Romans 15:17-21

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17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written: "To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand." ~ Romans 15:17-21

Today, we return to our study of Romans 15 wherein the Apostle Paul is instructing us on the priorities of the servant of Christ. As we have mentioned since Romans 3:21, it is the grace of God that causes us to desire to be the servants of the Lord. In light of all that He has done for us, particularly rescuing us from the clutches of hell, choosing to be His servant is the least we can do. In fact, it is a joy to be the servant of the Lord.

In today's passage we learn that God has a calling on all of our lives. The particulars will always be different but the message will always be the same. The message is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel includes man's hopelessness and the hope that we gained as a result of believing that God remedied our sin problem by sending the Lord Jesus to go to the cross to bridge the gap that our sin had created between us and God. 

In today's passage, we learn the utter importance of being defined by God's culture so that we are positioned to fulfill the calling God has placed on our individual lives. In today's passage the Apostle Paul pulls the curtain back on two principles that governed his ministry to the Gentile world: The utter necessity of rejoicing in Christ's work in our lives, and the power of God that enables any servant to realize God's call on his life.

In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient."

The principle that governed Paul's ministry was to rejoice in the fact that God was at work through him in the lives of gentiles. The Apostle wrote, "Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus." Like you and I, Paul was confronted with a lot of darkness in the world in which he ministered. This is why he wrote in v.18, "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me." It is God's designed to do His ministry through our yielded lives. If our lives aren't yielded, we will not realize the ministry God wants to accomplish in and through us. God does not expect us to produce the ministry! He does that. We must be diligent to walk with Him and to follow Him. As He includes us in on what He is doing in the lives of others that "we minister to," He produces the harvest.

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation."

The second principle that the Apostle Paul accentuates in today's passage about his ministry is: It is the power of God that enabled Paul to do the ministry that God called him to. The signs and wonders that Paul wrote of here authenticated the message of Christ's gospel and Paul's ministry. These signs and wonders were the marks of an apostle, and only apostles did these things. Today we do not need any more apostles; we have the original ones, and their writings are available to us. What we have is what Paul mentions, the power of the Spirit, and His impact on human lives. 

In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 the Apostle wrote, "1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  

The message of the gospel of God is what the signs and miracles were designed to highlight. The same is true for you and me today. And, the power of God is best released through our yielded and broken lives. In 2 Corinthians 12:8 Paul writes that he asked the Lord three times to take the thorn from him. The Greek word translated three times is a Greek idiom meaning he asked over and over and over. The Apostle Paul was fixated on the thorn. But that was not the design of the thorn. The design of the thorn was that he would be fixated upon the Lord Jesus. This is why we have trials, so that we will be dependent upon the Lord Jesus. And this is where His power is discovered. We must be diligent today to be yielded to Him, expecting and watching His power change lives all around us.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "But as it is written: 'To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.'"

This verse is an adaptation of Isaiah 52:15 which is a Messianic prophecy. It's very close to the Septuagint version which is the Greek translation of Isaiah which was originally written in Hebrew. The context of Isaiah 52 is all about the Servant of the Lord, who is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And the context of Isaiah 52 reveals a day when the Messiah will bring all nations to Himself and they will see His glory. And those who have never heard about Him will hear about Him. And those who have never understood the truth will know. The fullness of this Messianic prophecy will come at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus which will happen seven years after the rapture of the church. 

The Apostle Paul was a servant of the Lord who continually offered himself as a sacrifice to God. And, as such, he jumped at every opportunity to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to whomever would listen. This is the ultimate calling of the servant of the Lord. The more God's grace arrests our souls the more we will be aware of the utter necessity of sharing the gospel with a deceived world who unknowingly are headed to an eternity in hell. When we share the gospel with anyone who has yet to believe in the Lord Jesus, we are a part of the fulfillment of this prophecy given in Isaiah 52. I would say that is awesome! And, eternity will only bear forth the wonders of what God can do through our yielded servant lives.

Romans 15:13-16

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13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13-16

Today, we continue our study of Romans 12-16 which has as its main topic: service. It was in Romans 3:21 that the Apostle Paul introduced us to the Grace Saturated Life. Once the grace of God apprehended our souls, we started down the road of wanting to be desirous of being the servants of God. I fact, in Romans 12:1, the Apostle introduced us to the idea of being "living sacrifices." This is where a proper understanding of the grace of God leads us; it leads us to a life of complete gratitude. In Romans 12-16, the Apostle Paul gives us the portrait of what it looks like to be a servant who has been arrested by the grace of God.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

According to this verse, the God of hope works His joy and His peace leading to abounding hope as we are learning to believe in Him more and more. The Holy Spirit does this by creating faith within us. Before we were born again we were spiritually dead toward God. Then, He presented to us His word of promise which is the gospel of Christ. It was at this point that we humbled ourselves enough to receive the free gift of new life through the promised death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we received the free gift of forgiveness of our sin, through God's word of promise, we accessed His joy, His peace, and His power. It is out of this God-given posture that He is yet building up His hope in our souls as we are learning to believe more and more.

As indicated in this verse, the fullness of His hope never reaches its limit in this life. It will always abound. Hope in the promises of God produces the fruits of joy and peace in the life of the believer in Christ. It is when His joy, peace and hope are evident in our lives that we are bolstered in the faith to the point that we see it for what it is ... the truth. And, once apprehended by the truth, we will invest our very existence in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what it looks like to be the servant of God.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."

In this verse, the Apostle Paul addresses two things the believers in Rome possessed; they were "full of goodness" and they were "filled with all knowledge." These believers had a long track record of walking with the Lord, and the Lord had invested much in them. I find it most instructive that when God invests in us, He rarely has only us in mind. His blessings are always meant to be passed along to others.

To be full of goodness means that the motives of these servants were right. This means that the believers in Rome were motivated by compassion which is the ultimate biblical mark for spirituality. Throughout the scriptures, this is the quality that sets God's people a part. In the ancient world, compassion was in short supply. As a rule the gods of Greece and Rome were heartless, cold, and indifferent to human suffering. And people followed suit. Some ancient philosophers taught that having sympathy for one’s fellow human beings was not only unnecessary, it was actually a weakness. 

