Romans 14:2 (KJV)
For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
There is no one portion of the Bible more important than another. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable…” But Romans 14 is a defining passage for historical Baptists. It is one of the clearest—if not the clearest—passages on the subject of soul liberty.
“For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant?”
“Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”
And we could go on with these arguments for the right to worship God according to the dictates of one’s own conscience. No one has the right to force his own convictions upon another.
But I would like to point out that this in no way implies that all ways are as good as the Way, or that it doesn’t matter what we believe so long as we are sincere, or that—when it comes to spiritual matters—there is no right or wrong.
Jesus said in John 14:6 (KJV), “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” That’s extremely exclusive.
Romans 14:2 begins the passage by defining who is the weak brother. It’s not up for debate—it’s the guy eating herbs. I see that as referring to anyone still observing the Old Testament Law.
- There is a right and a wrong.
- There is a weak and a strong.
We are able to read this distinction into every verse of Romans 14. It’s clear, obvious, and incontrovertible. As far as I’ve experienced, everyone who “eateth herbs” gets around this text by dismissing the authority of Paul. That’s because there’s no way to argue what Paul says—so they must argue against the one who says it.
Here’s the thing: even knowing who the weaker brother is, we are instructed not to become frustrated, not to attempt to force our position, not to dispute. I believe the Bible gives us a mandate to speak our convictions and faith—but never to dispute over them.
“Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God…”
#SoulLiberty #Romans14Truth #BiblicalAuthority #StandBeforeChrist #ConvictionNotContention
Soul Liberty and the Weaker Brother: Conviction Without Contention
🔎 Are you looking for clear, biblical answers in a world full of religious confusion? Romans 14 lays out soul liberty—not as a license to believe anything, but as a charge to follow God’s truth without forcing others.
📖 Read Romans 14 today—and then ACT:
✅ Write down one personal conviction you hold from Scripture and share it (without dispute) with someone this week. Live it boldly.
💬 Question: What’s one area where you've been tempted to argue rather than live out your conviction with grace? Share below.
👉 For more solid Bible teaching, visit marvinmckenzie.org and strengthen your walk today.
🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.
👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
For this and, more than 6700 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment