Romans 15:1-13 "Please and Receive One Another"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Thank you again for your prayers for the Butcher family. Michelle was able to return home this week and is doing really well following her heart surgery.

She was wearing a shirt that said “Saved by Jesus and an Amazing Heart Surgeon.”

Praise God… and we are thankful for the grace of modern medicine.

We have a couple of Freshmen about to start College… Elli and Daniel… this is Ell’s last Sunday with us for awhile (we will certainly miss you leading us in worship).

After church we are going to pray over our freshmen and there’s a cake in the back.

Well… let’s now turn in our Bibles to Romans 15. Romans 15:1-13.

Today, we conclude the application portion of Paul’s epistle to the Romans.

A major milestone indeed for we’ve been studying through Romans for almost a year now…

As a recap, Paul’s letter began with an introduction in Romans 1:1-17… which was customary for any epistle or letter of ancient times.

Then Paul established his case for the Gospel and God’s righteousness…

In Romans 1:18-3:20 Paul established the need for God’s righteousness… because apart from Him we all are under condemnation.

Then in Rom 3:21-5:21, Paul established… through faith in Jesus Christ we are Justified and God’s righteousness is put onto… imputed to account.

In Romans 6-8 Paul zeroed in on our Christian journey of Sanctification.

In Romans 9-11 God’s righteousness was proven as vindicated through the example of God’s faithfulness to Israel… which stands as an assurance of His faithfulness to us.

Then, in Romans 12 to 15:13, Paul focused on our practice of righteousness… which is the application section for believers.

And, next week, Lord willing, we’ll begin Paul’s concluding remarks to the epistle… from Romans 15:14-16:27.

It’s been quite the blessed journey.

Including today, we will close out Romans… in 3-4 weeks from now… and then back to the Gospel of Luke.

Well… to bring us up to speed for today’s message… beginning in Romans 14, Paul began to wrap up the Application section focusing on Christian Liberties.

Which are the freedoms we have in Christ. These are not doctrinal issues, but matters of opinion.

And, Christians have varied views on matters to which the Bible is silent or doesn’t give a clear command.

Two examples for Paul’s day… in a church made up of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians…

… were what was the permissible day to worship… and what was permissible to eat without grieving or stumbling another Christian.

In Romans 14:1-13, Paul mostly addressed the “weaker Christian”… one who held to convictions right for them, but not required for everyone else.

Then in Romans 14:14-23, Paul focused on the ‘stronger Christian’ who embraced Christian freedoms.

Paul spoke to both the weak and the strong to guard their hearts from poor attitudes towards one another.

For the weak not to judge… for the strong not to despise or argue.

But, to elevate love and unity over freedoms.

To pursue righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

And to know we will give an account of ourselves before God during the future Bema Seat of Christ…

… which should motivate us presently in our dealings with one another.

Now… we don’t know if Paul addressed this topic because he was aware of issues present in the church at Rome…

… or if he was just sharing his own experience… as these potentials exist at any church… which Paul personally witnessed at the church in Corinth.

Regardless… the topic of Christian liberties and our dealings with one another in love… has proven a most valuable topic for church unity down through the ages.

Today… we wrap up this topic on Christian freedoms and the great importance of unity and sacrifice for one another…

… in a message titled “Please and Receive One Another.”

And, in reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Romans 15:1–13 “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. 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. 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.”

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.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated!

In Chapter 14… Paul first primarily addressed the weak Christian… and then shifted focus to address the strong… and the strong still seems to be in focus in V1.

Now… weak and strong are not matters of physical strength… and not intended to elevate position or to suggest one is better than the other…

Weak and strong are reflections on where a Christian is in their view of Christian freedoms.

Strong Christians embrace freedoms in Christ, but don’t cross the line into sinful behaviors.

Weak Christians have convictions about what they consider wrong… even in areas where the Bible is silent.

They have a weak conscience about certain things… and it’s important for them to follow their conscience… even if misguided.