To the contrary, the God of the Bible is quite compassionate. In fact, the Scriptures inform us that He delights in showing us His mercy. The Greek word for compassion literally means "to suffer with." Compassion is the ability to feel along with another person. Compassion underscores ones willingness to empathize with the pain of another fellow human. More than that, compassion is the pity that stirs one to act in order to help those who suffer.  Augustine once said, "What is compassion but a kind of fellow-feeling in our hearts for another’s misery, which compels us to come to his help by every means in our power?"

To be "filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" reveals why the book of Romans. This letter is the greatest treaty on correct theology ever given. As a result, the Roman believers were theologically deep enough to handle the ultimate destiny for all believers. When God allows or causes us to go through deep waters, He is investing in us. And, when He blesses us with anything, He rarely has only us in mind. All that the Lord chooses to do for us merely leads us inevitably to the place of the compassionate servant. And, when we are living as servants, we are most like the Lord.

In v.15-16 of today's passage we read, "15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit."

In these two verses, the Apostle Paul addresses two things the believers in Rome lacked. According to these two verses, the believers in Rome needed a bold reminder that the sharing of the gospel is God's ultimate goal for all who are learning to be the servants of the Lord. It is so easy to get side tracked into those things that are in comparison just not all that important. Only two things in this world will last for eternity: the souls of people and the word of God. Sometimes, we must be reminded that we are in a battle for the souls of people all around us. We must be in tune with the Spirit of God and His leading in our lives to engage people with the gospel right where they are, right now.

The second thing the believers in Rome needed was the understanding "that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." All of the activity of the Christian life is of no avail if it is not blessed by the Holy Spirit, if it does not have in it the touch of God. The Apostle Paul was reminding the believers in Rome of the crucial ministry of prayer, and the need to remember that God Himself must touch something in order for it to endure, otherwise it will be dead and useless. This is why in Romans 12:2, the apostle reminds us that we need for our minds to be renewed by the Holy Spirit because we forget so easily. 

It is so easy for all of us to be defined by the culture of this fallen world. It is so easy to get the idea that this life is all about us and our comfort and happiness. This is not what the Lord tells us in the Bible. In His word, He tells us that we are in the midst of a battle, a battle to the death, against a keen and crafty foe. The enemy of Christ's gospel wants to discourage us and defeat us, and to make us feel angry and hostile. His strategy is as old as this earth. We must remember that we are in a battle for the souls of people who will either endure for eternity in hell or in heaven. And, we factor in to the overall scenario. If we have been apprehended by His grace, we will enlist in this calling that God has given all of His servants, to go out and win the lost. And, when we get to heaven we will rejoice with all of those with whom we had an influence to believe in the Lord Jesus for themselves.

Romans 15:8-12

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8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.” 10 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” 11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!” 12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” ~ Romans 15:8-12

Today, we continue our study of Romans 15 where the Apostle Paul is nailing down the purpose of the book of Romans; that we might know what a servant of the Lord looks like in every day life. In context, the Apostle has been instructing us on how to be a servant to those with whom we disagree. But, these words in today's passage are applicable to any context that God has called us to.

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.”

At the time that the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome, the Jews held the Gentiles in contempt. In fact, they called them dogs. They would have nothing to do with them. The Jews even regarded it as sinful to go into a Gentile's house and they would never dream of eating a meal with a Gentile. They regarded them with utter contempt. And, of course, since the Jews felt that way about the Gentiles, the Gentiles returned the favor right back in kind. The Gentiles hated the Jews. This is where modern anti-semitism was born. These were opposing factions who hated one another, and would have nothing to do with one another.

This brings up a very important point: God holds us, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, responsible to love people, period. I have always struggled to understand those who say they are God's children and they have contempt in their hearts for sinners. Many in the church feel justified when they hate on groups that are different than they. Having experienced the grace and mercy of God for ourselves, we should be the very first to be gracious and merciful to everyone we meet, especially those who are not in the faith.

It is obvious this is why the Apostle wrote this letter. He wrote it to remind the believers in Rome of their incredible opportunity to offer something quite different to the unsaved. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote these words: "Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God." 

"The circumcision" was another name for the Jews. And, the Lord healed the huge wound that existed between the Jews and the Gentiles by laying down His life and granting the Jew access to the truth of God and to confirm the promises that God had made to them so long ago.

From the very first promise that God uttered to Abraham, He had the Gentiles in mind for salvation as well. According to the Scriptures, the very reason why God called Abraham and the nation Israel was to form an earthly people through whom He could then send salvation and spiritual light to the Gentiles. 

In v.10-12 of today's passage we read, "10 And again he says: 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!' 11 And again: 'Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!' 12 And again, Isaiah says: 'There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.'"

In these verses the Apostle includes quotations from the Psalms, the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament whose writers all remind their readers that the answer to all of our problems, especially when we are at odds with other believers is to worship God. It was once said, "Praise is preoccupation with our blessings, prayer is preoccupation with our needs and worship is preoccupation with our God."

The idea that the Apostle is giving us here is this: Be so enamored with God that we worship Him. Worship is not something that we just do on Sunday morning, worship is ascribing worth to someone, and we ascribe worth to God best when we allow Him to define us most. And, our worship of God enables us to see the massiveness of His grace and mercy toward us. In so doing, our hearts will become so big for others that we embrace them as God has embraced us. Worship is not about us and our circumstances; worship is about God and who He is. Worship is essentially about being defined by Him and being His servant.

Our passage today ends with the word hope. The book with the third most references to hope in the Bible is this letter of Paul to the Romans. Without hope life is meaningless. We must all face it, we live in a very shaky and hopeless world. However, as people of incredible hope, we must cling to the God who has clung on to us through the cross of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The question is not, will God keep His promises, He has kept all of them as evidenced in today's passage. The question is, will we build our lives upon the God of the Bible and His promises? We choose to build our lives upon the promises of God because His Word is unbreakable. As a result, with our hope firmly placed in the God of the Bible, we love people as they are and we choose to be the servants of God.

