Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”
The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 15:1-13)
This
week we will begin reading chapter 15, verses
1-13 as we consider Bearing
Burdens and Glorifying God…
The
“unity” of the “redeemed” is indeed the divine “purpose” of God and will ultimately find
its consummation in “eternal”
glory when all “believers” are
brought “together” under the “Lordship” of Jesus Christ forever
– As one in Him!
It
is the passionate desire of the heart of God the
Father, God the Son
and God the Holy Spirit that we
be “one” in Him. And since
this “unity” is so essential
to God, the Apostle Paul also finds it necessary to “teach” on this matter as well! One of the
great potential problems in “fellowship”
is the unnecessary “conflict”
between “strong” and “weak” Christians which can disrupt the “unity” of the true “church” – The
Bride of Jesus Christ!
Throughout
these entire sections of Scripture, Paul is emphasizing four major
principles that must govern the relationship between “strong” and “weak” Christians in our “walk”
with Jesus Christ:
The
first principle was found in chapter
14 verses 1 to 12 to "receive
one another with understanding.”
The
second principle was found in chapter
14 verses 13 to 23 to "build
up one another without offending."
The
third and fourth principles are found
in our study of chapter 15 verses 1 to 13
this week outlining Paul’s closing concerns of this epistle to the Romans – “bearing with one another in Jesus Christ”
and to “glory in God's plan”
as we “serve” Him…
Bearing Each Other’s Burdens!
It
is incumbent upon the “strong”
believer to “bear” with the “scruples” of
“weak” believer that he may
seek to “please” him
– rather than himself:
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 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
REMEMBER!: The “scruples of the weak” are the “non-moral
preferences” spoken of here!
To
“please” others instead of “ourselves” requires high spiritual motives
“leading to edification”
of “another” believer in Jesus
Christ. The word "ought"
here is a very strong word – Bastazō – which means to be a debtor and
is used some 25 times in the New Testament. It is the word which means to get
under and carry the load. Paul is referring here to “pleasing” in the sense of helping
the “weak” believer to “carry
a load” of “spiritual bondage”
that they do not yet feel “free”
to “unload.” In other words, the “strong”
believer “ought” to “walk” with the “weak” believer in such a way to “convince” them to “dump their religious
pack” so to speak. It is imperative that we “conform”
to what the Word of God teaches in this regard – There
is no revelation apart from the Scripture!
And
to increase our “learning”
and “hope” in God, Paul again
quotes the Old Testament “Scriptures”
to make his point – “as it
is written”:
For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me – Psalm 69:9
In
pleasing God the Father, God the Son received “reproaches,” suffered “insults” and was “hated.” Because men “reproach” God, they “reproach” the “Son” who revealed Him. They “reproach” the “holiness” of God and they “reproach” the “holiness” of Jesus Christ – And Christians as well!
Glorify God Together!
And
continuing, Paul is basically saying: May “God” grant “you”
this “like-mindedness”
because “you” can't
do it on your own and as “God”
has “received”
all of “us,” may
“God” get all
the “glory!”:
Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God – Romans 15:5-7
We
“receive” each other to the “glory” of God! “Therefore” in “all things” we must be controlled
by a “like-minded”
consuming “desire” that “God” be “glorified”
– rather than self. When we “receive”
another “believer” we “receive” Jesus Christ. And in “receiving” Jesus Christ, we “receive” the “One” who “sent”
Jesus Christ – God the Father!
Next
is a final “plea” for “unity” among the “weak” & the “strong” believers in “rejoicing” together. Paul’s emphasis here
is also on “praise” to “God” because of the blending of “Jew” and “Gentile”
together as one in Jesus Christ:
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 – Romans 15:8
Jesus
Christ was a “servant to the circumcision.”
He came as a “Jew” and thus
identified with the “Jew” in
the “sign” of the “covenant” – physical “circumcision” – for the purpose of the “truth of God” to “confirm the promises made to the fathers.”
And as a result, the “Gentiles”
will also “glorify God for
His mercy.” If “Jesus
Christ” hadn't come to “fulfill”
the “promises made to the fathers”
then “God” would not
be “true” – He would be a liar!
