Romans 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 1. The Bible speaks much of the beauty of holiness. It represents Jesus as the altogether lovely. His beauty consists in His perfect excellence, in the absolute symmetry of His whole character. 2. Believers are epistles of Christ. They are His witnesses. It is their solemn duty to make a fair representation of what He is, and what His religion is before the world. 3. There are two ways in which professors dishonour Christ, and make a false representation of Him and His religion — when by breaking the law they give men to understand that Christ allows such transgressions, and when they cause even their good to be evil spoken of, i.e., when they so act on right principles as to give those principles a bad character, or so conduct themselves as to mislead others as to the true nature of the gospel. This is done — I. WHEN MEN SO USE THEIR CHRISTIAN LIBERTY AS TO INJURE THEIR BRETHREN. The distinctions between months, days, and meats had been abolished. It was right that this fact should be asserted and taught, and that Christians should act upon this liberty; but if they so used it as to destroy their brethren, they sinned against Christ, and caused their good to be evil spoken of. So now in regard to temperance, men may make such a use of truth, and so act on true principles as to do great harm. II. WHEN UNDUE STRESS IS LAID ON TRIFLES. Paul says that religion does not consist in meat and drink; and to act as though it did is to slander the gospel. This is true of fanatics of all classes, and all bigots. They belie religion, as the tattooed New Zealander or painted Indian misrepresent the human face divine. III. BY THE SANCTIMONIOUS, who make a false representation of religion and cause it to be evil spoken of when they hold it up thus caricatured before men. IV. BY THE CENSORIOUS. Not only in making non-essentials of too much importance, but also in misrepresenting the spirit of their Master. His religion does not justify their harsh judgments. V. BY THOSE WHO CARRY ANY RIGHT PRINCIPLE TO EXCESS. 1. By the Puritans in regard to the Sabbath, to things indifferent in worship, to days of religious observance. 2. By Quakers in regard to dress and conformity to the world. 3. By those who deny the Church any liberty in her organisation. In every case of this kind the human degrades the Divine. What is indifferent is made essential, and what is essential is made indifferent. (C. Hodge, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Let not then your good be evil spoken of: |
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