ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER
ROMANS 15:1-13
TODAY BRINGS US TO THE END OF THIS SERIES ON THE BOOK OF ROMANS. NEXT WEEK WE BEGIN OUR ADVENT SERIES.
AS WE STUDIED THE BOOK OF ROMANS, I HOPE YOU COULD SEE THE LOGICAL PROGRESSION OF PAUL’S IDEAS IN THE LETTER. PAUL HAS THREE MAIN AREAS OF THOUGHT IN THE BOOK, AND IN CHAPTER ONE HE INTRODUCES US TO OUR UNIVERSAL NEED FOR THE SAVIOR.
PAUL WAS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE JEWISH–GENTILE CONTROVERSY IN THE CHURCH IN ROME. HE TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE ALL IN NEED OF A SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION.
THIS IS A LESSON THAT WE ALL NEED TO TAKE SERIOUSLY AND MAKE AWARE IN OUR EVANGELISM.
ROMANS 3:23: FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD
JUST AS PAUL WAS TELLING THE CHRISTIANS IN ROME, WE ARE ALL SINNERS, AND HAVE A SIN NATURE WITHIN US. OUR SIN NATURE WAS GIVEN TO US THROUGH OUR REPRESENTATIVE ADAM, AND PASSED ON TO ALL OF US.
HE WOULD LATER TELL THE ROMANS, AND US, WHAT THE PENALTY FOR SIN WAS.
ROMANS 6:23: FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH. DEATH WILL ALWAYS BE THE PAYMENT FOR SIN. UNDER THE OLD COVENANT THE SACRIFICE HAD TO DIE IN PAYMENT FOR OUR SIN. UNDER THE NEW COVENANT CHRIST GAVE UP HIS LIFE, BUT HE HAD TO DIE IN PAYMENT FOR OUR SIN. PHYSICAL DEATH COMES TO US AS A CONSEQUENCE OF OUR SIN.
SHOULD WE CHOOSE NOT TO ACCEPT CHRIST’S GIFT OF SALVATION, THOUGH HIS WORK OF SUBSTITUTING HIS LIFE FOR OURS ON THE CROSS, THEN AS A RESULT OF CHOOSING TO REMAIN IN A SINFUL STATE, WHEN WE DIE WE SHALL REMAIN IN AN ETERNAL SINFUL STATE, AND SPEND ETERNITY APART FRO CHRIST IN HELL.
AN INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT PEOPLE, CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIAN, OFTEN HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SINNER THEY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE A SINNER BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DO. THE BIBLE THOUGH TEACHES US THAT THE SINFUL NATURE IN PASSED DOWN TO US AND CAUSES US TO DO SINFUL ACTIONS.
THE NATURAL CONCLUSION TO THIS FORM OF THOUGHT IS THAT IF WE HAVE NOT GOSSIPED, OR STOLE SOMETHING, THEN WE HAVE NOT SINNED AND ARE NOT A SINNER.
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT THE SIN NATURE IS IN EACH OF US, AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THAT SIN NATURE THAT WE ARE DRAWN AWAY FROM GOD AND PERFORM THE SINFUL ACTIONS THAT WE DO. WE ARE NOT SINNERS BECAUSE WE PERFORM SINFUL ACTS, WE PERFORM SINFUL ACTS BECAUSE WE ARE SINNERS.
THE SECOND KEY THOUGHT OF THE BOOK DEALS WITH THE WAY PAUL TEACHES US ABOUT SALVATION. PAUL INTRODUCES US TO A JUDICIAL TERM CALLED “JUSTIFICATION”. TO BE JUSTIFIED OF A CRIME DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE EQUITTED OF THE CRIME, OR THAT OUR LIVES GO ON JUST AS IF I’D NEVER SINNED. WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT WE STAND BEFORE OUR RIGHTEOUS JUDGE GUILTY OF BEING A SINNER AND DESERVING ONLY AN ETERNITY OF PAIN, GUILT, AND SORROW IN A PLACE CALLED HELL FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO GET INTO HEAVEN BY OUR WORKS.
IT IS AS WE ADMIT OUR GUILT THAT JESUS STEPS FORWARD AND SAYS THAT HE PAID OUR SIN DEBT IN FULL, WITH HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH ON THE CROSS. OUR SIN DEBT WASN’T CANCELLED, IT WAS PAID IN FULL BY CHRIST.
PAUL GOES ON TO SAY THAT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THIS GREAT GIFT THAT CHRIST HAS OFFERED US. UNTIL WE DO SO, THE CROSS HAS NO VALUE FOR US. WE HAVE TO ADMIT OUR GUILT AS SINNERS, AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO TO SAVE OURSELVES. AS THE OLD COVENANT SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM DICTATED, WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE SACRIFICE IN SUBSTITUTION FOR OUR OWN LIFE. IT WAS HIS LIFE FOR MINE.