Romans 15:5-7

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5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. ~ Romans 15:5-7

Today, we return to our study of Romans 15 where the Apostle Paul is instructing us about what it looks like for us to assume the role of the servant of the Lord. This just underscores that we can not be the servants to anyone else unless we are learning to be the servant of the Lord. In fact, the effectiveness of our servanthood is predicated upon the degree to which we are learning to be the servants of the Lord.

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Today's passage comes at the end of a section that deals with disagreement between the strong and the weak. At this point the Apostle Paul teaches us a very important principles that is a huge part of the solution needed. He teaches us this principle by praying. He prays that since our God is the God of patience and comfort, and as we encounter friction with other believers, we must rely on God through prayer for the solution. The word translated "patience" can also be translated "endurance." And, the word translated "comfort" is better translated "encouragement."

These two qualities along with others are what are needed in order to resolve the conflicts which arise among believers who disagree from time to time. And, we must be given to prayer for these qualities to triumph in the context of our disagreements. When we depend upon our human resources we miss the culture of God which is what is needed in order to deal with the problem. When we depend upon our human resources we find ourselves not equal to the task. The self life in this case is way to inept for the task at hand. 

It is only when we depend upon the God of endurance and encouragement  that we know the victory the Lord Jesus garnered for us at the cross. The goal of the Apostle's prayer here is harmony among believers who are encountering differences among themselves. Among other characteristics of the Lord Himself, these two qualities cause our sanctification to progress. And, unlike our justification, our sanctification is the process whereby the Lord is changing our souls which are made up of our minds, wills and emotions. 

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God."

Part of our sanctification is dealing with our unredeemed flesh. Coupled with a theology that will never be perfect this side of heaven, we must be on the lookout of justifying an incorrect theology. When we have a warped understanding of our sanctification, we believe that it is about a better us. When this is the case, we do not give hope to others. In fact, the opposite happens. As we present to people a life that is perfect and without problems, they wonder why their lives are so messed up. And in reality, we are all in the same boat. Our hope only comes from a Savior who has rescued us, and is rescuing us on a day by day basis. As we allow others to peer into our broken and flawed lives, and they see the Savior at work, it is then that they gain hope. Light only shines through the cracked crevices of our lives.

In Romans 1:16-17 we find the thesis statement for the whole book of Romans. It reads, "16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'"

The goal of this prayer by the Apostle is unity among believers who disagree on an issue so that God would be glorified. Clearly the basis of our acceptance of one another is the fact that while we were the enemies of God, He chose to enter our world in order to redeem us. Augustine once said, "The cross was a pulpit in which Christ preached his love to the world." 

The Greek word for "receive" includes the idea of friendship, of acceptance. Often we are not moved to exhibit such teaching because typically our lives reflect a ladder-centered version of the Christian faith rather than a cross-centered one. Chad Bird once framed up this idea well when he said, "One rung at a time, we ascend from being immoral to moral, bad to good, unholy to holy. The closer we climb to Jesus on the cross-ladder, the more he blesses us. All he asks is that we give it our best shot." 

On the other hand, the grace of God moves us to cry out for more grace because it enables us to see that we are the most needy of all. And, it is from this posture, the posture of a grateful servant that we love others for who they are rather than what they can do for us. If we think somehow that we earn God's favor, it will be subtly embedded in us to require others to perform in such a way for us to accept them naturally. This is why the work of God's grace is so important in our lives. We must be careful to not put limits on God's grace in our lives because it will be reflected in the way we treat others, especially those with whom we disagree.

Romans 15:1-4

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"1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." ~ Romans 15:1-4

Today, we transition into Romans 15, but we continue with the Apostle Paul's instructions to the strong and weak Christians. The strong are those who understand that following the Lord Jesus does not mean earning God's favor through their adherence to the Law of Moses. The weak are those who maintain that adherence to the Law for God's acceptance is necessary in these areas. The strong have strong faith and they know the value of God's peace. The weak are growing in their faith in the God of the Bible and God desires that the strong embrace the place of the servant so that the weak may be strengthened.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves."

The word "ought" here means to be a debtor. It was used by the Apostle Paul when he said, "I'm a debtor to the Jew and the Greek." This Greek word is used 25 times in the New Testament, and it does not just communicate the idea of tolerance, it communicates the idea of bearing along with someone's infirmity. In Philippians 2 we read, "Let each man look not on his own things, but on the things of others."  This means when someone struggles with something that we feel is right but they feel is wrong, unless they are violating a biblical truth and they need direct instruction, we must be patient that they might grow to understand their freedom in Christ.  

This particular Greek word is also translated in Galatians 6 as carrying someone's load. It means to shoulder the weak brother's burden. It means that the servant of the Lord does not just bear with the weak tolerantly, but he gets under the load until the weak brother becomes able to grow on his own understanding of the freedom that Christ earned for him. The servant of the Lord does not insist on getting his way; his garnered wisdom from God positions him to quickly yield his rights to give in to a greater purpose. To please a brother for his own good is the goal.

The word "scruples" means "weaknesses." Due to his strong faith in the Lord and His residing peace in his soul, the strong brother ought to bear up under "the weaknesses" of the weak. 

Now, as mentioned before, this does not mean that we should be men pleasers because if it did it would foster weakness among the body of believers. What this is about is pleasing men by adjusting ourselves temporarily to the needs of the weaker brother in the Lord so that he will desire to be defined by God and His word. This is not about pleasing men by ignoring sin. This is about pleasing men in the sense of helping them carry their load of bondage to the point of being liberated from them by the grace of God.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification."

The tendency of the strong believer is to either marginalize or ignore the weak believer. But, Paul is urging the strong to lay down his rights in order to build up the weak. The goal is spiritual growth for the weak brother, particularly, growth in his understanding of God's grace. After all, it is the grace of God that enables the strong to be strong in the first place.

Those who have been arrested by the grace of God have exhausted all other possibilities. And, now that we are willing to experience God's grace, we learn that the grace of God is all accepting. The grace of God is benevolent, excessive, outrageous, and scandalous. The more that we experience it, the more accepted by God we feel. It is that kind of kindness that melts our hearts to be servant shaped. It is our understanding of the heart of God that produces in us a heart for others, even the irritating weak. 

