Romans - Chapters 15 & 16
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
WORK TOGETHER
ROMANS 15-16
APPLICATION: The way we treat one another is to be rooted in the way Jesus Christ treats us, As we follow His example, we will worship and serve in unity for His glory.
WE ENDED LAST WEEK'S LESSON CONCERNING THE WEAKER BROTHER WITH THE THOUGHT THAT EACH OF US WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED FOR SOME TIME MAY HAVE TO FOREGO SOME OUR OWN PREFERENCES FOR THOSE OF THE WEAKER BROTHERS AND SISTERS NEWLY ARRIVING IN THE FAITH.
WE REMEMBER THAT THERE WERE TWO STRONG REASONS:
IT DEMONSTRATES OUR UNSELFISH LOVE WHEN WE PLACE THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AHEAD OF OUR OWN.
JESUS SET THE EXAMPLE IN THIS AREA, AS IN ALL OTHERS, AS HE GAVE ALL FOR EACH OF US AND IF WE TRULY BELIEVE, WE ARE TO SHOW OUR BELIEF IN OBEDIENCE.
WE REMEMBER THAT WE DISCUSSED JOHN 13:35 THAT TEACHES US IN THE WORDS OF CHRIST THAT WE SHALL BE KNOWN AS HIS FOLLOWERS BY THE LOVE WE SHOW ONE FOR ANOTHER.
HE IS OUR EXAMPLE.
HE IS ALSO OUR PRIMARY HELPER BY PROVIDING HIS TEACHING TO US WHICH REMAINS PURE & TRUE AFTER 20 CENTURIES.
JOHN'S GOSPEL ALSO REVEALS THIS VERY FACT IN 14:16 WHEN JESUS WAS TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME.
WE SHOULD NOTICE THAT JESUS TAUGHT THAT HE WOULD PRAY THE FATHER TO GIVE ANOTHER COMFORTER, WHO WOULD ABIDE FOREVER. HIS WORDS CLEARLY SHOW OUR FIRST COMFORTER IS JESUS HIMSELF.
SO PAUL CONCLUDES THE LETTER TO THE ROMAN CHURCH WITH CLEAR AND STRONG TEACHING THAT WE ARE TO BE OF ONE MIND AND ONE MOUTH, GLORIFYING GOD BY RECEIVING ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE, WORKING TOGETHER.
HIS INSTRUCTIONS HERE REFER TO THE MOLDING TOGETHER THE JEW AND THE GENTILE TO BE OF ONE MIND AND ONE PURPOSE, LOVING GOD AND EACH OTHER IN THAT ORDER.
JESUS HAD FOUND REMARKABLE FAITH AMONG THE GENTILES DURING HIS MINISTRY. WE REMEMBER THE MOMENT IN MATTHEW 8:10 WHEN THE ROMAN CENTURION ASKED FOR HEALING OF HIS SERVANT, TELLING JESUS THAT HE WAS UNWORTHY OF CHRIST'S VISIT TO HIS HOME. JESUS HEALED THE SERVANT WITH A WORD FROM AFAR, BUT HE ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD NOT SEEN SUCH FAITH IN ALL OF ISRAEL.
PAUL REACHES BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT TO ARRANGE SCRIPTURE REFERENCES TO MAKE HIS POINTS:
(PSALM 18:49) ISRAEL IS TO GLORIFY GOD AMONG THE GENTILES. ISRAEL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A WITNESS OF THE LORD'S SAVIOR, BUT THEIR UNBELIEF CAUSED THE TIME OF THE GENTILES TO TAKE THE PRIMARY POSITION INTENED FOR THEM.
(DEUT 32:43) ALL NATIONS WERE TO REJOICE WITH THE JEWS. BUT ISRAEL DID NOT REJOICE IN THE LORD SO THEY WERE NOT AN EXAMPLE AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
(PSALM 117:1) JEWS AND GENTILES WERE TO JOIN TOGETHER IN PRAISING GOD. UNITED PRAISE CANNOT OCCUR AS LONG AS ONE GROUP REFUSES TO PRAISE.
(ISAIAH 11:10) JESUS IS SAID IN PROPHECY TO REIGN OVER BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES. OBVIOUSLY SINCE ALL NATIONS WILL SUBMIT TO HIS MILLENIAL RULE, AND EVERY KNEE BOW, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE PLAN WILL CERTAINLY INCLUDE ISRAEL.
AFTER PAUL USES THE OLD COVENANT TO MAKE HIS TEACHING POINTS HE CONCLUDES THAT WE SHOULD BE FILLED WITH HOPE.