WE MUST PLACE OUR HAND ON CHRIST’S HEAD AND SYMBOLICALLY TRANSFER OUR SINS TO HIM. WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT AS JESUS’ HANDS AND FEET WERE NAILED TO THE CROSS, THAT IT WAS HIS LOVE FOR US THAT PUT HIM THERE. TRY TO PICTURE JESUS LAYING ON THE CROSS. YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF THE HAMMER AS THE NAILS GO INTO HIS HANDS AND FEET. YOU HEAR HIS SCREAMS OF PAIN. THEN YOU HEAR HIS PRAYER “FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.” YOU SEE THE CROSS PUT IN PLACE. YOU LOOK INTO YOUR HANDS AND YOU SEE THE HAMMER AND REALIZE IT WAS YOU WHO NAILED JESUS TO THE CROSS. THIS IS THE PICTURE WE ALL HAVE TO SEE.
PAUL SHARES WITH US THE JOY OF MAKING A DECISION TO ACCEPT CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR. NOW WE HAVE THE BLESSED THOUGHT OF ROMANS 8:1:
ROMANS 8:1-3:
THEREFORE, THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, 2 BECAUSE THROUGH CHRIST JESUS THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT WHO GIVES LIFE HAS SET YOU FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. 3 FOR WHAT THE LAW WAS POWERLESS TO DO BECAUSE IT WAS WEAKENED BY THE FLESH, N GOD DID BY SENDING HIS OWN SON IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH TO BE A SIN OFFERING.
THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST. OUR SIN DEBT HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL. WE NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT IT AGAIN. WE CAN KNOW THAT OUR ETERNITY IS SECURE AND THOUGH WE FACE THE STRUGGLES OF LIFE, WE KNOW WE WILL NEVER BE SEPARATED FROM THE LOVE OF GOD THAT IS IN JESUS CHRIST.
ROMANS 8:38-39:
FOR I AM CONVINCED THAT NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE, NEITHER ANGELS NOR DEMONS, NEITHER THE PRESENT NOR THE FUTURE, NOR ANY POWERS, 39 NEITHER HEIGHT NOR DEPTH, NOR ANYTHING ELSE IN ALL CREATION, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
THE THIRD KEY THOUGHT OF THE BOOK SPEAKS OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LIVE FOR CHRIST AFTER OUR SALVATION. THIS TAKES US UP TO OUR PASSAGE FOR TODAY.
PAUL REMINDS US THAT WE ARE ALL NOT AT THE SAME SPIRITUAL LEVEL. THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CHRISTIANS FOR 20 YEARS FOR EXAMPLE, SHOULD NOT BE AT THE SAME PLACE AS A PERSON WHO HAD BEEN A CHRISTIAN FOR ONE OR TWO YEARS. THE MORE THAT WE STUDY THE WORD OF GOD, THE MORE WE WILL DISCOVER JUST HOW MUCH CHRIST LOVED US, AND THIS SHOULD LEAD US TO WANT TO FOLLOW HIM IN A DEEPER LEVEL.
LET ME ILLUSTRATE:
IF YOU SAW A 10 OR 12 MONTH OLD CRAWLING ON THE FLOOR, YOU WOULD SEE IT AS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT. YOU WOULD BE THINKING, “SOON HE WILL BE WALKING.” IF YOU SAW THE SAME PERSON 20 YEARS LATER AND ALL THEY COULD DO WAS CRAWL ON THE FLOOR, YOU’D BE THINKING, “WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM.”
CHAPTER 14, WAS DEALING WITH NON-ESSENTIAL ISSUES OF THE FAITH. PAUL IS CONTINUING THE THEME HERE, BUT HIS TARGET IS TO ALLOW NEWER CHRISTIANS TO MATURE IN THE FAITH. HIS WORDS ARE WORDS OF PATIENCE. WE ARE “TO BEAR WITH THE FAILINGS OF THE WEAK.”
WE ARE TO ENCOURAGE THE PROCESS OF DISCIVERY IN NEWER CHRISTIANS, AND IN MORE MATURE CHRISTIANS WHO ARE DEALING WITH NEW ASPECTS OF THE FAITH.
THE EASIER ROAD IS TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT TO BELIEVE. IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD, AND IT TAKES AWAY THE NEED OF PATIENCE.