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

It is the grace of the Lord that causes us to seek to be like Him. We do not run after christlikeness in order to measure up before God, we run after it because in Christ we have measured up before God. Similar to the way the Lord Jesus submitted Himself to the Father, as the believer in Christ increases in His understanding of the economy of the Lord, he seeks to be defined by Him. Paramount in the understanding of the submitted servant is God's grace. It is faith that enables us to grow in our knowledge of God and His grace, and as we grow in grace, we will grow in submission to God.

The grace of God embedded in the soul of a man causes him to disregard himself. In quoting Psalm 69 the Apostle Paul writes, "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." That is to say that we are to be seeking to find fulfillment in the Word of God rather than personal aims, and, in so doing we confirm the Word of God before others. 

God's goal behind our understanding of the Old Testament scriptures is hope which not only desires something good for the future, hope expects that something good is going to happen. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read, "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord. Thoughts of peace not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." 

God's goal in giving us the scriptures was to give us a sure hope. Biblical hope is biblical faith in the future tense. When we cling to our hope in the God of the Bible in the midst of our trials, a difficult situation becomes bearable because this kind of a hope has introduced us to the life of the servant. True hope comes by trusting God even when life seems hopeless. The way we know we’re trusting God is when we are obeying His Word. Trust produces obedience, which produces hope, which results in joy and peace.

Romans 14:19-23

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19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. ~ Romans 14:19-23

Today, we close out our study of Romans 14 where we discover more instruction regarding the growth of our faith or our hearts ability to interact with the God of the Bible. This chapter is set in the context of Romans 12-16 which is all predicated upon the first command in Romans 12:1 which reads: "I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters in the Lord, by the mercies of God, that you present your whole lives a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense."

In today’s passage, we are given a microcosm of life. Most in this world have been distracted from what life is really about. We think life is about that which makes us happy, but this is too myopic. In these verses, the Apostle shouts that peace among believers in Christ is one of the most important things in this life. Peace is not just the absence of a storm, but rest in the middle of the storm. The Scriptures remind us that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." This reminder serves to convince us that the more troubled things are in our lives, the more present God makes Himself among us. And, it is in these moments that the God of peace delivers the peace of God to the wearied soul best.

It is the Spirit of God who produces peace in any group of believers, and it is so special we must not flaunt our freedoms in such a way as to upset the full expression of God among us. The strong brother mentioned in context, should enjoy his liberties in Christ, however he mustn't if it interferes with the wholesome peace that God desires to bring to a given group of believers. God's peace is one of those things when we experience it, it tunes our souls to real reality. When the harmony is threatened in any group of believers, God expects the strong among us to bear that burden and to not insist on their personal rights. And, when the stronger brother insists on his rights at the expense of the weaker brother, he threatens the work of God among the group and through that group.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."

It is not wrong for the strong brother, who understands that he has been made acceptable before the God of the Bible solely through the finished work of Christ on the cross, to enjoy the liberty that Christ earned for him. All things are to be considered sacred, even the things of the world that sin has distorted, but it is not good for the strong believer in the faith to do anything by which his weaker brother is caused to momentarily "stumble" in his faith. The actions of the strong brother is meant to be a means by which the weaker brother is helped to get to the place where he becomes strong. In this case the prevailing peace of God is more important than the strong brother's freedom in Christ.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."

In addition to accentuating the peace of God among believers in this passage, the Apostle accentuates our faith in the God of the Bible. The Apostle admonishes us to let God and His Word be the basis for our faith, and nothing else. We must be sure that what we are doing is not couched in selfishness because pride has always been the vein through which the enemy subverts the purposes of God among us. We must be defined by God and not ourselves. 

When we get to this place of security and maturity in the grace and mercy of God through Christ, the watching world begins to take note as to whether we are substantive or not. When we embrace the posture of the servant, it is obvious that our faith has founding a resting place that is real and worth investing in. It is truly the peace of God in the soul of a man that enables him to give up his rights in order to win others to Christ. True freedom in Christ continues to lead us away from the self life to the life of servanthood. 

The result to all of this is to help the weak understand the reason for our freedom. They will see the essence of the issue here which will always be our faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means believing as true what God has said. We must not only base our freedoms in the Word of God, we must base our faith in it as well. When we get to this point of being defined by Him, then we will experience true freedom. Most believe that freedom is the ability to do what we want when we want. This is not true. True freedom is to the ability to choose to operate according to how we were made to operate by the God of the Bible.

As a result, those observing will begin to see the heart of the gospel which is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This type of life is not contrived as it is among the religious. These three gifts are the basis for our freedom in all areas of life. We are not free if we have simply won a theological fight with another believer. That is not freedom or victory of any real kind. Real freedom is the right to give up our rights, for the good of others. This is the posture of the servant of Christ. 

Sadly, according to v.23 the one who doubts God and is weak in his faith in the God of the Bible is stunted because he thinks he would be condemned if he eats certain foods or drinks certain drinks or he does not observe the Sabbath. He lacks strong faith and stabilizing peace. The ultimate goal of God in his life is peace between the strong and the weak because it provides a group of believers a profound testimony to this lost and dying  world. 

Thomas Merton said it well when he penned these words: "Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience."

Romans 14:14-18

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14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. ~ Romans 14:14-18

Today, we return to our study of Romans 14 where we are shown how the servant of the Lord operates with someone with whom he disagrees. The issue in this chapter is between the weak and the strong brother. Since the weak brother has a sensitive conscience with regard to certain non-essential issues like whether to eat meat that has been sacrificed to gods and the strong has a clear conscience regarding eating said meat, the strong brother should yield his rights so that the weak brother may grow in God's grace. 

God gave the dietary laws to Israel in the Law of Moses for sanctification reasons, so that we might have a better quality of life while on this earth. Not to be confused with our justification which is based solely on the work of Christ on the cross, our sanctification includes the wise choices we make in order to garner us a better quality of life. However, the law of love trumps these dietary laws. So in this case, the stronger brother, the one who has a clear conscience to eat the meat and to drink alcohol,  he makes the choice of the servant to give up his right to do so, in order to not cause the weaker brother to stumble in his walk with the Lord.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."

