Romans 14:17-19

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Paul keeps on this theme, but he shows how the message is broader than merely what we eat or how we observe the Sabbath. The question is: How are we free to serve Christ in all aspects of our lives? How are we free to let the reign of God show before our glorification? Not merely by eating all kinds of foods or no longer having to observe all the important feast days, but by living unto righteousness (1 Peter 2:24), by sharing God’s peace (John 14:27), and by experiencing the fullness of God's joy (John 15:11). Righteousness, peace, and joy once again drive us back to Romans 5:1-11. Having been declared righteous (justified), we are now free to live to righteousness, share God’s peace, and experience His joy in its fullness. And these things are of far greater importance than eating pork and drinking wine. Paul is telling us not to get so excited about the lesser freedoms that we ignore the greater freedoms or that we cease to care about our brothers themselves enjoying the greater freedoms. God is delighted and well-pleased when believers are filled with the Spirit, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

But there is a way to serve God in such a way as to dishonor Him. If we serve thinking He needs us, then that is dishonoring. We must live righteously, not because He needs us, but because we are being changed and conformed to the image of Christ, not because we are striving for our own glory, but because we genuinely and passionately want to look like Christ. God is pleased by such conduct and even men approve such conduct. What else can they do but approve of such conduct? How can they disapprove of a righteous life? How can they speak against one who is at peace in the midst of trials? How can they object to the fact that a person is joyous with a joy that does not depend upon circumstances?

As I mentioned earlier, God is concerned with the edification, or the sanctification, or the strengthening of individuals within the church and of the church as a whole. Paul stresses that here, as believers have a responsibility to edify one another. “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (v19). And so, as part of our routine thinking on ethical decisions, we should ask, “Will this bring harmony, and will it mutually edify?”