If you think something is a sin… treat it as so and don’t engage. That was the closing idea Paul shared in Chapter 14.

One’s opinions over liberties may change in time, but until then… when in doubt, don’t engage.

Now… opening Chapter 15… Paul addresses the stronger… and Paul writes “We then who are strong...”

So, Paul puts himself in the camp of the strong… which tells us he personally came a long way in his Christian journey.

You would think Paul would identify himself as being associated with the weak considering Paul was a very devout… very religious Jew.

Paul was not a Gentile… He didn’t live life engaging in worldly freedoms prior to Christ… he restricted himself in adherence to Jewish traditions.

In Acts 22 Paul testified that he was “taught according to the strictness of [the] law” by a famous teacher named Gamaliel…

In Phil 3, Paul described himself as a “Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee...”

And Pharisees were know to be so exact about small matters, like straining out a gnat from their drink, to not drink the blood… to not eat anything unclean and violate the law.

And they missed the heart intent of the law… they majored in minors… and put people in bondage…

And that’s how Paul lived.

But, somehow and at some time… Paul grew where he was not bound by traditions of man which were motivated by pride and power… and condemned by Jesus as hypocritical.

We don’t know when Paul worked this out… if it was during his time of solitude in Arabia…

We don’t know what freed him… was it him reflecting on the word… and then reflecting of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees?

Was it some other experience… or someone who came alongside him?

Was it the Holy Spirit impressing upon him truth and freedoms in Christ?

Or some combination of all this and more?

We don’t know, but somehow Paul worked this out and became strong.

He was no longer weak in the traditions of men…

And… this truly is the power of the word… and the power of discipleship from others… and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Many of us can think back to who we were and who we are now… and praise God for how far we have grown in Christ.

You know… MY wife often reflects on… and thinks these things about me…

Sometimes she even pauses and looks at me… and kind of… crosses her arms… squints her eyes… and wags her head side-to-side…

...and she tells me, “You’re really something… you know that?”

And, I just feel the love… and it makes me pause and think, “Wow… boy is she blessed to have me.”

I think I’m reading my wife right, but I’ve been known to be wrong at times.

That’s all totally fiction, but hey… all joking aside…

Are we all not blessed to be growing in Christ… to be in the process of dying to self… and being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ?

We’re not sinless, but we sure do sin less.

And, many of us have grown in our freedoms and our attitudes… and we sincerely praise God for that.

And… when I read Paul’s words in V1 “We then who are strong...”

It makes me pause for a moment in awe.

It gives me hope for anyone wrestling with self-inflicted rules and bondage that are not biblical.

If Paul can progress in his walk moving away from strict law keeping as a Pharisee to now being strong… now embracing freedoms in Christ…

Well this encourages me that NONE of Us are stuck where we are… we ALL have the potential for progress in Christ.

For us who have changed like Paul… and grown in the Lord to embrace freedoms…

What a blessing that we’re not the same man or woman we used to be.

And, keeping this in mind… it helps us with perspective… to be patient and loving with other… and to extend grace… since other people are also on their own journey.

These are helpful thought… and challenges us to have a good heart attitude when we read verses like V1 “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

And, if I had to summarize this verse in just one word, I’d use the word “sacrifice.”

There is a natural tendency for us to take care of #1. To please ourselves first and foremost, but Paul is telling us…

As some Bible translations say, that the strong have a “duty” or “obligation” to be considerate… to bear with… the scruples or weaknesses… one translation even reads the “failings” of the weak.

Which is no small thing… certainly not natural… but a supernatural action…

It’s a demonstration of walking in love… agape love… which was used last chapter in V15… self-sacrificial love… goodwill towards men…

It’s an action where the strong can show they are living out kingdom principles… righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…

To elevate our love for one another over our freedoms.

If freedoms are more important than love for one another… boy have we got it wrong.

Jesus didn’t say “All will know you are My disciples, if you exercise your personal freedoms… and get frustrated with someone who has a different opinion.”

