Romans 16:1-16

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1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. ~ Romans 16:1-16

Today, we come to the final chapter of the book of Romans, Romans 16. Most miss the tremendous lessons on servanthood in this chapter because it seems to just be a long list of names but it is oh so much more. For example, the first person the Apostle Paul mentions here is Phoebe who was one of thirty-three people mentioned in this chapter. Nine of them were with Paul in Corinth. Twenty four of the names mentioned here were in Rome. There were two households mentioned, and two unnamed women, the mother of Rufus and the sister of Nereus. 

Phoebe bore and preserved this letter all along the hazardous journey from Corinth to Rome. She is referenced here by the Apostle Paul as "a servant of the church in Cenchrea." Cenchrea was the port of Corinth, located about nine miles east of the city. A group of believers met faithfully there, and Phoebe was a faithful servant to them. So, the first name on this long list of names was a woman. Down through the years we have heard others accuse the Apostle Paul of being chauvinistic and misogynistic. It is true that throughout time women have been treated as subservient to men, but, a careful study of history reveals that Christianity has elevated women. The Lord Jesus Himself elevated women by involving them quite heavily in His ministry. And, women played a prominent role in Paul's ministry. As John F Kennedy once said, "A rising tide raises all boats." The very fact that the least were lifted up by the gospel speaks to its authenticity and organic difference.

In v.3 the Apostle mentions Priscilla and Aquila who were themselves from Rome. The believers in Rome were familiar with this wonderful couple who had been expelled from Rome by Caesar Claudius. They ended up in Corinth where the Apostle Paul met them in the synagogue there. I find it most interesting to note that in the synagogue service, the women sat on one side while the men sat on the other side. And, the men sat together according to their occupation. Since the Apostle Paul was a tent maker, he sat next to Aquila who also was a tent maker. Priscilla and Aquila came to faith in the Lord Jesus, and they hosted the meeting of believers in their home. For the first 200 years of Christianity, churches met in homes. There were no public church buildings like we have today. We will do well to return to the early church model. 

In v.5-6 the Apostle mentions Epaenetus who was the first to believe the gospel when Paul came to the province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the capital. One never forgets the first one he witnesses seeing go from the darkness into the light. No matter how many others follow, we never forget the first. We do not know what Epaenetus was doing in Rome, but he was cherished because he was the first to exercise faith in Asia. And associated with him is Mary, of whom Paul wrote, "Mary who labored much for us." She was one of the group of unknown women in the Gospels who had the gift of service. This underscores the fact that every gift and every talent is of utmost importance to accomplish the tasks before us in a given day. 

In v.9 Paul mentions Urbanus which was a common name for slaves in those days. Urbanus means city-bred. So it was a generic name usually for a slave who was raised in the city. But what is interesting is in the same verse, Stachys is mention. Stachys was of the royal household of Caesar Claudius. In this verse we have a slave and a person of royalty mentioned together. This is what the Lord Jesus does to a community; He brings people from the two ends of the social spectrum together. This just underscores that fact that at the foot of the cross, we are all on equal ground. 

In v.10 the Apostle Paul urges the believers in Rome to greet Aristobulus who was the grandson of Herod Agrippa I, which made him the great grandson of Herod the Great. Then in v.11, Paul highlights Herodion who was obviously somebody related to the household of Herod. And then, Paul urges them to greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who was a well-known, wealthy, influential, bad dude, who was the secretary to the Emperor Claudius, who obviously come to faith in the Lord Jesus. 

All of these names reveal so many principles that causes one to be successful in this life. One of these many principles is that fact that the Apostle Paul always had a team that was around him. That's why he was so successful. All of these people were there to support and pray for Paul in a variety of ways. One of the greatest dangers in any organization is that there is one man that everyone follows; this is not biblical. In fact, the model the Lord gives us in His word is a plurality of leadership. Add to that the fact that the Lord has equipped every believer with spiritual gifts and natural talents, the involvement of many in the decision making and the execution of the plan is the best way to go.

