Differences of Opinion.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 14:1.
   • Ask: “How should we respond to those who are weak in the faith? Should we shun them or avoid them?” (no, we should receive and accept them).
   • Ask: “What must we not get caught up in?” (“doubtful disputations;” disagreements and arguments about opinions and things about which the Bible does not give clear instruction).
   • Tell the students that young and immature Christians sometimes get caught up in rules and behaviors they have learned from others, rather than from the Bible.
   • Read Romans 14:2-4.
   • Ask: “What difference of opinion is described in verse 2?” (whether to eat meats or only vegetables).
   • Tell the class that First Century churches included Jewish believers who had always obeyed dietary laws and Gentile believers who had not; this could cause disputes.
   • Ask: “According to verse 3, how should Christians with differing opinions about foods treat each other?” (they should not judge or look down on one another).
   • Ask: “According to the last phrase of verse 3, why must we not judge or look down on them?” (because if they truly belong to Jesus, then the Lord has received them).
   • Explain the following:
     • Verse 4 says we have no right judging another man’s servant.
     • Christians are servants of Jesus Christ.
     • Believers are ultimately accountable to God (their master) for their behavior.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 14:5-6.
   • Ask: “What difference of opinion is described in verse 5?” (whether certain days are holy).
   • Tell the class that Jewish believers were accustomed to observing certain days as holy and set apart for God, while Gentile believers did not.
   • Ask: “What instruction do we find at the end of verse 5?” (be fully convinced in your mind how you should behave).
   • Ask: “What does verse 6 say about those who observe holy days and those who don’t?” (they are both trying to serve and honor the Lord through their behavior).
   • Ask: “What does it say about those who observe dietary laws and those who don’t?” (they are both trying to serve and honor the Lord through their behavior).
   • Summarize: To avoid offenses, we must accept and not judge other believers who hold different opinions about debatable behaviors, realizing that they are sincerely trying to honor God.
3. We Are Accountable to God.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 14:7-9.
   • Ask: “Who do we belong to, ourselves or God?” (God).
   • Tell the class that those supporting abortion often contend that a woman has the right to do anything she chooses with her body, but these verses say we don’t belong to ourselves.
   • Ask: “If our life and death are in God’s hands, who should we strive to please?” (God, not ourselves).
   • Stress the fact that God created us, gave us life, and sustains our life, so we belong to Him.
   • Read Romans 14:10-12.
   • Ask: “What questions do we find at the beginning of verse 10?” (Why do you judge your brother? Why do you despise or look with contempt upon your brother?).
   • Ask: “What does the rest of verse 10 tell us?” (“for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ”).
   • Explain the following:
     • The Judgment Seat of Christ is the future time when the works of all believers will be judged (1 Cor. 3:13-15; 2 Cor. 5:10), for the purpose of gaining or losing rewards.
     • Only Christians will appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
     • Eternal salvation will not be an issue because the believer’s sins have already been judged and paid for by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.
     • In contrast, unsaved persons will stand before the Lord at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15), where they will be judged and then cast into the Lake of Fire.
   • Ask: “What does verse 11 tell us?” (every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to God).
   • Tell the class this is quoted from Isaiah 45:23, and also quoted in Philippians 2:10.
   • Ask: “According to verse 12, what must every one of us do?” (give account of ourselves to God).
   • Summarize: To avoid offenses, we must remember that we belong to God and will give account to Him for our behavior.
4. Don’t Cause Other Believers to Stumble.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 14:13.
   • Ask: “What’s the first part of that verse say?” (don’t judge believers who behave differently than we do).
   • Ask: “What’s the rest of that verse tell us?” (don’t do anything that might cause your brother to stumble or fall; in other words, don’t do things that offend other believers).
   • Read Romans 14:14.
   • Ask: “What does this verse tell us about dietary laws?” (no food is intrinsically good or evil, but if someone believes it is unclean then it is unclean to him or her).
   • Ask: “How certain was the Apostle Paul about this truth when the Holy Spirit inspired him to write it?” (he was fully persuaded of it by the Lord Jesus Christ).
   • Read Romans 14:15-18.
   • Ask: “According to the first half of verse 15, what does it reveal about our walk if we do something we know is offensive to our brothers or sisters in Christ?” (we’re not walking in love).
   • Ask: “According to the rest of verse 15, who must we not destroy or offend?” (those for whom Christ died; in other words, other believers).
   • Ask: “According to verse 17, is serving Christ simply a matter of obeying dietary rules?” (no, it is about Christ’s gift of righteousness, through which we experience peace and joy in the Holy Spirit).
   • Tell the class that verses 14-18 say we must not do anything that offends our brother.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 14:19.
   • Ask: “What must we follow after or pursue?” (peace and edifying one another).
   • Ask: “Are we seeking peace and edifying others if we do things we know offends them?” (no).
   • Read Romans 14:20-21.
   • Ask: “Are we free to do anything we choose without concern for how our actions might offend others?” (absolutely not).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 14:22-23.
   • Ask: “What’s the last summary phrase of this chapter?” (whatever is not of faith is sin).
   • Tell the class that Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
   • Summarize: To avoid offenses, we must not do anything that might cause other believers to stumble, but instead should seek peace and the edification of others.

 

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the students that the title of today’s lesson is Avoid Offenses.  Ask: “How important do you think it is that we try to avoid offending other believers?”  Allow time for some responses, and then tell the class that in 1 Corinthians 8:13, the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.”

Tell the students we have discovered three important truths that will help us avoid offending other believers:

1. Sincere Christians sometimes have differences of opinion about behaviors that are not specifically addressed in the Bible.
2. All Christians will give account of their behavior to God.
3. We must not do anything that would cause other believers to stumble, but instead we must promote peace and edification.

Stress the fact that we should strive to avoid offending our brothers and sisters in Christ, and should always seek their peace and edification.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Ask: “Are you currently involved in any behaviors or activities that might be offensive to your brothers and sisters in Christ?  If so, confess that as sin and stop doing it.”  Ask: “Are you doing all you can to promote peace within the body of Christ and help other believers grow in their faith?  If not, ask the Lord to show you how you can do those things.”  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer.

 

CONCLUSION: Encourage everyone to follow through on the commitments they have just made to the Lord, and to pray for the peace and edification of our local body of Christ.