Glorifying the Father With One Mind and One Mouth

Romans 15:1–6 NKJV

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. 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.

The Strong Ought to Bear the Failings of the Weak

Help carry their burden rather than pleasing yourselves.

Romans 15:1 NKJV

1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Instead of looking to please yourselves focus on pleasing your brothers and sisters.

Instead of tearing down your brother or sister build them up.

Romans 15:2 NKJV

2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

Romans 14:19–20 NKJV

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.

Scriptures Ought to be Our Source of Hope

Paul give Christ as our example

Romans 15:3 NKJV

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

Psalm 69:9 NKJV

9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

Isaiah 53:5–6 NKJV

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Paul takes opportunity here to teach about the important roll that the scripture plays in our hope.

Romans 15:4 NKJV

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.

Christians should be the most hopeful people in the world. We should not be down cast. We should not be discouraged.

But where should our hope rest?

2 Corinthians 4:18 NKJV

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Jeremiah 17:7 NKJV

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.

Psalm 62:5–6 NKJV

5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.

Don’t put your hope in the government

Don’t put your trust in other people. The arm of flesh will fail you.

Don’t put your trust in your own abilities

Don’t stick your head in the sand and be optimistic for the sake of optimism.

Put your trust in the Lord

Look to Him and when the world burns up you will not be moved.

The Scripture are for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:1–11 NKJV

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

The Church Ought to Glorify the Father as One

Now we begin to get to the heart of it. All creation exists for this purpose and to this end. For the glory of God.

In this passage Paul is encouraging us to bear the burden of the weak, not pleasing ourselves but pleasing one another not destroying the work of God but building up one another. We do this with Christ as our example in that He took our transgression upon himself and died for our sins.

Now Paul offers up this prayer.

Romans 15:5–6 NKJV

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.

Paul’s desire that the Church in Rome be unified, and loving one another and edifying one another is that they may with one mind and one mouth glorify God the Father.

This is why we exist. This is why we were born, why God saved us, why we meet together, why we build one another up.

2 Corinthians 4:13–15 NKJV

13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

All that Christ has done for us, the gospel and the preaching of the gospel is that the grace of God would spread through many causing many to give thanks and praise and glory to God. The purpose of your life is to glorify God and this is to be done together that we might, in unity, glorify God the Father. We do not glorify God when we cause a brother of sister to stumble. We do not glorify God when we have division in the church. We glorify God when we bear the burdens of the weak. We glorify God when we give preference to one another not just pleasing ourselves but honouring one another. We glorify God when we with one mind and one mouth praise Him and exalt Him and magnify Him.