The Apostle Paul begins with the fact that he got these teachings directly from the Lord Jesus Himself. And, as a result he had been convinced that the strong brother has the right to eat certain meats and to choose to worship corporately with other believers on the day of his choosing. His point has been that sin does not reside in things like food or the day we choose to worship God in a corporate manner. 

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died."

The goal for all of us is that we make choices based on our love for the Lord and His people. The word "destroy" means to ruin.  When we cause a believer to stumble, it has the potential to shipwreck the faith of the weaker brother. Often the Greek word used here translated "destroy" is translated very frequently in the Scripture with the word "perish." It can mean eternal damnation. In fact, it is used in John 3:16 which reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish."  And, of course, according to 2 Peter 3:9, "God is not willing that any should perish."

When this word "perish" is used to describe believers, it is used to describe some kind of spiritual loss in their life but not the loss of their salvation. It could mean that they have fallen out of fellowship with other believers or it could mean the loss of their joy or their effectiveness in ministry as we see in 2 John 8 which reads, "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."  

So, when we cause our brother to stumble, we could cause him to lose some spiritual blessing. When we do this, we have not acted out of love for the weaker brother as a servant of the Lord. We are most like the Lord Jesus when we help the weaker brother.  So, Paul calls us to build each other up by not causing each other to stumble and to suffer some spiritual loss.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

The words "spoken of as evil" means that when we deliberately cause a weaker brother to stumble we cause the gospel to be harmed. When we do this, the unbelievers around us are given a poor example of the nature of Christianity. The kingdom of God produces righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Notice that the Holy Spirit produces this type of life. These three: righteousness, peace, and joy are gifts of God, are enjoyed by a group of believers who are in fellowship one with another. And, we do not produce this kind of life among us, this type of life is delivered by the Holy Spirit as we honor God's culture by being defined by Him and His word.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men."

At the end of the day, eating certain meats is not the issue. Since Christ loved the weak brother enough to die for him, we ought to love him enough to be cautious about how we exercise our liberty in front of him. If it is our desire to be used of the Lord for the advancement of His kingdom in this world, we will do this. As servants of the Lord our concern must not be our right to eat or drink, our concern should be about the advancement of God's righteousness, peace and joy in the lives of those around us.

The word "approved" means to be approved after close examination. Whether we like it or not, our lives are under the close scrutiny of the world. And what they need to see is our love for one another. So, you see, we don't want to cause a brother to stumble in any way, so as to impact unbelievers wrongly and to forfeit our witness. This just undermines what God wants to do among us.

Romans 14:10-13

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10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. ~ Romans 14:10-13

Today, we return to our study of Romans 14 which is part of the greater context of Romans 12-16 where the Apostle Paul is showing us what the servant of the Lord looks like in the context with those with whom he disagrees. Again, the thrust of today's passage is what a servant does not do to another brother with whom he disagrees on a gray and unimportant issue in the grand scheme of things. When we take the road of the servant, we aid God's overall kingdom in this world. And, when we do not, we go the way of the enemy; we judge others.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

The first part of this verse is for the "weak brother" and the second is for the "strong brother." The word "judge" reveals the "weak brother" has written off the "strong brother" as an unspiritual meat-eating-compromiser, while the use of the words "show contempt" reveals the "strong brother" looked down upon the "weak brother" as an uptight legalistic. 

The real issue here is that both of these are shirking the mentality and the lifestyle of servanthood which is the posture that enables us to grow in our sanctification and usefulness to God best. In addition, we must remember that these imperatives are given in reference to the gray areas of the Christian life, the non-essentials of the faith. This is what the enemy does, knowing he can't take our salvation from us, he tries to get us to make the lesser things seem like the most important things. And, in so doing, he lessens our impact for the kingdom of God here on earth.

The words "judgment seat" refer to the "bema seat of Christ" which is spoken of in 2 Corinthians 5:10 which reads, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what we have done whether good or bad."

This verse is only applicable to Christians. The Apostle Paul used the word "bema" here to direct our attention to that day when there will be a special judgment that God will hold for believers only. This illustration comes from the raised platform where the judges of athletic events would sit. After the end of the sporting event, the victors would ascend up the steps of the "bema" to receive their prizes from the judges. Unlike our modern day Olympic games, participants in those athletic events did not receive gold, silver or bronze medals. What they received were special circular wreaths woven from leaves, and they wore these on top of their heads. The Bible refers to these wreaths as "crowns" and in that day these crowns were greatly coveted.

The judgment seat of Christ does not determine whether a person goes to heaven or hell. The bema seat will be the place where God will deliver His judgement upon the actions of the believer during the time he was a believer on earth. These actions are referred to in the New Testament as the good works of the believer which aided God's work in the lives of others, especially non-believers. When the believer in Christ does not operate from the posture of the servant, we are in grave danger of contributing to the purposes of the kingdom of darkness. The opposite is true, as well; when we operate out of the servant's mentality, we will contribute to the kingdom of God while on this earth. At the "bema" the believer will receive God's rewards for the good works that proceeded out of his life while on earth.

According to Luke 19:16-27, during the millennial reign of Christ after the Tribulation, the most faithful believers will govern with the Lord Jesus over multiple cities. Not every believer in Christ will have the same opportunities; the opportunities will have been determined by our good works while on earth as believers. Our previous faithfulness is the key principle here. When the faithful servant operates accordingly while here on this earth, the Lord Jesus will give him responsibilities in His millennial kingdom, and not all believers will reign like the most faithful. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "For it is written: 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.'"

Here, the Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23 which he also quotes in Philippians 2. The point in both of those passages is obvious, no human has the right to judge another. Only the Lord Jesus has that right because He is God. And, as the Apostle Paul reminds us here, all mankind will give an account to Him one day. This means every one of us will one day soon bow our knee before God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, we will discover that it is a bad thing to try to arrest from God a responsibility that only God has. In fact, to stand in judgement of another is a blasphemous thing before God.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."