That’s not in the Bible…

What is… is when He said, “… all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

And love iQs a sacrificial word. We read in 1 Cor 13 last week that love “does not seek it’s own”… it “does not demand its own way.”

The NASB phrases V1, “we who are strong ought to bear with the weaknesses of those without strength...”

The weak lack the strength to walk in freedom without their conscience being pierced…

Thus the strong are to bear with the weaknesses of the weak…

“Bear” - means “to take up, carry.”

“Bearing up” the weaker brother. Providing support with superior strength.

This goes beyond simply tolerating those who adhere to religious rules, but carrying the load…

And this is done through genuine sympathy… and love.

It requires patience to not despise the weak…

It takes time and investment… because the weak needs discipleship… so they grow in knowledge, and become strong themselves… freed from matters of opinion.

So, the strong has a unique position to carry… to bear with… and even to yield their freedoms…

Again… in V1 Paul instructed for the strong to “not… please ourselves.”

And now in V2… Paul states…

V2 “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.”

“Us” in V2… seems to be keeping with the idea of addressing the strong… and if so… If you consider yourself strong… use your strength to be pleasing as in agreeable to your brethren in Christ, not just to please yourself.

And it doing so this leads to edification… building up.

This truly is a good principle for all Christians… strong or weak… and a mutually edifying is healthy.

But, it is more difficult for the weak Christian to please the strong… in the context of Christian liberties.

The weak cannot step up and participate in the freedoms of a stronger believer without causing themselves grief… or worse yet… stumbling themselves… where they fall into sin and their relationship with Christ is damaged.

So… the strong Christian has a unique position… a greater responsibility… over the weak… as the more matured Christian… to exercise a yielding love to the weak…

The strong alone can pause in exercising their freedom without finding themselves in a place of sinful disobedience.

But, again, the weak cannot participate in the strong’s freedoms and say the same.

Thus, the focus here is on the strong and for them to take the initiative and stand down…

And this requires a supernatural filling of the Holy Spirit and the love that He pours out… to pass on love… because this can be a most frustrating sacrifice.

“To stoop down and yield to someone else’s non-biblical restrictions? Feels a bit unfair.”

Last week… I think some of you were feeling like this is too big to navigate… I mean… how can I even know if I’m stumbling someone? Or live my life free? It’s a bit overwhelming!

Several of you, last week, mentioned you appreciated the commentary I read by David Guzik which helped us discern how to… NOT get sucked into catering to every whim of the weak… especially NOT catering to legalism… but only being sensitive to not stumbling a sincere heart…

S. Lewis Johnson Jr., a theologian formerly out of Dallas Theological Seminary… shared similar thoughts, but goes a step further and explains a potential danger to the Gospel… He wrote:

“Strong believers should avoid confirming legalists in their weakness by continually yielding on the things that offend the legalists. It is the responsibility of weak believers to grow to strength, and that can hardly be done if the strong always yield without explanation. Then the life of the body of believers becomes determined by the narrowest and the most prejudiced of its members. …

Essentially, the church cannot give itself completely over to the convictions of the weak… or the church would become a very legalistic church.

Johnsons continues, “That would not be so bad, were it not also an inevitable result that the unbelieving world is led to conclude that the gospel itself depends on obedience to the scruples and inhibitions of the weak. The gospel issue, then is no longer the issue of Christ and his saving cross alone, but the cross plus obedience to the scruples. Salvation appears to unbelievers to be the product of faith and works, not of faith alone, dishonoring Christ’s work and confusing the good news.”

Wise words and perspective from S. Lewis Johnson Jr.

I do like how he emphasizes that the weak have a responsibility to grow strong… and when the strong do not yield… they have a responsibility to share why… for the growth of the weaker.

A mutually edifying picture like this is a good portrayal of V2.

Handling the situation of navigating freedoms requires great discernment.

And our author of Romans… Paul… is a great example of one who discerned well if and when to yield to the weak… or to take a stand against legalists.

