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QUESTION 30:
If a Christian is eternally saved, how do you explain Romans 14:15 where it says, "But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walketh thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died"?5

ANSWER:
Romans 14:15 is talking about weak and strong Christians in relationship to certain things that are not right or wrong in themself; namely meats. It seemed from Romans 14:2, that some who were "weak" were vegetarians, while others who were called "strong" could eat all meats. This message of the chapter is, that the weak were not to judge the strong and the strong were not to despise the weak. Romans 14:3. The strong were told that they should judge themselves, in that they were not to be a stumbling block to the weak. Romans 14:13. This would not be walking in love toward them and would grieve them to their downfall. Romans 14:15. The chapter has nothing whatsoever to do with being saved or lost, but it is a question of causing a fellow believer to stumble and fall in his Christian walk. This word "walk" is used in Romans 14:15 and is certainly in view in the word "stumblingblock" i.e. "that which strikes at the foot". To apply this portion and verse to salvation is to confuse and frustrate salvation by grace through faith as stated clearly in Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 2:21.

Our walk has nothing to do with the source of salvation, though it is the evidence that should accompany salvation. Salvation is the work of the Lord from beginning to end, He did a great work FOR US at the cross, He does a work IN US when we trust Him, He will do a complete work ON US when He comes again. Now to get to the main question, what does it mean when it says, "Destroy not him... for whom Christ died.”? The word "destroy" simply means "the loss of well-being" and not the loss of being. It simply means it will not be well for your brother if you cause Him to fall. His Christian walk will be halted and he will not live to serve the Lord, so he will lose all rewards at the Judgement Seat of Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:15.

Please do not depend on your walk for salvation, but depend on Christ. He is the solid Rock.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen