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Romans 14:18
ESV Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
NIV because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.
NASB For the one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by other people.
CSB Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.
NLT If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.
KJV For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
NKJV For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

What does Romans 14:18 mean?

In the previous verse, Paul wrote that the point of belonging to the kingdom of God is not the freedom to eat meat and drink wine. The freedom from the restrictions of the law for those in Christ are real and meaningful, but they are far less significant than righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Now Paul writes that those who serve Christ with a focus on righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit are both acceptable to God and approved by other people. In other words, when those of strong faith insist on exercising their freedom in Christ at the risk of harming the faith of others, the result is that what is good ends up being spoken of as evil or being blasphemed (Romans 14:16). But when the focus on those of strong faith is on serving Christ in what matters, the result is approval by men and doing what is acceptable to God.
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