The list of names in this chapter reflects Paul’s purposes for writing the letter to the Romans. Paul wrote to the Roman believers about the gospel so that they would love and look out for one another, particularly across ethnic and socioeconomic lines. In a world where class envy is used for selfish purposes by everyone, it is refreshing to see ethnic differences valued for selfless reasons. Such is the nature of the Gospel and its centerpiece: the grace of God. The grace of God knows no favorites. 

We must never forget that ministry is about people. Good ministry comes out of good relationships. Paul’s list of names reflects the intense relationships that he had with believers throughout the world. Serving with brothers and sisters in Christ is one way to greatly deepen our relationships. In fact, the deepest relationships that I have in this life is with those with whom I have gone through the deepest of troubles. This is by design; our struggles galvanize us together to make us strong together.

Romans 15:29-33

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29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. 30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. ~ Romans 15:29-33

Today, we conclude our study of Romans 15 where the Apostle Paul continues to reveal to us the ultimate goal of servanthood for the believer in Christ. In these verses the Apostle provides several principles that should govern and define the servant of the Lord in everyday living. Thus, these principles will equip the servant in that which God has called him.

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ."

When the believer in Christ gets to the point of being the servant of Christ, in spite of the many trials that will be encountered, he will always recon himself blessed of the Lord because he will be being defined by the culture of the Lord. When the servant of the Lord walks in obedience before the Lord, he will always live in the blessing that was granted to every believer in Christ through the work of the Lord Jesus on His cross. When we have come into the truth and the truth has come into us, we will be the most confident, secure and mature people on the planet because our confidence will be in the Lord of all creation.

When we are living in submission to Christ, we will live in obedience to His Word which is the door through which we enjoy to completeness of that which the Lord Jesus died on the cross to give us. This explains why this is not always the case for all who call themselves believers in the Lord Jesus. You see, the economy and the culture of God is so much different than ours, and, if we are not being defined by Him we will never see that those things that we thought were curses were actually blessings. In order to get to this place we must pass the many tests in God's classroom of our sanctification which results in the rearranging of our thinking according to the word of God.

By the way, effective ministry in the will of God will always receive persecution from those who have not been trained by the culture of God. It is very easy to be a believer in the Lord and lack death in the culture of God. It is very instructive to recognize that as it turned out, the Apostle Paul did get to Rome; he got there as a prisoner. And, as a prisoner he wrote the letter to the Philippians wherein he wrote about the blessing that came into his life through the difficulties, chains, and the imprisonment that he endured while in Rome.

God's culture is always missed by those who lack a biblically informed worldview. Mike Yaconelli, founder of Youth Specialities once said, "Spiritual growth is not running faster, as in more meetings, more Bible studies, and more prayer meetings. Spiritual growth happens when we slow our activity down. If we want to meet Jesus, we can't do it on the run. If we want to stay on the road of faith, we have to hit the brakes, pull over to a rest area, and stop. Christianity is not about inviting Jesus to speed through life with us; it's about noticing Jesus sitting at the rest stop. While the church earnestly warns Christians to watch for the devil, the devil is sitting in the congregation encouraging everyone to keep busy doing "good things."

The will and the call of God will always shock us, and it should. A big part of our sanctification is that through it we are being delivered from the power of sin. There are many believers in Christ who believe that all believers should be healthy all the time and that we should have the best of what this world offers us thinking it is being offered to us by the Lord. They fail to recognize the God who allowed all of that calamity to come into the life of Job. They fail to realize that the disciples of the first century had it pretty difficult because of the call of God on their lives. No, God allows or even sometimes causes bad things to happen in the believers life because He has the highest purposes in mind. Those who look for Satan behind every trial miss God because they fail to recognize that it is through the trials of this life that God hones our heart's ability to see Him and know Him best.

In v.30-32 of today's passage we read, "30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you." 

Emphasis is placed here by the Apostle upon prayer which is the product of the Holy Spirit of God within us, awakening a desire to show love and compassion to those in need. When we catch a glimpse that the honor of Christ is involved, and the love of the Spirit is fulfilled when we pray, we will truly pray. This is what the apostle appeals to here. Life is a struggle and prayer is the primary way that we engage in the battle. Prayer is the greatest weapon we have along with the abiding Holy Spirit to usher in the results God wants to bring. 