Paul
also says that “Jesus Christ”
also came to “fulfill” Old
Testament prophecy – “as it
is written”:
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” – Romans 15:9
For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name – Psalm 18:49 & 2 Samuel 22:50
The
word "confess" means
to acknowledge “God”
in a “saving” way. The
Psalmist David is “singing”
the “praise” of “God” among the “nations” – An
allusion to Gentile salvation!
Paul
then finishes this incredible passage by giving three more Old Testament quotes…
The
first quote is from the
book of Deuteronomy:
And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” – Romans 15:10
Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people – Deuteronomy 32:43
All
of the “Gentiles” of the “nations” actually “rejoice” along with
the “Jews” and join
in offering “praise” to God!
The
second quote is taken from
the book of Psalm:
And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!” – Romans 15:11
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! – Psalm 117:1
Here
the “Gentiles” are “praising” the Lord alone
in bringing Him glory!
The
third quote is taken from
the book of Isaiah:
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 15:12
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots... And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious – Isaiah 1:1 & 10
Isaiah
the prophet said there would be a “root of
Jesse” of Whom “shall rise” from the Davidic line.
It was through Jesse, the father of David, the son of Obed from whose loins,
would come a “Rod”
– the Messiah. The “Lord”
would “rise” out of
humiliation to “reign” over
the “nations” of the world!
The Messiah will “stand” as a
“banner”
and the “people” shall “seek Him”
and place their “hope” in Him
alone. His “resting place”
will indeed be “glorious”
– His 1000 year
Millennial Kingdom!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHT: It is here in these
passages found throughout the Old Testament we find the wonderful “promises” from God of “Gentile” salvation – Jesus Christ is the ONLY true hope!
Benediction and Prayer
Paul
then closes this section of Romans with a beautiful benedictory intercession of
prayer for the “believers”:
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 – Romans 15:13
This
prayer is the summation of this entire epistle to the Romans!
It's a solemn “wrap up” of everything Paul has said up to this point…
May
“you” be totally “spiritually” satisfied, “filled” with “joy” and “peace”
and “hope” to “overflowing.” May “you” know “forgiveness,”
“peace,” “hope,” “love,”
“victory over sin,” the “power of the Holy Spirit,” “obedience,” “ the “use” of your “spiritual gifts,” a right “relationship” to “others” and to “government,” the “sense of urgency” and how to “care” for “each
other” as “weak”
& “strong” believers – Praise the Lord!
In
other words, Paul’s prayer and benediction is that “we” would be made “full” and “abound”
in “Jesus Christ” by the “power” of the “Holy Spirit” – These life blessings are the FRUIT of TRUE
Salvation in Jesus Christ!
In
closing:
What
does it mean to truly “receive”
one another? To have true “unity”
in the “church” we have to avoid
certain “things.” We must not
cause “another” to “stumble,” be “grieved” or to be “convinced” into “sin.” We must not cause “another” to be “discouraged” or “distressed” or to “violate” their “conscience” and therefore “feel” unnecessary “guilt” and “shame.”
But apart from just avoiding the negative we are also to uphold a
positive attitude of “rejoicing”
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes
when there's “conflict” in the
“church” and when there's “bitterness” between “Christians,” the key to “overcoming” this “sin” is to willfully create
and cultivate an “attitude”
of “joy,” “rejoicing” and “praise” to the Lord! Our pattern must be Jesus
Christ. He is ready to “give you rest for
your soul” from the “labor”
of man-centered “religion”
for those who are “heavy laden”
from its “yoke” of bondage.
In
fact, it was Jesus Christ who said in the Gospel of Matthew:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light – Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus
Christ is telling “us” that “we” ought to “Come” to “Him”
because His “burden is light.”
Not only to “learn” of His
saving gospel message but to also
“Take” hold of His character and His caring approach toward “one another” as we “rest” in Him – He is our Model!
Please continue reading verses 1-13 of
the fifteenth chapter of Romans
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
