Romans 14:23 – Walking By Faith
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Truth to Learn
Listening to the Holy Spirit means walking by faith.
Behind the Words
“Doubts” is translated from the verb diakrinō, made up of dia, denoting separation and krinō, meaning “to judge, distinguish, or decide.” Diakrinō means “to make a distinction between two things.” When expressed in the middle voice, as it is here, it means “to contend with oneself.” That is, “to waver between two points of view” or “to doubt.”
The word “condemned” is from katakrinō, which means “to judge down” or “to judge as guilty.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating action which was completed in the past but with an ongoing effect, the emphasis being on the ongoing effect.
“Sin” is translated from the Greek noun hamartia. The verb form of this word, hamartanō, means “to miss the mark.” Thus, a sin is something in which God instructs us to do one thing and we do something else (we miss the mark He has set for us).
Meaning Explained
Paul has been talking about decisions that we make regarding the things we have convictions about. In the previous verse he told us that we will be blessed if we allow ourselves to do those things which we are convinced are okay. Now he looks at the other side of the coin. He addresses what happens if we are convicted by the Holy Spirit not to do something but we do it anyway.
He goes back to the example of eating and says, “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats.” If the Holy Spirit and our conscience tell us that it is okay to do something, then it is okay to do it. But, if our conscience is nagging us about something, or if the Holy Spirit will not let us have peace about a potential decision and we go ahead and do it anyway, then our actions will result in sin. The reason, according to Paul, is “because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” In other words, if we can’t feel complete spiritual peace about something, then we shouldn’t do it. That’s where faith comes into this picture. If it’s what God wants us to do, then we WILL have peace about it. That’s not to say that there won’t be some uncertainty about the future. What we can be sure of, however, is that if we have peace about our decision after we have prayed about it and have earnestly sought God’s direction, then it’s time to move ahead and follow our decision.
If, on the other hand, after we have prayed about the decision, seeking God’s guidance, we still have doubts in our mind as to whether we should do it, then we shouldn’t! In this case the doubts are a product of Holy Spirit conviction.
The key to all this is that we must be submitted to God and we must be committed to doing His will. If this is true and we have earnestly sought God’s guidance, then the lack of doubt is a sign of God’s approval.
Application
This type of behavior requires a level of spiritual maturity that some Christians never achieve because it requires exercising their faith. This is an example of walking by faith, not by sight. It requires the ability to discern between what we want to do and what God wants us to do. Are you willing to submit your will to that of your Heavenly Father and walk by faith?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: