Diet

 Diet

March 19, 2025

Romans 14:2-3

2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats is not to regard withcontempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.

Romans 14:16-18

16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousnessand peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

With the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, there is a lot of talk about diets lately. One says it is morally pure to eat only vegetables and observe a vegan diet, and another says that to be true to our ancestral makeup we should eat a carnivore diet. This is actually not a modern argument. The apostle Paul in Romans 14 has a lengthy discourse on diet. There was apparently a controversy in the Roman church about what a Christian should eat. There were some Jews who kept Kosher and looked down on those who ate non kosher foods. Others came from a pagan background and had been used to eating meat sacrificed to idols. There was disagreement about whether or not they should abandon that diet. I’m sure all sides of this issue thought they represented the moral high ground! Paul is instructing them that the issue is not what you eat but how you treat your brother. Living in righteousness, peace and joy is the goal, not arguing and judging one another about what you eat. 

Likewise, in our day there is much heated discussion about diets. There are undoubtedly merits in eating healthy, but what that means differs by your genetic makeup and cultural background. It is wisdom to seek the Lord’s guidance on what is the best thing for you to eat, but it is not a moral imperative to follow one diet or another. What is important is being as strong and healthy as possible so that we can serve the Lord. It is easier to serve one another joyfully when you feel good. But regardless, we need to love one another other and rejoice in the Lord.

Romans 14:17

17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.