When the Apostle Paul arrived in Jerusalem, as we learn from the book of Acts, there came a moment when he was set upon by a mob in the temple courts. They were out to kill him, right on the spot. They had rocks in their hands, and they were about to stone him to death. But it just so happened that at the critical moment, the commander of the Roman legion on the other side of the wall, in the castle of Antonia, looked over into the temple court and saw what was going on. He came down with a band of soldiers and rescued the Apostle Paul in the nick of time.

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen."

Peace is one of many of the beautiful characteristics that are manifested as one of the fruits of the Spirit in the life of the yielded believer who is growing in grace. There are three types of peace in the Scriptures: Spiritual peace or peace with God. Then, there is psychological peace or peace within. The, there is relational peace or peace with others. It is the peace with God that Christ earned for us on His cross that makes the other two work in our lives. It all starts and ends in the life of the servant of the Lord with being defined by the God of peace so that we can live out of the peace of God.

Romans 15:25-28

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25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. ~ Romans 15:25-28

Today, we continue our study of Romans 15 where the Apostle Paul has been showing us in practical terms what it looks like to be a servant of the Lord. You will remember that the outline of the book of Romans is: Romans 1-3 the sinful condition of man, Romans 4-5 salvation or justified by faith, Romans 6-8 sanctification, Romans 9-11 the sovereignty of God, and Romans 12-16 service. As indicated by the outline of this book, the goal of it all is servanthood.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem."

Many years before Paul wrote the book of Romans, according to Acts 15, the Apostle Paul was sent to Antioch with a letter. In that letter, Paul was specifically asked that he be careful to remember the poor in Jerusalem. And now, many years later, he is fulfilling that requirement. He has taken up an offering and now he wants to deliver it personally to the desperate believers in Jerusalem. In fact, according to Acts 6, we are informed that the widows in Jerusalem did not have enough food to eat at that time. 

The word "minister" used here in v.25 was used by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 20:26 when He said, "If you want to be great in my kingdom, you must become a servant." In this verse the Lord used the word "diakinos" which is translated "minister" in Romans 15:25 and "servant" in Matthew 20:26.

Then when we go on to read Matthew 20:27 which reads, "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave." In this verse the Lord Jesus used the word "doulas" translated "slave" in Matthew 20:27. The usage of these two Greek words "doulas" and "diakinos" underscores what every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is called to: a life where we are continuously losing sight of self and continuously gaining the heart of our maker and savior for others. And, as the Apostle indicates in v.26 of today's passage, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia were getting the very same message from the Lord.

The New Testament world was sharply split into slaves and free persons. A "doulos" was a person owned by another. There were millions of slaves in that day. They were everywhere, and it is no surprise that local Christian congregations included many slaves. Slavery took many shapes. One slave might chop vegetables in the kitchen.  Another might be a scribe for a wealthy landowner. Still others worked to death in a copper mine. Their fate depended on the character of the master, because there was one central fact in the life of a slave:  You were the property of a master. Such is the case with the servant of the Lord.

Interestingly, the word translated "contribution" in v.26 is the Greek word "koinōnia." This is the Greek word for fellowship, and essential to experiencing "koinōnia" is the sharing of things, in this case money. All of this just underscores the very true and old adage, "Where God guides, He provides." And, underscored in this passage is the subtle idea that God will always meet our needs, especially when it equips us to accomplish that which God has called us to individually. I am grateful to have been reminded many times by my late and dear friend, Mike Gasaway, of a William Carey quote who once said, "God's work done God's way will not lack God's supply."

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things."

"It pleased" the Macedonian and Achaian believers to share their money with the needy in Jerusalem. They did it because it was in their heart to do it. They did it because of love. They were not coerced to do this. And, even though they did it willingly, they were in debt to the Jews because of the role the Jews played in bringing to the earth the Messiah. 