There is coming a day when all man will give an account to the Lord Jesus Christ. We will all come before Him and our works are going to be examined by Him and then we'll receive the reward, if any, for our good choices to resist sin and to do good. The word "account" is a math term meaning "financial records." God keeps a record of everything we do. 

In Hebrews 4:13 we read, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way."

We are presented with a clear choice here. We can either build up or tear down. We can either judge or serve. Especially in the grey areas between religious restriction and freedom in Christ, it is more important to walk in love than to walk in freedom. Yes we’re free to disregard the Jewish dietary rules and holy days; but not if walking in that freedom causes others to stumble. In this case the stronger brother is held responsible to yield his rights as the servant of the Lord. 

In Luke 4:5-7 we read, "The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.'"

The response of the Lord Jesus to the devil that day was quite instructive; He said, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"

As the Lord Jesus illustrated here, the servant of the Lord sees way beyond this world to the world that is to come. We evaluate eternity from the vantage point of time to our peril. This is why we even think of our heavenly rewards as the gold that will be pavement there. When we gain the view of eternity, we lose sight of the self life. And, when we lose sight of the self life, we embrace the life of a servant.

Romans 14:5-9

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5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ~ Romans 14:5-9

Today, we return to Romans 14 where the Apostle Paul is giving us a portrait of a servant of the Lord. Today's passage is directed toward the stronger and the weaker Christian, and it addresses the subject of judgment. Each and every one of us has our own unique backgrounds. Some of us come from a background of absolutely no church at all, while others come from a background of far too much church with far too many traditions. And, these traditions, if they are not grounded in the Scriptures, are some of the hardest strongholds for any believer in Christ. In fact, these traditions oftentimes create unmerited friction and division among believers in Christ. This is the issue that the Apostle Paul addresses here in Romans 14.

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks."

There are two issues being addressed in these verses: the day to worship God and the way to worship God. For the Gentiles that were in the church at Rome at that time, they had no problem with valuing one day over another or eating meat that had been sacrificed in a temple of a false god. For them, the Sabbath had long been a day that they treated just like any other day of the week. They did not grow up being taught the dietary laws of the Law of Moses; for them it was just meat. But for the Christian with the Jewish heritage, the Sabbath was the most holy day of the week and eating the meat was a little bit too close to idol worship. And so, a huge argument arose between the two sides due to their different traditions and backgrounds. They had begun to judge one another. 

The key to the Christian life is our heart motivation. The key to understanding all of this is the fact that the Apostle Paul uses the prepositions "to" and "for" in these verses. In v.6 he writes,  "to the Lord." And in v.8 he writes, "for the Lord." You see, it all comes back to what is informing our motives. If our motives are anything other than love, even for ourselves, we are not living out of the freedom that Christ earned for us on His cross. 

Henri Nouwen said it well when he said, "Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family."

The Apostle Paul here addresses an attitude that would obscure the real meaning of Christianity. The real meaning of Christianity doesn't matter what day we worship on, but that we worship the God of the Bible. And whichever day we choose to worship together corporately, we must make up our own minds about it, and to not judge other people who view this differently than we.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s."

As believers in Christ, we are in the family of God with people who are a lot like us and we are in the family with people who are a lot different than us. The ultimate issue is that of love. The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 

Most live in accordance with the BIG LIE which is a formula that we unknowingly operate out of and it says: "My value equals my performance plus what others (including God) thinks of my performance."

I find it interesting that every religion known to man is based upon good works, except the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! Hinduism tells us that if we renounce the world and relate ourselves to the "spirit of the universe" we will find peace. Buddhism sets before us eight principles by which if we walk according to them we will find ourselves on the way to salvation. Judaism says we must keep the Law of Moses absolutely and then we will be saved. Islam says we must pray five times a day and give alms and fast on the month of Ramadan and obey the commands of Allah. In all of these religions, we hopefully arrive acceptable before God after we have performed enough good works. But, there is no way of truly knowing if we have ever done enough to merit God's favor.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living."

The Lord Jesus alone has the right to judge us in these areas and He has the ability to do so because He has demonstrated His Lordship by conquering sin and death on our behalf. He  deliberately humbled Himself and gave Himself up to death, and so, He alone has won the right to judge anyone. When we judge another, we are trying to take His place as judge. 

The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ reminds us that He performed on the behalf of all who place their faith in Him! The Bible is very clear that if we believe in His sacrifice, that He bridged the gap that our sinfulness created between us and God, we will be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ alone has done what no man can do for himself and thus He has set us free from the penalty and power of our sinfulness. I close with a word from my favorite author, Brennan Manning: "Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is your true self. Every other identity is illusion."

Romans 14:1-4

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"1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 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 14:1-4

Today, we transition into Romans 14 where the Apostle Paul is painting for us a picture of the servant of the Lord. As mentioned before, the final section of the book of Romans (Romans 12-16) is on service, and, it is predicated on the first command given in Romans 12:1, Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables."

There are two groups of believers in this passage: the strong and the weak. The strong are those who have been accosted by the grace of God. The strong believer understands that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross fully compensated the perfection of God and he understands he has God's full acceptance through the Lord Jesus alone. As a result, he understands servanthood the best because he is the one who bows his will to the Lord most willingly. On the other hand, Paul identifies the weak Christian as the one who struggles to understand the grace of God. This one is often gripped by fear in such a way that he finds himself afraid of deviating from obeying certain rules that are in the word of God. The weak brother wrestles with the flesh most. In fact, he is most acutely bound by the dietary restrictions of the law of Moses. 

The word "receive" literally means to embrace this one with whom there is disagreement as a brother in the family of God. The strong must remember that he did not make himself or the weaker brother a part of the family; the Lord did. Therefore, we are to accept one another because we are brothers and sisters in the Lord. And, we are not to accept anyone with the idea of immediately trying to straighten them out in the areas in which we disagree. The Apostle Paul wants us to understand that we are to accept one another, especially when we have disagreements over the gray areas of the Christian faith.

