Category: Scripture

Romans 15

The Example of Christ

15:1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

  “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”

10 And again it is said,

  “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

  “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again Isaiah says,

  “The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
  in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,¹ that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written,

  “Those who have never been told of him will see,
    and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,² I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing³ of Christ.

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

[1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30

[2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit

[3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel

(ESV)

Romans 14

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master¹ that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

  “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess² to God.”

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.³ 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.⁴

Footnotes

[1] 14:4 Or lord

[2] 14:11 Or shall give praise

[3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened

[4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27

(ESV)

Romans 13

Submission to the Authorities

13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

(ESV)

Romans 12

A Living Sacrifice

12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,¹ by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.² 2 Do not be conformed to this world,³ but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.⁴

Gifts of Grace

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members,⁵ and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,⁶ with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,⁷ serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.⁸ Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it⁹ to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Footnotes

[1] 12:1 Or brothers and sisters

[2] 12:1 Or your rational service

[3] 12:2 Greek age

[4] 12:2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God

[5] 12:4 Greek parts; also verse 5

[6] 12:8 Or gives aid

[7] 12:11 Or fervent in the Spirit

[8] 12:16 Or give yourselves to humble tasks

[9] 12:19 Greek give place

(ESV)

Going Deeper

All Glory to God (11-22-14)

Grab your bible and let’s go deeper into Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ³⁴“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”  ³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

This amazing passage gives us great insight into who God is.  Let’s use it to answer the question:  WHO IS GOD?

Let’s start at the end in

Romans 12:36

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

(ESV)

.

1. All things are from him and through him. 

• Paul says: “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)
• Ezra says: “You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you” ( 9:6)
• David says: “Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” ( 135:6)
• Solomon says: “The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord” ( 16:33)
• Job says: “makes nations great, and he destroys them: he enlarges nations, and leads them away” (Job 12:23)
• Daniel says: “he removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21)

All things are from him and through him!  He is GOD!  He is worthy.

 It gets better

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”

1. The riches and wisdom and knowledge of God are REALLY DEEP! 

That is what the OH means!  Ohhhhh = really Deep!

How deep is God?  How vast?  How rich?  In the first century, they would say, “The cattle on a thousand hills belongs to God.” Quoting Psalm 50:10.  I am from Orange County CA.  I’m a city guy.  So, I don’t know a lot about farming and agriculture, but here’s what I do know:

In this context, he who owns the cows drives the community.  You can’t plow up your land without them, you can’t fertilize stuff without them.  So in this agricultural society, to say, “A thousand hills and all the cattle on them belong to the Lord” is a way that communicates “this is the expanse of the riches of God.”

I could go on and on about “How deep is God?  How vast?  How rich is God?”, but we must move on.

Romans 11:35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

1. Because he owns it all, no one can give a gift to God so that you are to be repaid by him and therefore put God in your debt.   You can’t give God something he doesn’t already own.  You can not put God in your debt.

If everything is his, you and I have nothing to give him that he doesn’t already own.  Which means, in the end, God owes no man anything.  He owes us nothing.  Your very existence has been gifted to you by his grace.  Every bit of laughter, every great morsel of food, every smile on your face is his grace, and he owes us nothing.

Romans 11:34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”


1. No one can counsel God and give him insight he doesn’t already have.

Let me ask you, what is the thing you tend to offer to God more than anything else?  More than worship, more than obedience, more than respect, more than trust, more than honor?  We offer him counsel! “God I think…you should…how could you… God, why would you…”

This is like when a four year old in the car seat is asking His dad if he knows where he’s going.  Or worse… tells him which way he should go.

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.”

Nobody gets to counsel God.  Nobody gets to give God advice.  Nobody gets to straighten God’s path, no one.  He is God and we are not!

Romans 11:33 “How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

1. His judgments are often unsearchable and his ways often inscrutable, unfathomable. Meaning they are understood by the mind of God and not the mind of man.

This doesn’t mean we cannot understand him.  It just means we understand what he wants us to.  He will remain to be God and we will remain his subjects.