THE PERSON THOUGH WHO DISCOVERS WHAT IS RIGHT IS CONVINCED OF THEIR POSITION. THEY HAVE LISTENED AND RESEARCHED AND COME TO A CONCLUSION ON THEIR OWN. PERHAPS IN THE JOURNEY THEY HAVE MADE SUGGESTIONS THAT THEY FIND OUT LATER JUST DO NOT WORK, AND THEY HAVE A PEACE WITH SAYING THEY TRIED THAT AND THIS IS WHY IT DIDN’T WORK.
VERSE 2 REMINDS US THAT THE PROCESS OF MATURITY FOR THE CHRISTIAN IS A PROCESS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. WE ARE TO ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER IN OUR DAILY WALK.
SOMETIMES THE DISCOVERY OF NEW SCRIPTURAL TEACHING IS HARD FOR US TO ACCEPT. SOME SCRIPTURAL TEACHING GOES AGAINST OUR NATURAL THOUGHTS, AND THE WAY WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE THINGS. AS ENCOURAGERS, WE CAN URGE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO TAKE THAT NEW STEP IN FAITH. THE NEW STEP WE TAKE NOW, MAY SHOW ITS WISDOM SEVERAL YEARS FROM NOW, BUT WE HAVE A PEACE THAT IT IS THE PROPER THING TO DO.
LET ME ILLUSTRATE. FROM TIME TO TIME WE TAKE OUR VEHICLE IN TO A SERVICE STATION TO HAVE AN ALIGNMENT. EVERYTHING IS WORKING WELL, THERE IS NO PULLING TO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT WE HAVE LEARNED THAT REGULAR MAINTENANCE IS A GOOD PREVENTATIVE MEASURE, ALTHOUGH THE COST HURTS AT THE TIME AND SEEMS NEEDLESS.
THE MECHANIC PERFORMING THE ALIGNMENT COMES OUT ANS SAYS TO US THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT WE DID IT, BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM AND THE $40.00 OR SO THAT WE INVESTED IN THE ALIGNMENT SAVED US $600.00 OR WHATEVER THE COST OF NEW TIRES WOULD BE. IT WOULDN’T BE NOTICED FOR SOME TIME, BUT WE WOULDN’T GET THE NORMAL LIFE WEAR OUT OF THE TIRES.
PAUL GOES ON TO TELL US A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE. IN VERSE 4 HE STATES:
ROMANS 15:4: FOR EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE PAST WAS WRITTEN TO TEACH US, SO THAT THROUGH THE ENDURANCE TAUGHT IN THE SCRIPTURES AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT THEY PROVIDE WE MIGHT HAVE HOPE.
WE ARE TO BUILD OUR LIVES AROUND THE SCRIPTURE. IT IS THE 100% INSPIRED WORD OF GOD THAT CAN LEAD US SAFELY THOUGH THE STORMS THAT WE FACE IN THE WORLD. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE WORLD WE WOULD LIVE IN IF PEOPLE JUST LIVED BY THE WORD OF GOD. WE COULD ELIMINATE CRIME. MANY IF NOT ALL OF THE MAJOR HEALTH CONCERNS WOULD BE NON-EXISTANT. FAMILY LIFE AND SOCIETY WOULD BE EXCELLENT. WE WOULD BE A WORLD OF ENCOURAGERS AND THIS IS JUST TO NAME A FEW THINGS.
THE SCRIPTURE GIVE US THE UNDERSTANDING WE NEED TO ENDURE THE SITUATIONS AROUND US. IT HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THE SINFUL ACTIONS OF PARIS AND BALI, OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AND CASES OF ABUSE. IT LEADS US TO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ALTHOUGH WE CAN’T CHANGE THESE THINGS IN THE WORLD, WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD AROUND US A LITTLE BETTER AND TO OFFER TRUE HOPE IN CHRIST.
PAUL THEN GOES ON TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THE JEWISH AND GENTILE QUESTION IN THE CHURCH AT ROME. WE CAN APPLY THE TEACHING TO SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT CAN DIVIDE THE CHURCH TODAY.
PAUL STATES THAT THE KEY TO OVERCOMING SUCH SITUATIONS IS TO ACCEPT EACH OTHER AS CHRIST HAS ACCEPTED US.
ROMANS 15:7: ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER, THEN, JUST AS CHRIST ACCEPTED YOU, IN ORDER TO BRING PRAISE TO GOD.
IN OUR ACCEPTANCE OF EACH OTHER WE BRING PRAISE AND GLORY TO THE LORD. THE CHURCH BECOMES A PLACE PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE MAY AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT ON THE IMPORTANT MATTERS OF FAITH WE STAND WITH ONE VOICE.
FOR THE CHURCH IN ROME THE QUESTION OF NEW AND OLD COVENANT PALES AS PAUL GETS THEM TO CONSIDER THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.
