The Source of Peace - Romans 15:1-13

© October 13th, 2024 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Romans

Our world today has become indifferent toward the people around us. We have pushed for such rugged individualism that we have little care for how our actions affect others. You hear this from people all the time: “That’s how it’s going to be, and if they don’t like it, they can leave!” “If you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best.” “It’s my way or the highway.”

Over the last several weeks, we have been looking at Paul’s prescription for how we should act toward one another. He pushes us to look beyond ourselves, to recognize that not every issue is one worth dividing over, and to accept and love those who have a different view or conviction than we do. But today, he takes it one step further.

In our passage this morning, Paul challenges us to emulate Jesus by being more concerned about the well-being of the people around us than we are about asserting our supposed rights. If you’re like me, you’ll probably find Paul’s concluding thoughts on the matter to be quite convicting.

Looking Out for Others

Here’s how Paul begins,

We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. (Romans 15:1-13, NLT)

Many of Paul’s instructions in the latter half of Romans have focused on how we are to treat the world at large, but this section focuses more on how we are supposed to treat one another in the Church. The principle seems to be that those who are strong should abide by the weaker brother’s convictions, lest they lead their brother into sin.

The strong are those who have a broader sense of freedom in Christ. This is not freedom to indulge their sinful desires, but rather, they have come to see that faith permits a wide variety of expressions. Paul counted himself among the strong. Where once he was a Pharisee, who insisted on keeping a long list of rules, he now saw that he had freedom in Christ. That freedom meant he could do anything he felt like brought honor to the Lord, even if it violated the rules of his former life. Listen to what Paul said about this to the Corinthians.

19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. 22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23, NLT)

Paul was not obligated to follow the laws of anyone but Christ. But he also understood that sometimes it was better to live according to the convictions of others, because it promotes peace and unity. We are called to give up some of our freedom when it will benefit others.

When I was in college, I attended a fairly conservative Southern Baptist church. They built a new addition to the church that included a fellowship hall and put together a document outlining the expectations for people to use it. They forbade alcohol on the premises, which I understood and agreed with. They also stated that there was to be no dancing whatsoever. While I understood the desire to prevent some of the suggestive movements that sometimes pass for dancing, I personally saw no issue with a couple having their first dance as husband and wife or a Father-Daughter dance. I do not see dancing as inherently evil but believe it can be a unique way of expressing joy and affection. The policy prohibited dancing of any kind. While I tried to explain my position and concerns, the church decided to go ahead with these guidelines. I faced a choice in how to respond. I abided by their rules, even though I didn’t think they need to be as broad as they were. It would have been tempting to “send a message” by planning a dance party in the fellowship hall. In a culture where we are told to stand up for our “rights”, that might be our first thought today. Paul’s approach is for us to be respectful of the weaker consciences of those around us, and to respect their convictions.

Paul points us to Jesus for our example in this. Jesus did not live for himself. He did not insist on His rights. Instead, He offered himself in sacrifice for those He loved. In the same way, we should be willing to make sacrifices for those we love (and whom Christ loves) in the Church. Any sacrifice we make pales in comparison to Christ’s sacrifice for us. Paul challenges us to be willing to give something up for those we love.

There is another important statement Paul makes in these verses that we must not miss. He says these things were written in the scriptures long ago to teach us, and that the scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we patiently wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled. This statement is very similar to what Paul says about the scriptures in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT)

It is usually easy to see how most New Testament passages apply to us and can instruct and guide us. But in Romans 15, Paul is speaking particularly of the Old Testament scriptures. He said that all these scriptures were written to teach us and give us hope and encouragement.

This means that even today, when we read the Old Testament, it remains relevant to us. Not every command will still apply to us, because many of the passages were written to a specific group of people during a specific period of time. We live in a different time, and Christ’s coming caused many parts of the Old Testament to be fulfilled and pass away. But those passages can still teach us. The scriptures do not merely communicate facts, they also guide and instruct us.

Admittedly, in some passages (like the genealogies) it is difficult to see what the lessons might be. But the genealogies remind us that everyone will ultimately die, and all we leave behind is our legacy of faith. The passages on mold, on the construction of the tabernacle, on skin diseases, and the very specific laws about what to eat and wear help us to see that God cares intimately about every area of our lives. While we no longer need to follow those laws, they show us that God cares about everything in our lives, and that we should yield every part of our lives to Him.

While it is important that our knowledge of the scriptures grow (i.e. we need to learn biblical history, the bible stories, and other such details), that information is of little use unless we apply it to our lives. As you read through the Bible each day (which I hope you do!) you should ask yourself, what can I learn from what I just read? What do I learn about God? What do I learn about what He wants from me? All scripture is designed to instruct us—but we need to look for the lessons.

Complete Harmony

Paul continues talking about how we are to relate to one another in verses 5 and 6,

5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6, NLT)

Paul reiterates our need to live in complete harmony with one another, because that is fitting for followers of Christ. We sometimes feel like this is impossible, but he reminds us that God gives us the patience and encouragement we need to carry out His commands.

If you look at what is sometimes called Jesus’ High Priestly prayer, you see this was His desire for us as well.

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. (John 17:20-21, NLT)

Jesus prayed that we (the Church) would be unified in the same way that He and the Father are unified! This is the goal to which we should strive.

Both Jesus and Paul point to the same purpose for our unity—to bring glory to God. This happens in a couple of different ways.

First, when we are unified we are free to worship.It might be easier to think of this from the reverse side—division hinders worship. When we are constantly concerned that those around us will judge us, we tend to be reserved in our worship. We don’t sing because we feel self-conscious. We may not raise our hands or voice affirmations because we are afraid others won’t approve. We hold back from submitting fully to the Lord because we are more concerned about how the people around us see us than we are about how He does. But when there is mutual love and respect in the Church, there is also a wonderful freedom that leads to a deeper worship and praise of our God.

