“For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.”
My Notes
What Does Romans 14:18 Mean?
Paul describes the person who serves Christ in matters of conscience (the context is the strong/weak debate about food and observance): this person is "acceptable to God, and approved of men." The rare double validation — both divine and human — comes to the person who prioritizes peace, righteousness, and joy in the Holy Spirit (verse 17) over secondary convictions.
The word "acceptable" (euarestos) means well-pleasing to God. "Approved" (dokimos) means tested and found genuine by people. The person who serves Christ in the essential things — not fighting about food and drink but pursuing the kingdom — earns both God's pleasure and human respect.
This is rare in the New Testament: usually God's approval and human approval are in tension. But Paul says there's a way of living that satisfies both — not by people-pleasing, but by so genuinely serving Christ that even observers can see the authenticity.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Are you majoring in the essentials (righteousness, peace, joy) or fighting about the secondaries?
- 2.What does it look like to earn both God's approval and human respect — and where do you sacrifice one for the other?
- 3.How do you identify which convictions are essential and which are secondary?
- 4.Is your Christian life visibly genuine enough that even skeptics would call it 'approved'?
Devotional
Acceptable to God. Approved by people. Both. At the same time.
Most of the New Testament puts divine approval and human approval in tension — the cross is foolishness to men but wisdom to God. But here, Paul identifies a sweet spot: the person who serves Christ in the essentials (righteousness, peace, joy in the Spirit) wins both audiences.
The key is what you're serving Christ in. Not the secondary debates — which foods to eat, which days to observe, which Christian liberty to exercise. The essentials. Righteousness. Peace. Joy. When you major in those things and minor in the controversial ones, both God and people notice.
God is pleased because you're focused on what He cares about. People approve because what you're living is visibly genuine. The authenticity is the attraction. Not performance. Not people-pleasing. Just someone so obviously serving Christ in the things that matter that even skeptics recognize it.
This is the aspiration: a life that doesn't sacrifice God's approval for human approval or human relationships for theological correctness on secondary issues. A life where the majors are so clearly major that the minors fade into the background.
Are you fighting about food and drink? Or are you serving Christ in righteousness, peace, and joy? The first produces division. The second produces double approval — from the God who sees your heart and from the people who see your life.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Let us therefore follow after the things, Since the kingdom of God is in part peace, and the man that serves Christ in…
In these things - In righteousness, peace, and joy. Serveth Christ - Or obeys Christ, who has commanded them. He…
For he that in these things - The man, whether Jew or Gentile, who in these things - righteousness, peace, and joy in…
We have in this chapter,
I. An account of the unhappy contention which had broken out in the Christian church. Our…
For he that in these things, &c. The "for" indicates a connexion somewhat as follows: "the privileges of the Gospel are…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture