Romans 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
This passage of scripture outlines for us the correct way to interact with fellow Christians, who may not have yet developed a strong, sturdy faith in God. In our dealings with everyone, we are always to keep in mind that Christ shed His blood to save all of humanity, and therefore we are under sacred obligation to treat all people everywhere with dignity, charity, forbearance, and understanding, especially in cases where a person may not be familiar with the freedoms that salvation brings. The above passage has been often misinterpreted to serve an evil end, to mean that we are now at liberty to eat whatsoever we desire. Nothing can be further from the truth, for when the scriptures speak of eating all things, a literal rendering of the text will thus include cannibalism, a practice from which most people recoil.
What the scripture is saying is that we should not use our new-found liberties to cast a stumbling block in the path of those who have not yet been enlightened as ourselves. For instance, the issue of food is cited as one area in which a mature Christian is called upon to exercise good judgment and discretion when in the presence of new believers. In this particular instance there were those who were eating food that had formerly been used in sacrilegious services, which was afterward sold in parlors. This practice had the tendency to weaken the faith of new believers, for they became disturbed at the prospect of eating meat that was dedicated to idol worship. An idol however is nothing, and therefore the food that was thus dedicated was not contaminated in any way from the religious rites, and therefore could safely be eaten.
However, the new believers might not have understood this, and therefore the practice would have undoubtedly caused very serious questions to arise in their minds, hence the reason why the apostle Paul addressed the situation by calling upon those who understood their liberties, not to use them in a malicious way, or as a stumbling block to those who were young in the Christian faith. He then goes on to outline the general principles which should govern our behavior in such matters, by stating that we are obligated to seek the eternal good of each member of the household of faith, even if it means restricting our own liberties for the sake of the common good. Let's read:
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
In our day and in our own experiences we must be very careful not to do anything that will cause unnecessary doubts or confusion to arise in the minds of not only new believers, but also in the hearts of those who do not know Christ. Whilst we are never to compromise the principles of righteousness and the truths of God's word, yet we are to manifest better judgment, when interacting or socializing with those who are not of our faith, or with newly baptized Christians. For instance, it may not be expedient to present the difficult prophecies of Daniel and John to someone who has had no prior knowledge of the Bible, nor has even heard of Christ, for these truths may be to much for them to comprehend and digest in their earliest experiences with the Lord Jesus.
We therefore end with the guiding principle which should steer our minds in the right direction, as it pertains to helping those who are weak in the faith. Let's read:
Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
May the grace of God and the presence of The Holy Spirit guide us with wisdom as we interact with everyone, saved or unsaved. "Good night" and God bless!