Balance Christian Liberty with Love and Respect (Romans 14:13-23)

I. Aspects of Christian liberty

  1. Freedom to make responsible choices (Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 8:8; 1 Corinthians 10:25-32; 1 Timothy 6:10; Mark 7:15)
  2. Christian living is spiritual, not legalistic (Romans 14:17; Philippians 1:27)
  3. Personal convictions must be used wisely (Romans 14:14, 22; Philippians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 8:13)

II. Guiding principles for Christian liberty

  1. Show compassion to fellow believers (Romans 14:13, 15; John 13:35)
  2. Maintain harmony in the church (Romans 14:19)
  3. Walk in consideration for others (Romans 14:21)

III. Our Christian liberty is on display

  1. The world is watching our conduct (Romans 14:16, 18; Romans 2:24; 2 Peter 2)
  2. God sees our motives and actions (Romans 14:18; Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Timothy 5:22)