Peter Barnes | Romans 14:16-17
SERMON NOTES
FIRST THINGS FIRST
(Romans 14:16-17)
– emphasis on balance and proportion as in Matt.23:23-24.
1. We need to use our liberty with consideration.
– 14:16; the ‘good’ is not so much the gospel as ‘gospel freedom’; see Gal.5:1, 13; what we do has an effect on others (Rom.2:24).
– e.g. misuse of liberty on issue of alcohol.
2. The kingdom is not about eating and drinking.
– 14:17a; see 1 Cor.8:8-9
– always ask in a controversy: ‘Is this what the gospel is about?’
3. The kingdom is about righteousness, peace and joy.
– 14:17b; here the kingdom is present as in 1 Cor.4:20, whereas usually it refers to the future (e.g. 1 Cor.6:9-10).
(a) righteousness. Calvin puts to our status before God as in Romans 3, but it is more likely our loving righteousness because God is righteous (e.g. Matt.6:33).
(b) peace. See John 14:27: 16:33.
(c) joy. e.g. Luke 2:10
– it is easy to become obsessive about a secondary matter. We can believe in secondary matters but the key obsession I ‘For me to live is Christ’ (Phil.1:21).