To a mostly Gentile (or non-Jewish) audience in Galatia… Paul defended their freedoms.

The word “Judaize” is found only 1x in the NT in Gal 2:14 when Paul confronted Peter asking “… why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”

… “to live as Jews” by def. means “to Judaize.”

Further in Gal 5:6 Paul wrote, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything...”

Paul argued against the necessity of circumcision for Gentile believers.

This was in the context of the church… and not catering to legalists.

Now… in a different context… when dealing with unbelievers who Paul wanted to share the Gospel with… Paul did just the opposite.

In Acts 16… Paul circumcised Timothy knowing there were many Jews in the region…

And, Timothy being born to a Jewish mother, but a Greek father… was not circumcised.

But, if you’re mom’s a Jew… you’re considered a Jew…

If you’re thinking why is that? The Jewish Mishnah essentially states, “Maternity is certain, paternity could be uncertain.”

That’s just free information.

But, Timothy having a Jewish mother… he may have been a stumbling block to the Jews by being uncircumcised.

So, Paul made a strategic decision to remove the barrier…

Which was a bad day for Timothy. What a sacrifice!

And, maybe you’re thinking, “Was it really necessary for Timothy to get circumcised? I mean really… how would anyone know?”

In our culture, typically… we don’t make this info. public.

And if they do… it’s weird.

Amanda and I were at a Pastor’s conference and… and I don’t why, but one of the Pastors… while giving a message in front of all the other Pastors and their wives… shared… he was circumcised.

And, he didn’t mean for it to be weird… but it was… and the room was undone.

Our little immature group in the back were wide eyed… thought TMI… and could NOT stop giggling.

Amanda stood up and said, “You’re really something… you know that?”

Not really. …

She only says that to me.

But, circumcision… in other cultures… it’s not as private… people know your circumcision status.

Everyone’s up in everyone else’s business… and it’s very likely that the community knew that Timothy was not circumcised.

In the Philippines, circumcision is a rite of passage called “tuli”… and its often performed between the ages of 10-14.

I still remember the day in the Philippines when all 12 year old Filipino boys came hobbling into Bible Study… groaning in pain.

And the whole community knew it. Circumcision was NOT a private matter.

The Filipino girls really enjoyed poking fun at the boys.

That was an unusual day for us… a true cross cultural experience.

But back to the point… Timothy had the freedom to not get circumcised.

But, he laid down his freedom for a higher purpose… for the sake of evangelizing the Jews…

Paul and Timothy avoided a cultural dispute… avoided causing offense to the Jews who held to the necessity of a religious rite… to make sure there was no distraction for the Jews… to make sure they could focus on the gospel message.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:22–23 “… to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake…”

Paul was “free from all men”… he had Christian freedoms, but when in the company of unbelieving Jews or Gentiles… he laid aside these rights for the sake of the Gospel.

For the possibility of them believing in Christ… for the sake of the Gospel message being heard without distraction…

Timothy said, “Sign me up boss… snip snip.”

The next time you want to complain about sacrificing your freedoms… consider Timothy… you’re sacrifice will seem like nothing in comparison.

We should make T-Shirts… with inspiring slogans about Timothy.

Something like:

"Timothy Sliced Through Barriers for the Gospel!"

or "Unbelievers? Timothy Gave It All to Reach ‘Em!"

I don’t know. It’s a work in progress… maybe a bad idea.

This topic of freedoms is a tough one. One we will likely wrestle with for our entire lives.

But, fortunately we have scripture to guide us.

I was thinking about how sometimes when I’m listening to a sermon… on a difficult passage in Scripture… one that’s difficult to swallow…

I have a tendency to think, “Well I don’t know about that.” … “I’m going to need to think on and research that a bit.”

And that can be healthy… if you’re being a Berean and searching the scriptures to verify. That’s good.

Maybe you think like this as well.