IT BRINGS OUT THE QUESTION, WHO INDEED IS THE STRONGER AND WHO IS THE WEAKER CHRISTIAN THERE? THE JEWS WOULD BE STRONGER UNDER THE OLD COVENANT. THEY HAD THE HISTORY AND THEY WERE THE CHOSEN PEOPLE. THE HELLENISTIC CHRISTIANS WOULD BE THE STRONGER UNDER THE NEW COVENANT, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE ALL THAT THEY WOULD KNOW. THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO DISMISS SOME OF THE OLD COVENANT THEOLOGY THAT HAD BEEN TAUGHT TO THE JEWS.
IT’S HARD TO ACCEPT A NEW TEACHING WHEN YOU ARE USED TO AN OLDER TEACHING. LET ME ILLUSTRATE WITH MATH. BETWEEN THE TIME YOU AND I WENT TO SCHOOL, AND OUR CHILDREN AND GRAND-CHILDREN WHO ARE GOING TO SCHOOL NOW, A NEW DIRECTION WAS INTRODUCED IN MATH. WE GIVE IT THE TITLE NEW MATH.
IN NEW MATH, THE ANSWER IS THE SAME, BUT THE METHOD TO GET TO THE ANSWER CHANGED. WHEN THE METHOD CHANGED SO TO DID THE STANDING OF STRONGER AND WEAKER PEOPLE IN MATH.
WE WHO USE THE OLDER SYSTEM TO GET THE ANSWER CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY CHILDREN NEEDED A NEWER SYSTEM TO GET THE SAME ANSWER. WE FIND IT MORE COMPLICATED AND HARDER FOR US TO DO. WE ARE USED TO THE OLD WAYS AND FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT A NEW METHOD. WE ARE THE STRONGER IN THE OLD WAY AND THE CHILDREN ARE WEAKER.
CHILDREN CAN’T UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT THE ANSWER BECAUSE ALL THEY KNOW IS THE NEW WAY TO GET THERE. IN THE NEW SYSTEM THE CHILDREN ARE THE STRONGER AND YOU AND I ARE WEAKER AS WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW THEY SOLVE A PROBLEM.
THE BOTTOM LINE THOUGH, IS THAT WE BOTH SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE DO IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT WE ARRIVE AT THE SAME ANSWER.
PAUL WAS TELLING THE CHURCH IN ROME TO BEAR WITH EACH OTHER, FOR THEY WOULD BOTH ARRIVE AT THE SAME POINT AND THAT WAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, AND WITH EACH OTHER AS A RESULT. REMEMBER THAT BOTH THE OLD AND NEW COVENANT ARE BASED ON FAITH AND OBEDIENCE AS WE PRACTICE THE COVENANTS.
LAST, PAUL REMINDS THEM OF THEIR ULTIMATE VICTORY.
ROMANS 15:12: AND AGAIN, ISAIAH SAYS, “THE ROOT OF JESSE WILL SPRING UP, ONE WHO WILL ARISE TO RULE OVER THE NATIONS; IN HIM THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”
WHEN I COACHED MINOR HOCKEY I ALWAYS FOUND THE THIRD PERIOD THE LONGEST, ESPECIALLY IN A CLOSE GAME. I WANTED THE FINAL BUZZER TO GO AND MY TEAM TO HAVE THE VICTORY.
PAUL IS TELLING THE CHURCH IN ROME TO KEEP THEIR EYES ON THE VICTORY THAT AWAITS. HE TELLS US THAT TODAY AS WELL.
THE ROOT OF JESSE HAD ALREADY SPRUNG UP WITH THE BIRTH OF CHRIST AND CALVARY, SO PAUL IS NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PAST, HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE. HE IS TELLING THE PEOPLE THAT CHRIST IS COMING BACK, AND VICTORY WILL BE THEIRS, SO ENDURE WITH PATIENCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT AS THEY SERVE TO BUILD THE KINGDOM.
THERE WAS A NICE HYMN WE USED TO SING “THERE IS JOY IN SERVING JESUS”
WITH THE WAY THE WORLD IS GOING, THE END OF OUR RACE IS COMING MORE AND MORE INTO VIEW. THE VICTORY WILL SOON BE OURS. LET US BE A PART OF THE BUILDING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, NOT SETTING EACH OTHER APART AS STRONGER OR WEAKER, BUT AS FELLOW LABOURERS WITH A COMMON GOAL OF SERVING THE LORD.
BENEDICTION: VERSE 13
ROMANS 15:13: MAY THE GOD OF HOPE FILL YOU WITH ALL JOY AND PEACE AS YOU TRUST IN HIM, SO THAT YOU MAY OVERFLOW WITH HOPE BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
