“…for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)”
Paul finishes chapter 14 of Romans by talking about the divisive issue of kosher foods. Today we might see that same dividing point as we form friends with Muslim neighbors. Some foods are considered a delicacy and others are repulsive when we think of eating them. Some foods are considered forbidden by a belief system. Paul claims that the big problem is not whether a certain food is not good for our health but it is how we consider the food.
When we worked in Africa, the people we worked with found brains and intestines to be a delicacy. For many Western people these foods are not foods normally served. Paul does not focus on the right or wrong of eating a food but whether our actions draw people to God or chase them away from faith. Sin is not about a set of rules but our relationship to God and others. Do our actions grow or destroy relationship?.
In my generation many foods that once were considered “foreign” have become common accepted and well-liked foods. For example we might think of “tacos.” Often we avoid that which is new to us and mistakenly label it as “bad.” Sit for a minute and jot down how many foreign foods have become common household words. Thank God for the way our culture has been blessed by the presence of new ideas. And ask God to help us be discerning between what is different and what is “sin.”
On the Way to Wonder 