But, I often find that I can be convinced through an example in scripture… one that assuages my doubt… and calms my spirit.

And, so… what Paul does next… is he provides his readers with the highest example… that of the life of Jesus Christ.

Look again at V3 “For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.””

These words that Paul begins V3 with… “For even Christ”…

These are challenging words in light of the context.

Even Christ as our model… even Christ as our example… did not please Himself… but suffered reproach or insult… to remain faithful to His ministry… to be in the Father’s will… to help those about Him.

With Christ as our example… can we too seek good for others… to please our neighbor as a holy service… leading to edification… building them and the church up…

… even if they are misguided in weakness?

Any hard hearted Christian that would think, “No. I’m not going to sacrifice for others, even though Christ sacrificed during His ministry… and even sacrifice His very life for me. I’m not willing to sacrifice even though Christ did.”

These verses stand as a challenge to that attitude.

Paul has now used this word “please” 3x in the first three verses of Chapter 15…

And it’s a word that is a little more difficult to define than most words… because it simply means “to please”, thus context is key to understand the intent of this word.

“Please” is a verb… which expresses an act or mode of being.

And in this context it speaks about not pleasing ourselves to shame (V1), but to please others as a holy service (V2)… as exemplified by the highest sacrificial example of Jesus who did not please Himself (V3).

Jesus didn’t live to please Himself. He didn’t travel from heaven to earth and accept the temptation of Satan in the wilderness to accept all the kingdoms of the world and their glory…

Which was conditional… by Satan for Jesus to bow down and worship him. Which is insane, but it’s what Satan has always been after according to Isa 14 and Ezk 28.

Jesus rejected Satan’s offer… in order to embrace the Cross… which was the Father’s will… because Jesus didn’t come from heaven to earth to please Himself.

In John 6:38 Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees about them crucifying Him… in John 8:29 He said, “The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

When the hour of trial had come for Jesus to face the cross… in John 12:27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

Jesus was always about the Father’s business and lived in the Father’s will… which was to redeem mankind… through the greatest of sacrifices.

Jesus lived to please the Father, not Himself as we read in John 8 “I always do those things that please Him.”

These are some crazy big shoes to fill… an impossible example to live up to…

But this is the example Paul lays before us in our context of Christian liberties and not pleasing ourselves, but pleasing our neighbor.

God help us in these things.

Paul goes on in V3 to quote from Ps 69:9 and the full verse reads, “Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”

David, who wrote this Psalm… experienced personal hostility and insults… even from his own family… for his dedication in laying the plans to build the temple.

Which can serve as a example for us to build up God’s spiritual house… His church… we who are the temple of the living God.

Just as David sacrificed much for God’s physical temple.

Jesus was also protective about His Father’s house and His Father’s honor… if people insulted God and the intents of what God’s house… His temple was intended for… Jesus took it as a personal offense.

In fact, the first time Jesus cleansed the temple… whipping people to drive them out… pouring out the money changers money… overturning their tables… telling those who sold doves, “Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”

The disciples observed all this… and their minds were drawn to this very same Psalm of David…

After Jesus cleansed the Temple, we read in John 2:17 “Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.””

Jesus was zealous… in that He had a warmth of feeling for the true intent of His Father’s house… for it to be a “house of prayer” for all nations… not a “den of thieves.”

And if God was misrepresented… if people spoke ill about God, the reproach or insult to God the Father… fell on God the Son.

In light of our context of Christian liberties… and our previous commentary on legalist… versus a sincere weaker brother…

When Jesus went into the temple… He found many legalists… Pharisees…

And Jesus was firm with them… He didn’t yield to their weaknesses of law keeping which was riddled with man made traditions… which served their own selfish gain.

Constable wrote, “In [Jesus] we can see the difference between a people-pleaser and a people-lover.”

Jesus whipped people right out of the temple… He was not people-pleaser, but He did this because He was a people-lover… of the many who came to the temple to worship.

And, there would be cost to Jesus because of this.