Read Romans 9:13-23

In this passage that we read earlier this week we see Paul reminding us of these very truths.  Who are we (the clay) to say to the potter what he should do with us?  He is sovereign and holy in his choice and rule over all things.

Who are we to scrutinize God?  You and I can’t even comprehend and figure out our own shortcomings, our own failures! And yet, we’ll scrutinize God?  He is God and we are not!  This is truly Good News when we see it clearly!

There is so much to say about who God is, I could go on for days.  The Bible sure does! But we must move on and answer:

What is God alone due?  The Answer is:  GLORY! We use the phrase “glory of God “ so often that it can begin to lose its deserved awe.

God’s glory is like the sun in the sense that it is no less blazing and no less beneficial, just because people ignore it or go indoors to hide from it or put on sunglasses.

So, what is the glory of God? The glory of God is the holiness of God put on display. Ii is the infinite worth of God made manifest. His importance above all else.

Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

When the holiness of God fills the earth for people to see, it is called glory. Holy means “set apart from what is common.”    In speaking of God’s glory, God’s infinite value shines.  God’s glory is the radiance of His holiness, the out-streaming of His infinite value.

“The glory of God” is a way to say that there is an objective, absolute reality to which all human wonder, awe, veneration, praise, honor, acclaim, and worship is pointing.   God alone is truly worthy of our worship and wonder forever!

This brings us back to Romans 11:36. To it’s perfect climax.

Romans 11:36 “For to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

1. To him are all things. To him be glory forever!

The Glory of God is the ultimate purpose of everything that Exists!

What is included in “all things”?

1. God is ultimately for God’s Glory

God is God-centered!  It is important that we see scripture teaches that the primary reason that God acts and saves is “ultimately” for His sake and His glory and not ours.

Read: Colossians 1:15-20

Everything that exists, including our lives, exists ultimately for the Glory of God.  Not only do we exist for God’s glory but we are “ultimately” saved for the Glory of God.

Isaiah 43:25 
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins”.

Ezekiel 20:44 “And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”

It is vital that we acknowledge that God is ultimately for God.  His eternal glory is the highest purpose in “ALL” that he does.

2. The universe and everything in it is ultimately for God’s Glory

The glory of God is the goal of all things.  Psalm 96:1-3 “Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. ³ Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!”

What this helps us to understand is that the things of life…the everyday things we have come to enjoy…. these things he has created and entrusted to us are to be enjoyed so that we will see him as central to it all and give him praise.

So when I say, God is Good …it isn’t just because he gave it to me …it is because that thing he gave me all points me back in satisfaction TO HIM!

How do we, practice daily, Glorifying God alone?   You Treasure Him above all else!

Glory to God alone means: God is the ultimate prize! So when we are looking for the best way TO GIVE GOD unceasing GLORY and PRAISE we don’t accomplish this by trying real hard to be a good Christian.  We accomplish this by feasting deeply in HIM and as a result we will overflow with praise and GLORY that will terminate not on us and our temporary pleasures but on HIM and his ETERNAL SUPREMACY!

The Apostle Paul got this when he said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”  (Philippians 3:8)

How does Paul glorify God above all else?  By treasuring Christ above all else so that everything else in his life is as nothing by comparison. I count everything – money, as loss; food, as loss; beauty, as loss; friends, as loss; family, as loss; job and success, as loss; graduation, as loss in comparison with the treasure that Christ has become for me.

What does this practically look like in everyday life? 

• You steward the money entrusted to you in such a way that shows money is not your treasure, Christ is!
• You steward the food entrusted to you in such a way that it shows food is not your pleasure, Christ is!
• You steward the friends and family entrusted to you in such a way that it shows they are not your treasure, Christ is!
• You steward the computers, houses, motorcycles and patches entrusted to you in such a way that it shows these are not your treasure, Christ is!

The way we display the supreme worth of Jesus is by treasuring him above all things and then making choices which make the joy we have in his supreme worth clearly evident to the world around us.

I will conclude with this:  In the words of a great hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face,

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim,  in the light of His glory and grace.”

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd / Soldiers for Jesus MC / Bakersfield CA