When our understanding of a servant of Christ raises to a certain level, we will contribute to the needs of others in whatever way the Lord leads us to participate. It was the servant heart of the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, and, it was the servant heart of the Apostle Paul that made them all willing enough to participate in the meeting of the needs of the needy believers in Jerusalem. 

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain."

As indicated in this verse, the servant of the Lord does not quit until he has accomplished the calling of God upon his life. The Apostle Paul had a great sense of priority, and, because of this priority, he took the offering from the believers in Macedonia and Achaia first to the most needy in Jerusalem. There is no realization of our future dream as God would have it for us when we do not know how it is to give ourselves totally to the priority that exists right in front of us in the moment in which we live.

I close today by bringing your attention to the fact that the Apostle Paul refers to this monetary gift that he delivered to the needy believers in Jerusalem as "this fruit." The money was the fruit of the Macedonian and Achaean believers' love and faith. The image of "fruit" is closely connected with the life that the gospel brings into our once ruined lives. I find it quite instructive to realize that the Apostle Paul used this word translated "fruit" at two more times to describe two other things in Romans: winning souls to Christ in Romans 1:13, and pursuing holiness in Romans 6:22. Thus, there are three kinds of fruit: giving, witnessing and pursuing holiness which we will find hanging from the tree of our everyday lives as we learn to walk with Him more consistently.

Romans 15:22-24

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22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. ~ Romans 15:22-24

We are progressing our way to the end of this letter written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome. As has been pointed out, the ultimate point of this book is service. Most people often miss the main point that God has through something, and, the book of Romans is no different. When we think of Romans we think of all of the deep theology that is in it. Theological words like justification, and sanctification. As is always the case with God, the main point is not to be found in the glamorous headline. No, God always is at work most in the subscripts of life. This is why the end result of this book is servanthood.

Today, we return to our study of Romans 15, the Apostle Paul's continuation of what a "living sacrifice" looks like. And, to the degree that we understanding the deep theology taught in Romans and to the degree that the grace and mercy of God apprehends our souls will be the degree to which we will be living sacrifices unto God and we will be useful to Him in what He is doing in this world.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you."

When we arrive on the porch of servanthood our wills take a back seat to the will of God. God does not always send us where we want to go. The Apostle Paul wanted for years to go to Rome, but God had other ideas that prevented it. The gospel had already been preached in Rome, and the believers there didn't need the Apostle Paul there like some other parts of the world did at that time. 

In a sense, Paul had completed his work in those regions, but there was more work to be done. Paul had laid a foundation for the Christian faith and he had planted churches in those areas. Now, others would pick up the mantle and water the seed Paul planted. Others would need to continue the work there, to disciple the believers to become mature Christians and to reach more people for the Lord Jesus Christ. For this reason, we must never believe our work for God is done while we are on this earth. 

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while."

The Apostle Paul gives two reasons for his planning visit to Rome. First of all, he says there was no more place for him in the parts that he had been up until the writing of the book of Romans. Paul had preached in almost every major area in Greece and in Asia and now he didn't need to be there anymore and he felt free for the first time to travel west to Rome.

The second reason is simply that he had always had a longing to visit Rome and meet the Christians there in the capital city of the Empire which was such a critical place where he could make such a great impact for the Lord Jesus. But Rome wasn't Paul's final destination. He had his eye on another place. According to v.24, he wanted to go to Spain, a country which at that time had never yet had a gospel witness. Paul was always thinking ahead. Always laying tentative plans to do the thing he loved to do best and the thing he was called of God to do, and that was: to preach the gospel in virgin territory.

Finally, there is a huge lesson embedded in today's verses that the servant of the Lord must come to grips with if he is to be useful to the Lord in this world. The lesson is what do I do when I am delayed? In such a context, we must wait patiently. Times of waiting are very revealing, they reveal who is calling the shots in our lives. As the servants of the Lord we mustn't be too quick to rush into something that the Lord has told us to wait on. God sees what we can not see, He sees everything involved. We must trust His leading and we must trust Him to open the doors according to His timing and then we will walk through those doors.

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.