For Jesus… or David… to remain in the Father’s will… to please the Father and not Himself… the cost was weighty.

And, as a point of application… if they obeyed the will of the Father… even with great cost…

… Can we make a two-fold sacrifice… for the weaker brother… and for the overall unity of the church?

Can we obey the guidance of scripture regarding Christian liberties?

Something to take a walk with this week.

And, it would seem… that now that Paul has cited Scripture… … Ps 69:9… he takes this opportunity to highlight…

… how Scripture, in general… serves to help instruct us and build us up.

He writes in V4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

The “things written before” refers to the OT passages… written before in time… and written with purpose…

And Paul points out several benefits of Scripture in V4…

Learning… which is instruction.

And, the scriptures provide “patience”… by def. “a patient enduring” or “perseverance.”

And provide “comfort”… by def. “a calling to one’s aid”… which reflects upon the Comforter (the Holy Spirit)…

And, can be taken to mean “encouragement.”

And, the scriptures result in hope… which means “expectation”… not merely ‘wishful thinking.’

I like how the NLT ties this all together and reads, “And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.”

And boy do we need that as we try to navigate this world… and this Christian life… and unity with one another…

None of which are easy…

As we seek to remain faithful to the will of God… what a blessing it is that we have the Scriptures and we have hope of things to come.

If you want more examples of faithful men and women who persevered… even in spite of opposition… read once again through Hebrew chapter 11.

Wrapping up the idea of ‘bearing one another’s burden” and ‘pleasing one another”… Paul writes in…

vv5-6 “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.”

We read in V4 that Scripture provides “patience and comfort”, but now we read of the origin of “patience and comfort”… God.

Patience and Comfort are gifted to us by God through Scripture.

I do hope you get not just a weekly fill of Scripture here on Sundays, but a daily fill of Scripture… so you endure and stay encouraged.

And, now to both the strong and the weak… Paul pronounces that God would help them in their like-mindedness toward one another…

“Like-minded” could be translated as “live in harmony” or “to have understanding”…

Not that we will always see eye-to-eye… especially with liberties… but that we prioritize harmony with like minded spiritual vision for the sake of the Gospel and God’s glory.

“According to Christ Jesus”… or “as is fitting for followers of Jesus Christ”…

Because we are to be the ‘light of the world’… and to do this… unity in the church is needed… so the gospel is not hindered.

In unity… the church thinks with one mind… and speaks with one mouth… and that unified mind and mouth glorifies God.

In wrapping up this topic of our dealings with one another with Christian Liberties… Paul suggests that it is not enough just to tolerate one another…

We must be unified… otherwise… without a “spirit of unity”… how can any church body function as it should… to bring glory to God?

So… to put a bow on it… Paul writes in V7 “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.”

“Receive one another”… other translations read, “accept one another” or “welcome one another”…

Paul summarizes what he has already stated in many and various ways.

So often the lessons in Scripture… especially the lessons of Paul… are repetitious.

Not as in vain repetition… which is empty and mindless repetition. Jesus discouraged vain repetition in prayer (Matt 6:7).

But profitable repetition… because we need words repeated for learning.

When teaching the Bible, the goal extends beyond simply being understood. The aim is to achieve such clarity that the teacher is not misunderstood… and repetition helps.

So… often Paul teaches through repetition, but adds angles of perspective… and paints different shades on the canvas of our minds… to create depth.

And we need it… because our canvas is so often a hard heart and an stubborn mind… so scripture has to chisel away… to penetrate and have a sanctifying impact.

And since it’s difficult for the strong to swallow this pill of self sacrifice of freedoms… and land the plane in peace… Paul once again calls upon the model of Jesus Christ.

We are to receive one another… just as Christ received us.

To reject one another would be rather hypocritical, for Christ did not reject us.

V8 “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,…”

Paul now expands what it means to receive one another… as he points out that…

Jesus Christ served the Jews (“the circumcision”)… through fulfilling many and various OT prophecies… the “promises made to the fathers” (the OT Patriarchs)… proving that God is true… and fulfills His promises.