HE TEACHES THAT KNOWING THESE THINGS, HOPE SHOULD ABOUND IN US THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST.
THIS HOPE SHOULD DISPLAY ITSELF IN THE UNITY OF THE BELIEVERS AS THEY ACCEPT EACH OTHER AND WORK TOGETHER, UNITED IN WORSHIP.
HE KINDLY NOTES THAT IN HIS OPINION, THIS SPIRITUAL UNITY HAD ALREADY BEGUN IN THE CHURCH AT ROME.
IN THE FIRST 11 CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK OF ROMANS PAUL TEACHES ALL HIS READERS VERY STRONG MATTERS OF THEOLOGY.
WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT AFTER PAUL'S MIRACLE CONVERSION ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, HE WENT INTO ARABIA FOR THREE YEARS TO BE INSTRUCTED BY THE LORD HIMSELF AS PREPARATION TO BE THE LORD'S CHOSEN VESSEL.
SO THE THEOLOGICAL LESSONS THAT PAUL IMPARTS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS WAS REVEALED TO HIM FROM ABOVE.
NOTICE HOW PAUL SHARES THIS THOUGHT WITH US IN GALATIANS 1:12 : “FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT OF MAN, NEITHER WAS I TAUGHT IT, BUT BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST”.
AFTER THESE FIRST 11 CHAPTERS PAUL TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO FAR MORE PRACTICAL MATTERS.
CHAPTER 12 DEALT WITH PLEASING GOD THROUGH OUR LOVE AND DUTY.
CHAPTER 13 DEALT WITH SUBMITTING TO CIVIL AUTHORITY AND THAT WE WOULD SHOW OUR LOVE BY SUCH OBEDIENCE TO THAT AUTHORITY THAT DID NOT COMMAND US TO DISOBEY GOD.
CHAPTER 14 DEALT WITH HOW WE TREAT AND WORK WITH WHAT PAUL CALLED THE WEAKER BROTHER. PAUL TAUGHT THAT WE ARE NOT TO CONDEMN ONE ANOTHER FOR SMALL DIFFERENCES OR PERSONAL PREFERENCES.
CHAPTER 15 DEALS WITH NOT PLEASING OURSELVES BECAUSE JESUS DID NOT DO SO, AND HE IS OUR EXAMPLE. THE STRONG IN FAITH MUST BUILD UP THE WEAKER IN FAITH. OBEDIENCE IN THIS MATTER SHOWS OUR LOVE AND STRENGTHENS HIS CHURCH.
CHAPTER 16 DEALS WITH VARIOUS PRAISES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN ASSISTING PAUL IN HIS EFFORTS TO BUILD UP CHURCHES AND ARE CLOSE WITH HIM IN WORKING TO PRAISE THE LORD.
ALL THESE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS, GIVEN AFTER SO MANY WEIGHTY THEOLOGICAL CHAPTERS, SHOW CLEARLY THAT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS FAR DEEPER THAN ACADEMIC LEARNING. OUR FAITH IS ONE THAT GUIDES US IN EVERY PHASE OF LIFE.
IT IS A LIFELONG JOURNEY IN WHICH GOD HIMSELF RESIDES IN OUR HEARTS AND GUIDES US ONWARD TOWARD OUR FINAL GOAL OF SHARING ETERNITY WITH HIM IN HIS GLORY.
PAUL WAS ALWAYS AWARE THAT HE CARRIED A MOST DIFFICULT BURDEN PLACED UPON HIS SHOULDERS BY JESUS HIMSELF.
HIS DUTY WAS TO COMMUNICATE THE FULL PURPOSE OF GOD TOWARD HIS PEOPLE, THOSE CHOSEN AND THE GENTILES.
THAT BURDEN HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY EACH AND EVERY MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL SINCE THE DAY OF PAUL.
EACH MINISTER WHO STANDS IS TO PROCLAIM THE WORD OF GOD AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FULL COUNSEL OF GOD IS EXPRESSED BOTH TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED HIS SALVATION AND TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET GIVEN THEIR HEARTS & LIVES TO THE LORD.
PAUL SHOWS HIS UNDERSTANDING IN 15:15 THAT HE HAD BEEN GRANTED THIS BURDEN ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
PAUL EXPRESSES HIS BURDEN FOR THE GOSPEL IN ALL HIS WRITINGS AS THE MYSTERIES OF GOD. HE REVEALS THESE MYSTERIES TO US AS DIRECTLY AS GOD REVEALED THEM TO HIM:
1 COR 4:1 – GOD'S MINISTERS ARE MADE CARETAKERS OF THESE MYSTERIES.
COL 2:1-4 – MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY.