Now, with regard to everything that God has created, the Christian is free to eat all foods. But freedom practiced irresponsibly runs the risk of being used negatively in the eyes of non-believing observers, especially if it wounds others. The gospel itself suffers if believers hurt each other.  At times, the freedom that we have to eat and drink certain foods and drinks, must be sacrificed for the sake of the gospel. When we embrace being the servants of the Lord, we will yield our rights for the benefit of the other in these matters. If one believer feels that it is okay to drink an alcoholic beverage or to eat meat, yet that freedom is causing his brother in the Lord to have problems with it, the stronger believer, in this case, will choose not to drink a beer or two or to eat meat while in the presence of the weaker brother. 

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him."

The weak brother believes he should abstain from certain things that are forbidden in the Law of Moses. For example, the strong brother has a clear conscience that it would be okay for him to drink a beer or two or eat meat. Where as the weaker brother thinks it is just the worst thing any believer to do, that is to drink any alcohol or to eat meat. The admonition is that the stronger brother must not do anything to trip up the weaker brother or to reject the brother who is weak but to be patient as God changes the weaker brother. 

The words "despise him"  here is really a word that means "to push him out" or "to exclude him." There will be times when the stronger brother denies himself for the sake of the weak who do not drink alcohol or eat meats. The weak avoid meat and alcohol, and the strong are free to eat and drink anything. But the responsibility to maintain the fellowship between the two lies with the stronger brother. 

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "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."

The believer is not to be a judge for he is to be the servant of all.  It is not wrong for any brother to lovingly help his brother in the Lord remove a harmful speck from his eye. It is wrong for him to self-righteously point out a speck in his brother’s eye when he ignores, as no big deal, the ridiculous log protruding from his own eye. Those who have been gripped by the grace of God are not known to be judgmental.

Although the weak brother struggles being defined by God's grace, he is not like those false teachers who teacher that obedience to the Law of Moses is a must to be acceptable to God. The weak believer is still "under construction" or he is being sanctified by the Lord. The grace of God is yet to grip him in such a way that he has embraced the way of the servant of the Lord. He is on his way to standing, and, he will stand because it is the Lord's responsibility to grow him in His grace. 

The word translated "stand" in this verse means that he will be straightened out if he is doing wrong in any area. If it is really wrong, God will straighten him out and it is not up to the stronger brother to do it. The stronger believer must be patient with the weaker brother for God is well able to transform men into servants because He is a God of grace and patience. 

The same grace that made the strong believer understand his freedom in Christ is the very same grace that matures the weak in the faith. And, very often, God uses the servant heart of those who are strong in the faith, as they yield their rights in the Lord in order to help the weak come along in the faith. This is the point in this passage: The servant is used of the Lord to help those who have yet to grow in their peripheral vision of God's grace.

Romans 13:11-14

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11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. ~ Romans 13:11-14

Today, we return to our study of Romans 13 where we are being shown how the servant of the Lord carries himself daily, especially in light of the fact that we all will spend eternity either in hell or in heaven. And, since what we do with the Lord Jesus and His gospel will determine where we spend eternity, we must be focused on sharing the gospel with the lost at every chance we get.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."

The Apostle Paul bases everything in today's passage on the words, "knowing the time." This means we currently live on the edge of eternity. And, since everyone's eternity is at stake, we will be motivated to love our neighbor. When we walk with the Lord, we will always recognize opportunities that are there with the people that are around us, especially if they are not yet saved. If I am watching something on tv or YouTube, I like making it a habit of praying for those whom I am availed to at that moment. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to develop the habit of talking to God on the behalf of these we see on our tvs. I pray that the Lord draw them to Himself like He did for me. This, in fact, is the the most important thing we can do for them.

The Apostle tells us "to awake out of sleep" which is an admonition to be alert to the most important issues of life. And, the most important issue is where we will spend eternity. We must operate from the standpoint of the fact that the night is all around us; people have been separated from God and are in the clutches of the evil one. In addition, the day that will usher in eternity is close and if people die without trusting Christ as their savior, they will spend eternity in hell. 

The word "sleep" describes those moments when we are in a state of inactivity with a loss of consciousness and a decrease in responsiveness to what is really happening around us. We must be preoccupied with sharing the gospel with folks because we are obviously much closer to the end of time as we know it.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."

The thrust of this verse is our recognition of that which is of eternal value as opposed to that which is worthless. The Apostle instructs us to do two things, in order to take the time to love the unlovely. First, "cast off the works of darkness," and, second, "put on the armor of light." This means in order for us to be effective in this galactic battle, we must be invested in our God-given armor of light. Essentially, our armor of light is the Lord Jesus Christ, and as long as we seek Him daily, we will be equipped to do battle on the behalf of the lost.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy."

This list of sins are passions that violate and abuse God's purpose and intention for us in this dark world. God's salvation instructs us to advance God's kingdom in this world. These sins invite destruction into our lives and they desensitize us to the importance of sharing the gospel with the lost. We should live in such a way that we accentuate the importance of living with eternities values in view.

The day represents the righteous kingdom of our God. Whether we understand it or not, we are engaged in a cosmic battle that has eternal ramifications. We are to live as the spiritual soldiers of God that we are. 

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we activate our capacity to be servants and to love others, especially the lost. The Lord Jesus Christ put His hand on an unclean leper to heal him, even though the leper was highly contagious. When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we appropriate His power to help the helpless. Christ is His title and it refers to His work. Christ came to deliver us, to set us free. And when we put on Christ, we have an amazing power to free others from what they are going through.

Notice that Paul uses the full name of Christ, "the Lord Jesus Christ." I think he does this deliberately, because "Lord" stands for his power to rule, his authority, his power to change and alter events, and control history. When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are putting on a power to operate and change events and affect people that we don't have without Him. His presence and power shows up in the lives of His submitted servants in exponential ways, enabling us to enter into the realm of eternity as we share the gospel with the lost.

The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is clothed both positionally and practically. This means He has equipped us with His word and His Spirit to do battle. We are to be defined by God and not by sin. We were all created with two basic, yet profound needs. All of our desires and subsequent choices come back to these two basic needs, which are: 1) to be loved, and 2) to love. I present to you that the second is MORE necessary than the first. The first is essential, because we can not give what we do not have. Having said that, at the end of life we will realize that this life was truly about how we chose to love others.