Second, our unity is a testimony to the world. The world is constantly trying to give us reasons we should dislike others or reasons we should separate from a given group of people. But when the Church does what it is supposed to, and treats each other with love, grace, and respect, even in the midst of disagreement, the world takes note. When the world sees us loving one another the way Jesus does, they are drawn to Him.

Most divisions in the church are over things that don’t really matter. People rarely leave a church over profound theological disagreements. Most leave over petty interpersonal issues. We leave because we didn’t get our way or because people didn’t do things the way we thought they should. We leave because our preferences or input were overlooked, or because the things that were most important to us were not the most important things to other people. These are the areas Paul tells us to submit! The world notices when we nitpick at one another, when we backbite and complain about one another. And they say (correctly!) that we’re no different than the rest of the world!

But they also notice when we love like Jesus. Paul tells us we should stop getting so worked up over things that have no eternal impact, and instead focus what unites us—namely Christ’s love for each of us. When we do that, He is glorified, the Church fulfills its purpose, and the world will take note.

The Big Picture

Paul next makes an argument from the Old Testament to remind us that God is working on a much larger scale than we tend to see.

7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:

“For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.” 10 And in another place it is written, “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.” 11 And yet again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.” 12 And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.” (Romans 15:7-12, NLT)

God has been working through the Jews throughout history to bring the Gentiles to a place of faith. This was a particularly relevant truth in the Roman church, as they had an eclectic mix of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. It would have been easy for each group to look down on the other and dismiss them. The Jews could argue that they had always been God’s chosen people and were therefore more important. The Gentiles could argue that God was doing a new thing and that the Jews should stop clinging to the past. Paul’s point was that God’s plan was to work in and through them both! So, they should submit to one another.

We must see that there is a much bigger picture than our personal preferences and desires. As we become more knowledgeable in our faith, sometimes we become more hard-hearted and convinced that our way is the only way to do things. This is not how it should be. Rather than looking to assert our dominance or authority, I believe Paul would tell us to humbly recognize that God is working in and through every believer. Instead of seeing other believers as obstacles to overcome, we should see them as those who are equally beloved by God and treat them with the respect they deserve.

Paul’s Prayer

Paul concludes this section with a prayer for the Roman Christians,

13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NLT)

Paul’s desire is that we would be so filled with hope, joy, and peace that it would overflow into the world. It seems strange that Paul would speak of hope, joy, and peace at the close of a passage where he has been talking about the need for us to submit to one another. Quite frankly, subjugating our desires for the benefit of others doesn’t sound like much fun. It certainly doesn’t seem like the way to get hope, joy, and peace.

But Paul says we find these things when we trust in God, the source of hope. It is only when we trust God’s commands more than our own judgment that we can begin to experience the blessings He offers. It is when we recognize that our wills, our desires, and our “rights” are far less important than unity in the body of Christ that we will begin to experience this freedom and joy and peace. Paul is not telling us we should compromise on the truth, but that we must recognize the difference between scriptural truth and our convictions. In areas where the gospel is not at stake, it is often better to submit to the weaker brother.

God’s ways are often counterintuitive, and it is only when we trust Him enough to put them into practice that we experience the benefit of His wisdom. Paul’s prayer is that we would understand the love and character of our God, and that we would trust Him enough to submit our wills to His. When we do, we will find joy, hope, and peace that is not only sufficient for our needs, but will overflow into the lives of those around us. And when we do that, He will be glorified as He deserves.

Conclusion

So, as good students of the Bible, we should ask ourselves, what is this passage of scripture intended to teach us? What are we to do with what we have read this morning? I’ve got some suggestions.

First, we should learn humility. I suspect that most conflict is a result of our selfish pride. We seem incapable of believing that other believers could possibly arrive at a different conclusion than we have. We are so arrogant as to think that our preferences, our convictions, and the things we would choose to emphasize must be the same for every other believer. We talk a lot about the need to be humble, but not always how to develop humility. Let me give you some suggestions of things to try.

· Practice listening to people who disagree with you instead of arguing with them. Instead of looking for all the reasons they’re wrong, try to understand how they’ve arrived at their conclusion. Don’t start with the assumption they must be wrong.

· Try doing things according to someone else’s preferences. You may come to see the value of their way of doing things, even if it’s still not your preference.

· Honestly ask what the source of your convictions are. Often, we’ll discover they are not based in scripture, but preference. When we see this, it causes us to hold those convictions a bit less dogmatically.

Second, we should take the Bible personally. The whole Bible is written to teach us, instruct us, and guide us in how to live. Study the scriptures on your own. Ask yourself regularly, what does God want me to learn from this? And then seek to apply those truths in your daily life. If you do, you will grow deeper in faith and in your love and trust of God.

Finally, joy and peace are often found in doing the things that stretch us. Most of the time we would prefer that God just let us be the way we are. We’re comfortable and would rather not change. It’s a lot easier to simply surround ourselves with others who think like us, or who we find easy to love. But many of the greatest joys of the Christian life come only when we trust God enough to step out in faith. When we trust Him, when we do what He says, especially when it goes against our natural desires, those are the times when we will see how faithful He really is. We will see the wisdom of His ways, and we will discover that He alone is the source of peace, hope, and joy.

Perhaps, a good place for us to start doing this is in the way we treat one another. It’s easier to pick at each other, but that clearly isn’t working. Maybe it’s time to trust God, swallow our pride, and treat each other like Jesus. It’s not easy, but few things worth doing ever are.

© October 13th, 2024 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Romans