All Publications by Under The Fig Tree

When we truly love someone, we seek to understand their heart, empathise with them, and feel what they feel.  We who love God are called to know His heart. God’s heart is for humanity, having so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to save them (John 3:16). But even more so, God’s heart is for His beloved people, the holy ones whom He has chosen and redeemed (Colossians 3:12).  One of the things that constitutes loving our Lord is loving His people, and ensuring they do not stumble. This is one of the key ideas of Romans 14. The chapter encourages us not to judge or look down on our brethren who are weak in faith. In its context, “weak in faith” refers to a person whose conscience would rebuke them if they didn’t abide by certain rules and thought they weren’t making God happy (see 1 Corinthians 8:9-12).  During the time that Paul wrote this, there were believers who abstained from certain foods or observed certain days, thinking that doing so would please God (Romans 14:6). By extension, their consciences were pricked when they did not abide by these standards, as we see from the word “unclean” in this verse: “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.” (Romans 14:14) In our society today, this could be believers abstaining from eating meat, choosing not to watch movies to keep themselves sanctified from worldly influences, or even determining to fast on certain days. Some may also believe that they should only consider a future spouse recommended to them by the church’s Marriage Facilitators.  Our instinctive reactions to someone who holds different standards from us may be that of shock or judgment.  “Huh? You mean you make yourself do that?”  While such a response may be natural, Romans 14:1 reminds us to do what is counterintuitive and welcome the weak. This means not to despise this individual (Romans 14:3), and not to cause him or her to stumble over these matters (Romans 14:13).   In fact, from 1 Corinthians 8, we can see that welcoming someone who is weak includes being sensitive to his conscience. For instance, if we are around believers who do not eat meat, we should be considerate, not compelling them to eat meat or make condescending remarks about their beliefs.  God does not wish for us to despise or judge our brethren because it divides the body of Christ. And so, Romans 14:1 teaches us to stay away from quarrelling over opinions. It’s important to note that these are not rules strictly etched in the Bible, unlike the Ten Commandments or the teachings of salvation. Instead, these are people’s individual standards of practicing their faiths. In our opinionated society, it may be challenging to for us to meekly accept the perspectives of another. For some of us, it’s even a default practice to stand up for our opinions and immediately “correct” someone we think is wrong.  However, these believers who may not practise their faith in the same exact manner like ours answer to God, not you and me.  “Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:4)  If we make our brethren grieved by what we eat, we are no longer walking in love (Romans 14:15). And God has called us to love both God and our neighbor too (Mark 12:29-31).  At the end of the day, “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) There are things that have little relevance to our relationship with God, such as our dietary choices, and then there are spiritual qualities that God delights in—what truly matters. 

At the point that he wrote Romans 10, Paul likely had a lot of people on his mind.  Some studies estimate that Paul was on his third missionary journey when he wrote Romans, addressing Christians who lived in Rome, where he hoped to visit eventually.  Being on one’s third missionary journey naturally means having gone for a first and second. Indeed, he had.  Unlike some of our church’s missionary journeys today that are limited to one country, Paul’s journeys were peppered across the region of Asia Minor. There were hence many different cities he visited, hundreds or possibly even thousands of believers whom he edified. Not only was Paul’s heart sincere towards these Christians whom he met, Paul also took significant actions for them.  Paul wrote of how he affectionately longed for the members in Philippi (Philippians 1:8-9). To the church in Thessalonica he wrote, “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives . For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil…” (1 Thessalonians 2:8-9). Additionally, he explicitly shared that he prays for the churches in Corinth, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica (2 Corinthians 13:7; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11).  Paul knew that God had called him to be “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13), and he set an exemplary example for us of how to be a good shepherd for Christ.  But this was not all. Still, his heart’s desire was for even more people to know our God. In Romans 10:1, Paul writes: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” This is fascinating, especially since Paul had tried to preach the gospel to the Jews previously but was redirected to the Gentiles by God’s hand.  He had done above and beyond what many of us may not even consider attempting with regards to preaching the gospel. And yet zeal to see the Jews saved still compelled him.  This makes me think about our congregation’s heart for evangelism. How often do we channel God’s love for humanity into the action of sharing His word? How much do we burn with desire to see souls saved? Or do we feel languid about our own salvation in the first place? For those of us who yearn to preach but feel helpless that others don’t respond well, we can have our faith renewed with Paul’s perspective. He saw the might and personal efforts of the Lord. ‘But Isaiah is very bold and says: But to Israel he says: Whether to Jew or Gentile, God makes Himself known to them. (See also Romans 1:20; Acts 17:26-27).   In God’s salvation plan, He wants to save all mankind (John 3:16).  Paul saw this unity regardless of race and ethnicity that comes through belief in the one true God, Jesus Christ. Moreover, he saw and was motivated by the blessings that would come to one who followed Christ and submitted to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). Do our cultural prejudices seep into our evangelical work, such that we only share the gospel with people of certain races, ethnic groups, tribal identities, or nationalities?  Have we forgotten the goodness of God, the hope of His calling, the power of God to salvation in His gospel?   In Christ, there is no distinction between the Chinese, Singaporean, Indian, Burmese, Iraqi, Austrian, Finnish, the Algonquin people, the Māori, Ghanaian… This year, where will your work of evangelism begin?

