Romans 16

²⁵ Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages²⁶ but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

I have come to the end of my study on the book of Romans and what a fitting way to end as the writer burst out in song (doxology)

It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that strengthens me. It is Jesus who sustains and gives me grace. This is no longer a mystery but the gospel is revealed to us.

When the gospel saturates us – it fulfills us. I no longer need to perform for Christ but the gospel compels me to obey till the day I die and meet Jesus.

I live for the glory of God!!!

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Romans 16

¹⁷ I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. ¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,^[f] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. ¹⁹ For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. ²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

As church leaders we have to be sensitive to what is happening in our church especially when it comes to people causing division. The Bible tells us to avoid people who are gossip mongers, and those who love to cause division in church.

This is a hard command to do because we all know that God can redeem and restore people so it is like walking in a tightrope when it comes to dealing with people like that.

So how do we go about when someone is causing trouble and division in church:

1. Talk privately to the person causing the trouble and confront him with his sin. It is wise if a spiritual authority is the one who will talk to the person and not just any member of the church.

2. If the person is repentant, we restore the person who sinned. If not, then he/she must face church discipline and be asked to  be relieved of any ministry responsibility.

At any case, the goal is restoration. But in cases the person does not want any restoration – then there is nothing we can do about it but tell him to leave the church to protect the church from further damage and sin.

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Romans 15

15 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.

God commands us not to live for ourselves and calls us to live for others as Christ has done. When Christ came here on earth – it was not so that He will be pleased. When He died on Calvary – it was for our joy.

Now we all know that living for others is not our default mode – men tend to live for themselves but Paul tells us that God empowers His people to live not for themselves but for others.

This is what I love about Christ – when He commands us to do something He actually gives us the power to do so. Isn’t that amazing. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we receive transforming grace. Change is an inside job. The Holy Spirit does his work on us and transformation happens.

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Romans 14

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.^{[c] 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.

I said yesterday let us not squabble over the minor stuff of the faith but if there would be a brother or a sister who would be offended because of the minor practice you hold, then be Christ-like and let it go.

It is a gospel issue. Do I fight for my right to do what he or she might feel like is not doctrinally right. If it is minor, let it go. Some people get legalistic about some things and you cannot blame them but if you are gospel soaked, learn to understand and not take pride on what you know is doctrinally right but be humble and hear their side and not put up a fight.

Major in the major, minor in the minor.

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Romans 14

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 master^[a] 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,

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

I think it is high time for us to stop quarreling over the minor stuff. For so long the church have been divided on non essential matters. We divide ourselves regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit, our end time escathology, or how we pray. Those are important but not that important to divide us. Paul brings the people back to the gospel when he tells them that the point is not how we do things but rather why we do things.

The main issue is”are we living for the Lord?” When we eat our food is it living for the Lord? When we celebrate holidays – is it for God’s glory or is it just for you?

We go back to the heart of the matter. Don’t let externals divide us. Check the inner motives of our heart Lord.

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Romans 14

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. ² One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. ³ The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. ⁴ Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

⁵ One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. ⁶ Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷ For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

¹⁰ You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister^[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. ¹¹ It is written:

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

¹³ Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. ¹⁴ I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. ¹⁵ If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. ¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, ¹⁸ because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

¹⁹ Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. ²⁰ Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. ²¹ It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

²² So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. ²³ But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin

One of the temptations I face every day is to judge people because I feel like they don’t get the gospel. When I see Christians who are still living in their own strength I am tempted to take pride in what I know. Usually the thoughts that run in my mind are:

“Oh, the reason he is like that is because he hasn’t been gospel awakened. Pity him.”

” The gospel is the answer brother, you keep on looking for other things when the answer is simple.”

” He is depressed? Maybe because he doesn’t find his fulfillment in Christ. Hard headed Christian he is.”

When I remember the thoughts that runs in my head, I actually cringe because even if I preach the gospel to myself everyday, I can also get so legalistic with the gospel that I actually shun away people who I think don’t get it.

It was the same when I was journeying in understanding the gospel. Since I was very legalistic before I shunned away a lot of people because of my religious achievements and standards. Virgin when I got married, never kissed a girl, read 4 chapters a day of the Bible, spends at least 30 mins in prayer and Bible and the list goes on and on.

And now I find myself looking down on people who don’t get the gospel. I realized that I was moving in the same spirit. Instead of lovingly guide people to Jesus, I take pride in my new found awakening of the gospel. I am tempted to look down on preachers who were preaching “man centered” while I forget about the years of my legalistic preachings that by God’s grace God has used in His sovereignty to teach me about His grace.

If God has given me grace then I am to give them grace and not judgment. I need to be a brother who leads people to the gospel that has humbled my prideful self. I need to understand Jesus’ work at the cross was all it took to redeem and save me and remind my pastors and fellow siblings in the faith of the gospel in the most gracious way.

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Romans 13

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

I am not into the end times escathology. All I know is that one day Jesus will come and in the end Jesus wins. I also know that every day is a day closer to Jesus’ return and Jesus did command us to do some things. He tells us not to sleep but share our faith and the gospel because He is coming soon.

He then commands us to have a lifestyle that is different from the world. Behave decently, don’t get drunk, don’t commit sexual sin, don’t be jealous and the likes. He then tells us what to really do to be able to fulfill all those things -

Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. He was reminding the people of what Christ did – He imparted righteousness to us therefore we must be righteous. Remind yourself of the gospel everyday – I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength to do His work. My righteousness is based on His love for me and not on what I can do for Him thus the outworking is I live a life guided by Christ and not by my flesh.

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