Romans 14:2: For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
God made a distinction between clean and unclean animals for the nation Israel. The instructed believer knows this does not apply to him, for the apostle says in 1 Corinthians 8:8, “But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.” You remember that Peter was given a practical lesson about this subject on the housetop of Simon the tanner in Joppa (see Acts 10:9–16). Peter was proud of the fact that he had not eaten anything unclean. Boy, was he separated, and he was proud of it! The Holy Spirit said to him, “… What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” (Acts 10:15). Paul could eat meat without his conscience bothering him, but Peter had scruples about it. The weak believer who has a background of eating vegetables finds eating meat repugnant to him. 1
Application
- Do you try to prove to others how spiritual you really are by the things you eat or the things you don’t eat?
- Do you think that your righteousness comes by your holy actions or from your Holy God?
Prayer
Lord, help me to not become bound by my own, self-imposed laws.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 9-16) (electronic ed., Vol. 43). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.