For the Christians in Rome… who were both Jew and Gentile… this would serve as a healthy reminder of the priority God placed upon Israel.

An important reminder in light of Christian liberties and the strong and weak brother… because Jews would have been the weaker… watching what eat and what day they worship… which Paul cited in Romans 14:1-5…

So, the Gentiles, (the stronger) could use this reminder. Kind of a “Be nice to your brother!” reminder, because God has been faithful to… and He Himself served Israel.

But, Paul doesn’t stop there… to the Jews… Paul reminds them that it was always God’s plan to bless all nations… and incorporate the Gentiles into His redemptive plan.

As far back as Genesis… God established His covenant with Abram saying, “… in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:3).

And to firmly establish his point, Paul, in vv 9-12, cites four OT scriptures… because scripture is a great way to establish a matter.

So in V9 Paul writes, “… 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.” ”

God made promises to the Jews… which included prophecies of Gentiles coming to faith… and glorifying God for His saving mercy.

All this will serve as a strong reminder to the Jews… to not bicker over opinions in the church… but to receive the Gentiles… for God received them.

And perhaps since the Jews have a history of being stiff necked… Paul cites the following OT verses focused upon God’s plan to receive the Gentiles into His kingdom.

And, these are not just four random verses, but show a progression… where Gentiles increasingly become incorporated into God’s plan.

In V9 Psalm 18:49 is cited “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.”

King David anticipated Messiah to come as their Deliverer and he would sing praise to God because of his triumph of the Gentile nations that would serve king David.

Which is evident when you read Psalm 18.

Then in V10 we read, “And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

Here Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:43 “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people...”

Here, the Gentiles are elevated to participate with the Jews in praise to God.… which is a step up from being servants to king David.

Then in V11 the progression continues, “And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”

Psalm 117:1 is now quoted and the Gentiles are now pictured rejoicing or praising God in their own right… independent of Israel… where in the previous verse they praised with Israel.

Then in V12 the final progression, “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 Isaiah 11:10 we now see the millennial Kingdom of Christ pictured and the Gentiles hope in and seek Messiah… and He will rule over them.

Demonstrating the Gentiles will be heirs with Israel… and instead of dividing over opinions on freedoms… they should all unite in praise of God.

So… again… the point… “Be nice to your brother!” Those of you who have boys… you are very familiar with those words.

And, how true was it for the the Jewish and Gentile church in the first century… and how true does that application cross over to us today?

Now… wrapping up the entire application section from Romans 12 to Romans 15:13… Paul writes… rather prays…

V13 “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.”

Hope is a word that points to the future… and God is the “God of hope…”

Life in the future with Him is amongst the deepest of our hopes and aspirations.

It’s a motivation for why we live… and why we serve… and motivates US… to be unified now with other believers.

And, as the believers in Rome were in the lifelong process of sanctification, prior to glorification…

Paul encourages them… which stands as an encouragement to us…

That God… the source of hope… would fill you completely… that your cup would be full to overflowing…

With joy and peace…

… a life full completely of joy meaning “delight, rejoicing, or gladness.”

… and peace… lit. “to join”… speaking of unity and tranquility.

Which is found “in believing”… “Joy and peace in believing”…

Because you trust in Him. Joy and peace outside of trusting in Jesus are as elusive as time spent clinging to possessions that rust and decay.

You will not find true joy and peace except through trust in Jesus.

(worship team please come)

And Paul closes… blessing the believers to abound or overflow with confident hope through the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit.

What an appropriate way to conclude this section…

And what a beautiful blessing and prayer for us to receive today.

Let’s Pray!

What a blessing for us to have Christian freedoms…

… and praise God for this guidance on the importance of unity, love, pleasing and receiving one another as Christ received us.

If you need prayer before you go… our prayer team is available on the sides… to pray with you during this last song.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace… as you enter the week ahead.