Our chapter today clarifies a key misconception in the Christian world: how we ought to look at the law. Some Christians go to the extent of describing the law as something Christians ought to avoid, justifying this with what Romans 6:14 instructs: “you are not under law but under grace”.  Given this current outcome of being “under grace”, some even think that God made a mistake instituting His law in the Old Testament in the first place. This misconception is particularly driven by the common phrase “law vs grace”, which pits them against each other.  When we take a closer look at Romans 7, we will see this is not to be so. Knowing that he was writing “to those who knew the law” (Romans 7:1), Paul set out to correct misconceptions about the law. What did Paul write about the law? How should we understand what the law is? 1. The law is not sin. “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not!” (Romans 7:7a) The law does not fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). It is not something God wishes to distance Himself away from.  2. The law sets the righteous standards of God, so that through it we understand what sin is, and by contrast, what God’s holiness is. ‘ I would not have known sin except through the law . For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”’ (Romans 7:7b) Elsewhere, the Bible states, “ the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24) The law helps us—and the Jews—to know Jesus Christ and His holiness, that we can believe in Him and follow Him. 3. The law is not evil, wicked, or sinful. In fact, it is holy and good. “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” (Romans 7:12) The law is “what is good” (Romans 7:13). And again, “the law is spiritual” (Romans 7:14). Seeing how many times Paul reiterated this fact, it’s clear that he strongly believed in this. 4. God intended the law to bring life, but our sinful nature causes us to die instead.  “Did that which is good [the law], then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good , in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.” (Romans 7:13 ESV) “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.” (Romans 7:5) The problem is sin.  5. Without the law, sin cannot exist. “ For apart from the law sin was dead .” (Romans 7:8b) Without the law, sin cannot exist, because there are no righteous standards for one to fall short of. Yet we cannot destroy the law just because we want to get rid of sin (Matthew 5:17-18). Without absolute standards of righteousness instituted by God, how then will we know if Christ is good, or if someone is evil?  All this might make us feel drab and hopeless, especially if we’re currently fighting against sin that we are struggling to overcome in our lives. But Paul speaks to our struggle, especially through the narrative frame his chapter takes.  The chapter begins with the analogy of marriage. Through her husband’s death, a woman is free from the law of her husband. Likewise, through the death of Jesus Christ, we are free from the law, yet still called to be righteous, for we must “bear fruit to God” (Romans 7:4), At the chapter’s end, Paul personalizes that analogy into his own statement of faith, where he sees his victory over sin: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25) Truly, our God has a marvelous plan beyond our imagination.  He prepared the law to teach us God’s holiness and lead us to Jesus while executing just judgment on the wicked (1 Timothy 1:9). At the same time, knowing our weaknesses, He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from a sinful nature we cannot flee on our own, so that we can still be saved (John 3:16). What can we do next? If you have not done so, repent and have your sins forgiven by (Acts 2:38).  Allow Jesus to work in your heart and circumcise it. This journey of victory over sin is a lifelong one where we keep God’s commandments, love Him with all our hearts and souls, and walk by the power of His grace (Romans 7:6; Romans 2:25-29; Deuteronomy 30:6).

Have you felt ever that you’ve sinned too much for God to love you?  Perhaps your heart feels insecure and ashamed. I’m a Christian, I serve God in church, but why am I still falling to temptation like this? Or perhaps you don’t get what it means, really means, to have a close-knit, loving relationship with a father or a friend. What does it mean that God is my heavenly Father if my earthly father is so harsh and distant? No matter where we’re at, we can cling to God’s love through meditating on God’s actions for us. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) God loved you so much that gave His only begotten Son to die for you (John 3:16). He loved you not after you had impressed Him with glowing obedience, but while you were still weak, a powerless sinner falling to the same darkness again. Jesus washed your feet too. He was willing to touch and clean even the dirtiest part of you. Because you’re baptised into His blood, today when you repent, He cleanses even the filthiest sins you cringe to think about (1 John 1:9). Hanging on the cross, He already knew the ways you’d fall. He loved you at your worst. Knowing how you cannot save yourself, He offers you the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17). Knowing how easily you return to sin, the Holy Spirit makes His home in you, strengthening you in the fight against your sinful nature. Every day, God is on your side.  Knowing how your heart can lie to you, the Holy Spirit pours God’s love right into your heart (Rom 5:5). Not trickles, not drips. Pours .  Our God is rich in mercy. He knows you want to cling to His love. You can pray:  Lord, I want to experience Your love. Lord, I want to know You. Lord, pour out Your love into my heart. Keep me close to You. God loved you then. Today, He loves you still.  Gather with your family or church brethren in Jesus’ name. Together, read John 13, the Bible’s recording of Jesus washing His disciples feet. Pay special attention to John 13:1’s mention of Jesus’ deep love: the context of His actions. Prepare basins of water, towels, and chairs. Take turns to wash each others’ feet, where one person remains seated on the chair. You may wish to play some hymns in the background. Afterwards, reflect on the following questions: For a deeper analysis of this chapter, read our Bible study guide ( and ).

Do not abuse God’s grace: Turn back to God and revive your faith.

The Lord is your witness.

Face bad news with joy and strength with these 3 lessons from Habakkuk.

God sends fishers of men, but this time, it’s to punish the powerful.