1 TIMOTHY 3:16 – MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION.
ROMANS 11:25 – MYSTERY OF ISRAEL'S BLINDNESS.
EPHESIANS 6:19 – MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL ITSELF.
EPHESIANS 6:27 – MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH.
1 COR 15:51 – MYSTERY OF THE RESURRECTION.
2 THESS 2:6 – MYSTERY OF INIQUITY.
1 TIMOTHY 3:9 – MYSTERY OF THE FAITH.
EPHESIANS 1:9 – MYSTERY OF THE WILL OF GOD.
EPHESIANS 5:31 – MYSTERY OF THE MARRIAGE RELATION.
PAUL HAD NOT EARNED THIS POSITION OF THE MINISTER OF MYSTERIES. HE WAS GRANTED IT THROUGH GRACE SO THAT ALL WHO KNEW OF HIS LIFE OF PERSECUTION BEFORE COULD SEE THE REMARKABLE TRANSFORMATION HE HAD UNDER GONE.
THE ONLY THING THAT PAUL HAD EARNED FOR HIMSELF WAS THE TITLE HE GAVE HIMSELF IN 1 TIMOTHY 1:15:
“THE CHIEF OF SINNERS”
PAUL OPENS THE BOOK OF ROMANS BY SHOWING HIMSELF AS A BOND SERVANT OF CHRIST.
HIS ENTIRE LETTER HAS PROVED BY HIS TEACHING THAT HE STILL CONSIDERS HIMSELF AS THAT SERVANT, BRINGING THE GOSPEL TO THOSE IN NEED, AND WILLING TO SUFFER WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO TEACH IT & PREACH IT.
NOW AS A LAST AND PERHAPS BEST LESSON TO THE CHURCH OF THE ROMANS PAUL REVEALS IN 16:20 THE ULTIMATE GOAL WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHURCH:
“AND THE GOD OF PEACE SHALL BRUISE SATAN UNDER YOUR FEET SHORTLY. THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU. AMEN.”
THESE BELIEVERS, EXACTLY LIKE US TODAY, KNEW THAT THEY THEMSELVES DID NOT HAVE THE POWER TO BRUISE SATAN.
WHILE HE IS OF GREAT POWER, HE CANNOT EVER EQUAL THE POWER OF GOD.
HE CANNOT BRING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING.
HE CANNOT BRING LIFE OUT OF DEATH.
ONLY GOD CAN BRING SUCH THINGS TO HAPPEN.
AND ONLY THOSE TO WHOM HE HAS GIVEN GRACE TO DO SUCH THINGS CAN STAND AGAINST THE EVIL ONE.
PAUL SHOWS THOSE BELIEVERS THEN, AND US TODAY IN 15:19 THAT SIGNS AND WONDERS ARE BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT. LET'S BE SURE WE REMEMBER THAT MESSAGE.
PAUL MENTIONS THEM ONLY TO REMIND READERS THAT HIS MINISTRY IS FROM ABOVE AND THESE SIGNS ARE ALSO FROM ABOVE TO REINFORCE THE FACT THAT HIS MINISTRY IS AUTHENTIC AND IS FROM GOD, NOT MAN.
PLEASE BE SURE WE DO NOT OVERLOOK THE LAST VERSE IN ROMANS:
“TO GOD ONLY WISE, BE GLORY, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST FOREVER. AMEN”.
FOR 2000 YEARS THE GLORIOUS WRITING OF PAUL HAS BEEN DEBATED AND TAUGHT.
PAUL SUFFERED HERETICS, FALSE TEACHERS, PHYSICAL TORMENT, DISTORTIONS OF HIS WORDS BY OTHERS, AND TERRIBLE PERSECUTIONS, INCLUDING NEAR DEATH STONING.
BUT STILL HE BORE WITNESS ONLY TO JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
NOW IN HIS FINAL WORDS TO THE ROMANS HE ONCE MORE SHOWS HIS DEVOTION TO THE FINAL TRUTH, AND HE LEAVES US WITH TWO GREAT QUESTIONS AS WE END OUR STUDY:
HAVE WE COME TO PLACE WITHIN OUR OWN LIVES THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH THAT HE DEMANDS OF US IN 16:26?
IF WE HAVE, ARE WE ALSO TRULY GIVING TO THE LORD ALL THE GLORY THAT IS HIS ONLY?
