Fellowship of Believers | Romans Overview Week 5

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

Fellowship of believers begins with complete surrender to God, is characterized by humble service and love for the body, unites us and compels us to Christ’s mission, and is possible only by His blood. The church is no mere-social gathering. It is a gathering of God’s people who have been made distinct by His presence. We are not to pursue whatever we may choose, but rather we take all our cues and commands from the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church belongs to Him, likewise every member thereof.

ROMANS 12-16

12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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.

The life of a Christian ought to be marked by a transformed mind, discerning the will of God, and seeking to do the things that are good, acceptable, and perfect. This isn’t legalism, its reciprocal love moved by the unimaginable depths of God.

As Paul was concluding his thoughts on God’s sovereignty, he burst out into spontaneous worship. It is from this heart of worship that Paul calls us to lay our bodies down, to offer them as it were, as a living sacrifice. In light of 11:33-36, God is worthy of our living sacrifice, a sold-out life lived for Him.

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, 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, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

We’re all members of the same body, so don’t try to be something you’re not out of pride. In whatever the Lord has given you to do, do it with gusto.

The body requires many members, each with its own specific function, to live and operate in health. Likewise, the church requires many members with specific functions to live and operate in health.

v. 9 – 20 Capture what the ESV annotates as the Marks of the True Christian – characteristics that govern relationships with fellow believers and with those who oppose us. Love being the controlling factor. Love your brothers and love your enemies. Lots to unpack as we work through this passage later.

The natural response to persecution, about which Paul wrote in 14:14-20, is to get revenge, even breaking the law to do so. Paul picks back up on the theme of love in 13:8-13, 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.

But not before speaking to our responsibility to obey our governing authorities in 13:1-7. Rather than being overcome by evil, overcome evil with good. Paul knew something about persecution, even at the hands of authorities. Nevertheless, he exhorts us to be subject to the governing authorities. Are there limitations to our being subject? Yes, of course. The Old Testament book of Daniel captures to case studies. But, what should dominate the Christian life is a willing submission to those who exercise legitimate authority over us.

V. 11-14 remind us that as we see that the day of salvation is drawing near, let’s get focused on the task at hand and seek to fight the spiritual battle together. 12 The night is far gone, the day is at hand.

CHAPTER 14:1-6 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 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 she gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

The key here is that each person is fully convinced in his own mind. We’ve heard that phrase before. Paul used it in relation to Abraham, who was fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised (4:21) That’s Paul’s view of faith – being fully convinced.

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.

Remember that at the end of the day you are a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. So is every other Christian. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it is not my place to make people change. I can warn, I can teach, I can invite. But ultimately, every person will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. As will I.

As Paul says in verse 10-12 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 confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

In verses 13-23 Paul exhorts us to not allow petty issues to divide us or trip us up. Food and drink are trivial matters, but the Jews and Gentiles got so wrapped around the axels by it and it was distracting them from what really matters.

CHAPTER 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. You see that? Stronger Christians have an obligation to throttle back their freedoms, to set aside their freedoms just as Jesus did for us. I think as we get into this study, we’re going to find that chapter 15 is the point of the whole letter.

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.

A vivid reminder that you and I have been welcomed into the family of God by Jesus Christ and it is to God’s glory that He has welcomed us in. How utterly nonsensical is it that some who have been welcomed into God’s family would reject others who have also been welcomed in?

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.

Jews and Gentiles, you’ve both been accepted by Christ, why can you not accept one another?

In verse 14 Paul begins to wrap up his letter, summarizing why he wrote and expressing his future plans.

14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, 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.”

You can tell what dominated Paul’s mind – preaching Christ to as many people groups as possible. Dr. Todd Arrand actually appealed to Paul’s message here when he came for Mission’s Fest in March, citing that if Paul wanted to preach to as many people as possible, he’d settle in one of the great metropolises of his day. Instead, he was intent on taking the gospel to as many people groups, as many ethne, to sow as many seeds as possible among groups of people. How was that a winning strategy? Because inherent to the Gospel is the urgent call to replicate it, to do the same thing yourself. If you’ve come to believe the Gospel, how can you not feel a sense of urgency to share it with others?

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,

I hope you can sense the degree to which Paul has followed his own teaching of laying down his body as living sacrifice. His entire life’s plans are submitted to Christ. He’s being moved about or restrained by the Holy Spirit, focused entirely on discerning the Lord’s will, what is good and right and perfect.

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, 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 blessing of Christ.

Notice the partnership Paul just assumes all Christians ought to maintain in the Gospel ministry. He assumes the church in Rome ought to receive him and offer him support and encouragement in the Lord. Why is that? Paul knows some of the people from the Roman church, and even has a working relationship with a few of them, whom he names in chapter 16. But his premise is that this church ought to invest in the ministry of taking the gospel to Spain. It’s just the right thing to do.

Notice, too, that Paul assumes the same thing about those who have received spiritual blessing; they ought to share material blessings. He says indeed they OWE it to them. Elsewhere Paul calls for cheerful giving. Perhaps we’ve perverted that concept to mean we should only give if it makes us cheerful to do so. Substitute the concept of being a cheerful giver with being a cheerful parent. Both can be quite sacrificial. If we applied to parenting what we might apply to giving, it would go something like this: I know God loves a cheerful parent, but I don’t feel cheerful so I’m not going to parent today. I’m not going to step up to my responsibilities today. I’m only going to parent when I feel cheerful about parenting.

No, the call would be to embrace parenting cheerfully, even when you don’t feel like it. Why? Because it’s a wonderful opportunity to invest in the Kingdom of God. It’s a wonderful way to demonstrate sacrificial love. It’s a way to demonstrate that you trust the Lord to supply your needs.

Now, back to giving, the call for cheerful giving is not to give when you feel cheerful about giving – which for many people is essentially when it feels comfortable. But rather, take joy in the fact that you have the opportunity to invest in the Kingdom of God, to demonstrate sacrificial love, and to trust the Lord to supply your needs.

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,

Partnership is expanded beyond material blessings and hospitality but does not exclude those. Real partnership includes those but also involves the much more difficult task to strive together with me in your prayers. It’s one thing to meet some needs with one-time generosity or hospitality. Partnership taking up the rope and pulling in the same direction. Paul urged these Christians to do that with him as he advanced the Gospel beyond where it had already gone.

This I believe was his mindset for Christian fellowship. I believe Paul would have the church think much the same way today.

In Chapter 16:1-24 Paul commends several fellow workers in the Lord, some of whom he had never met but had only heard of. The objective it not to have your name read, but to be impactful in the Kingdom. These people’s names are written in the Word of God, remembered forever. There will be a day when all of our work will be remembered forever. It will be exposed as by fire, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3. What was cheap or ill-motived will be burned up and what is good will survive.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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