Sunday School Notes: Romans 14:7-8

⁷ For no-one of us lives for himself, and no-one dies for himself. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live, whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

We started this week with Paul’s second example: those who have regard for particular days versus those who consider all days equally (14:5). We noted last time Paul tells the Romans that each person should be convinced in his own mind about these secondary issues. While Paul clearly believed one side of the debate was right, he doesn’t force his conviction upon them (which he could have done as an Apostle). Instead, he pleads for acceptance and understanding. As he goes on to say in verse 6, each side follows their convictions on feast days and eating meat “for the Lord”–i.e., for the Lord’s benefit, or for the sake of the Lord, not for themselves. Neither side is insisting on their position simply because they want glory for themselves. Both are convinced God is glorified by what they do, or don’t do. As Christians, the glory of God should be our ultimate, indeed, our only true goal in anything we do. We need to be diligent to study God’s Word, and consider our lives in the light of what God has said, so we can weigh every situation in light of what brings the most glory to God.

Naturally, where there are two sides taking opposing viewpoints, one of them has to be wrong. As we will see, Paul sides with those proclaiming freedom in Christ. But his biggest concern here is church unity. He doesn’t want to see an issue like this split the church. He would rather foster an atmosphere of love and acceptance within which there can be teaching, guidance, and examples of grace within the fellowship of believers, that will help convince those struggling with the issue.

Whatever the issue we struggle with, engaging the struggle, and dealing with it as best we can within our finite understanding of God’s Word, is how we best honor God. Paul elaborates on this in verse 7, pointing out that no-one lives for himself, and no-one dies for himself either. Notice that Paul speaks of “us” here, including himself among those whose lives are not their own. Both the day-to-day circumstances of life, and even the hour and manner of our death are not ultimately within our control. We looked at two passages in 1 Corinthians that relate to this: 1 Corinthians 6:20, and 1 Corinthians 7:23.

In 1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul’s context is glorifying God with one’s body, and not using one’s body in ways that are shameful, because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. “You were bought with a price,” Paul says, indicating that our bodies are not ours to defile, abuse, or do whatever we want with. Our bodies are to be used for God’s glory.

In 1 Corinthians 7:23, Paul’s exhortation is for each person to remain in the condition they were in when they were saved. If they were slaves, for example, they shouldn’t lobby for their freedom (though if freedom is granted, they shouldn’t shun it). His broader point is that they belong to Christ now, so whether they are physically slaves or free men, they are the slaves of Christ. Their physical situation is no longer relevant. They live for Christ, and Christ alone–they are no longer slaves to men.

Paul’s words in Romans and 1 Corinthians run contrary to what our culture tells us. The philosophy of our day is that you are your own person, and you have the right to do whatever you want with your life and your body–even to the point of being allowed to choose the time and circumstance of your own death, if possible. This doesn’t just cover euthanasia, but also the various ways people pour time and money into trying to “extend” life, or “cheat death.” Christians can get sucked into this way of thinking too, perhaps choosing healthier lifestyles, eating healthy food and exercising more, to try to add years to their life. Certainly, eating well and exercising are good things. As 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, we shouldn’t abuse our bodies, and eating food that clogs arteries, and failing to keep our bodies functioning as long as we are able, can be considered “abuse.” But for the Christian, the question should be why am I doing this? If it is to take control of your life and try to give yourself more time here, then you are usurping God’s sovereign control over your life. For the believer, the highest motivating factor for looking after oneself should be the glory of God. We should do what we can to stay healthy because it honors God for us to look after the body He has given to us.

Verse 8 continues this line of thought: if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord, so whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. In the context of the passage, Paul is saying that since the Lord is sovereign over every aspect of our lives (and our deaths), and we both live and die for the sake of the Lord, what’s the point of tearing each other down over secondary issues like this? However, Paul’s words cut a lot deeper into our attitudes toward life and death. As our society becomes increasingly secular and self-serving, the Christian perspective becomes increasingly radical and hard for the world to understand. Atheists tell us that Christianity robs people of their autonomy because Christians submit to God and the Bible instead of thinking for themselves. These “free thinkers” often don’t understand how much they are a slave to their own presuppositions and don’t realize how much their “free thinking” is restricted by their materialistic worldview. The question is not whether one is a slave, but it’s to what or whom one is enslaved. As Christians, we are the Lord’s, and that is true freedom.

We talked for a little while about death, and the implications of the words “if we die, we die for the Lord.” If the time and circumstance of our death is in the Lord’s hands, and we truly consider our dying to be “for the Lord,” then is it right that Christians should fear death? In the Garden of Gethsemane, did Jesus sweat blood over the prospect of death, or the process by which he was to die (mocking, scourging, crucifixion, carrying the sins of his people)? Given that the plan of salvation was known by the Triune God from eternity past, and Jesus knew what was going to happen, it seems unlikely that he feared death itself. However, given that he was fully human as well as fully God, it’s not impossible to believe that he didn’t relish the suffering he was about to endure (though far be it from any of us to think we can truly know the mind of the God-man!). And Christ’s death was, perhaps, the ultimate example of selfless death. He died for the glory of God and the salvation of his people.

How can our deaths be “for the Lord”? We can’t choose the hour of our death, nor the manner of our death, but we can choose the attitude with which we approach death. We might admit to being afraid, and perhaps even to being angry with God–especially if the circumstances seem to be unfair–and we can, and should, submit these feelings to our loving Savior, knowing He has us in the palm of His hand and cares for us even in our frailty of body and mind. But what about trying to stop death? Is it right to use medical treatments to stave off our demise as long as possible? Again, the important question we need to ask is, who is in control? For whom is my life and my death? The Lord has granted to us medical knowledge that can, in many cases, prolong life even in the face of devastating illness. But is our trust in medical knowledge, or the Lord who might use this to prolong our days for as long as He sees fit? Do we acknowledge that medicines and treatments only work insofar as the Lord allows them to, and when our hour comes, there is no treatment on earth that will prevent death?

In Philippians 1:15-25, Paul, facing his own death, describes his dilemma: should he desire life or death, because “to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” Living would permit him continued gospel ministry among the Gentiles to God’s glory. To die would mean being in the presence of Christ and standing before the throne of God giving Him glory and honor. But notice how Paul’s dilemma doesn’t focus on what would be most beneficial to Paul, but which would glorify God the most. This is where our focus should be. It’s truly liberating to place our concerns about life and death in God’s hands, knowing that He works all things for His glory and the good of His people.

So, eating meat or not eating meat, observing feast days or not observing feast days–this isn’t the point. Whether or not we glorify God is the main point. Indeed, it’s the only point!

Program Note: After this coming Sunday (June 2nd), we will be taking a break for the Summer. In light of this, we will try to get to verse 12 of chapter 14 next time.