Romans 13:8-10

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8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ~ Romans 13:8-10

Today, we return to our study of Romans 13 which is a part of the overall final section in Romans. While Romans 1-3 is about the sinful condition of man, and Romans 4-5 is about salvation, and Romans 6-8 is about sanctification, and Romans 9-11 is about the sovereignty of God, Romans 12-16 is about service or being a servant.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law."

The Apostle Paul used the word "love" five times in these verses. When we feed the flesh, we limit love. When we feed the Spirit, we allow love to run wildly our midst. The love that the Apostle wrote about here is agape or unconditional love. Used 320 times in the New Testament, agape is the type of love that is selfless and self-sacrificing. And, when we love like this, we are getting to the essence for which God gave us the commandments in the first place; that love might abound among us. 

When Paul says "owe no man anything," he is not forbidding us from taking out a loan to purchase something. To "owe no man anything," is a bridge from v.6-7 where the Apostle had addressed the paying of our taxes, which we owe the government. Paying our taxes is a debt. The Apostle Paul bridges from there to the point about love by simply saying, "owe no man anything but love."  In other words, pay all our debts, and the one debt we will always pay and never really have paid is the debt of love. 

We have all owed money to people, and when we are around them, the first thing that comes into our minds is the money we owe them. And, we find it difficult to turn off that thought. In fact, we wonder to ourselves, "Is he thinking of the money I owe him?" This is the way we ought to be about love. We should remember that we have an obligation to love everyone. Such is the nature of the heart that has been impacted by the mercy and grace of God. Mercy reminds us that we are not getting what we deserve and grace reminds us that we are getting what we do not deserve.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

In this one verse, the Apostle Paul isolates the seventh, the sixth, the eighth, the ninth and the tenth commandments, in that order. Perhaps, he mentions the seventh first because there was a particular problem with the seventh in the church at Rome. You will note that the Ten Commandments consist of two divisions: the first four have to do with our relationship to God, and the second, commands 5-10, have to do with our interactions with other people. The only commandment of the ones related to our dealings with people that is left out here is the fifth command, "Honor your father and mother."  The point that Paul is making is: if we live by the law of love, we will fulfill the law of Moses. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

In the Old Testament there were Ten Commandments, and then, the Lord Jesus comes along and turns them from negatives into positives when He reduced them from ten to two commandments. Instead of a bunch of "thou shalt nots," He said, "Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself." And, when we are busy loving someone, there will be no danger of us longing for their spouse, murdering them, stealing from them, bearing false witness about them or coveting what they have. 

It’s important not to confuse the order of these two great commands. People often get this backward and live as though the law is the fulfillment of love. The trouble is that when the law is the fulfillment, we may try to learn what love is by examining the law. Christians start assuming that the rules they follow are inherently loving in every context.

The Pharisees made this mistake when they assumed that it was the law that made them righteous. In Matthew 12:1-8, they question Jesus about his disciples picking and eating grain on the Sabbath, which is unlawful. Jesus points out that David and his men broke the law by eating the consecrated bread, and even the priests break the law on the Sabbath to perform their duties. The law, in and of itself, doesn’t make a person holy, nor does breaking the law necessarily make one unholy. When we place love as the fulfillment, we can use it as a measure of the law. Paul says that loving others fulfills the law, that all commands are summed up in loving our neighbors as ourselves, and that love is the fulfillment of the law because it doesn’t harm others. 

Romans 13:6-7

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6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. ~ Romans 13:6-7

Today, we return to our study of Romans. In Romans 12-16 the Apostle gives us a portrait of what it looks like to be the servant of the Lord. In Romans 13 he gives us a series of imperatives which guide us in how to relate to other humans. In today's passage, the Apostle continues to give us instruction with reference to the human authority in our lives.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing."

Yet again, God refers to the government as His servants. Whereas the Greek word that he used for these "servants" in v.4 is "deacons," here in v.6, he uses the Greek word for our English word "priests." The reason Paul uses a different word here is due to the fact that the government not only provides for our defense and security, but it also helps us in our infrastructural needs, like water, sewage, and the building of our roads. Paul is saying, since the government provides these things, we should pay taxes to those who go between us and our societal infrastructural needs. 

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor."

In Mark 12:17 the Lord Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God, the things that are God's." Now, that's a crucial distinction. The Lord Jesus had been asked the question about the payment of taxes and in response He asked for a coin. So, as He said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God’s," He then pointed to the coin which had Caesar's image on it. Then He said, "Render unto God the things that are God’s." Understood with that statement is the fact that upon man is the image of God. So, just as we have the responsibility to pay taxes to Caesar, we have the responsibility to obey God.

The word "render" here means to give back something that you owe. It means to pay back that which we owe due to the services rendered to us. As much as we hate taxes, and as much as any tax system can be corrupt and unfair, and as much as we believe there are far better things our money could go toward, God still commands us to pay our taxes. And, if we do not pay our taxes, we will be guilty of disobeying God. And, when we deliberately ignore God on a certain subject, we deliberately allow destruction of some form into our lives. The one who sows to the flesh ends up with corruption which is literally illustrated in Galatians 5 as the decomposition of a putrid corpse.

The more we feed the flesh, the stronger the flesh becomes and the more profound its damage. When we disobey God or we choose not to be defined by Him, we allow the introduction of various forms of death into our lives. In addition to this, according to Hebrews 2-5, we invite the dulling of our hearts toward God. And, this is not good because rarely do we take a giant step away from God. No, we take a series of small steps away from Him when we allow the flesh to have a field day in our souls. And, this could get to the point where our hearts have been numbed to God.

Of course, the answer to all of this is that we obey God. In so doing, we ward off the flesh and the destruction that it brings to our existence. The Bible describes our obedience to God in Galatians 5 as "Feeding the Spirit" who has made our spirit alive to God. "Feeding the Spirit" or "Walking in the Spirit" renders the result of us experiencing the fruit of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits describe the life of the Lord Jesus. And, when we feed the Spirit we invite the intimacy with God that we all long for, we just have a hard time seeing it for what it is. And, the more we experience this intimacy with God, the more we will not only recognize it for what it is but the more we will want it. This is eternal life!