Romans
15:1-33 - With Christ’s example, ‘the
encouragement of the Scriptures’ and the enabling power of God, let us
love one another,‘with one heart and one voice’ (1-6). This is the way
of glorifying God. Trusting in Christ, ‘the root of Jesse’, we are
blessed by ‘the God of hope’, filled with ‘the power of the Holy Spirit’
– so that we may ‘abound in hope’. This hope comes to us through ‘the
Scriptures’ (12-13,4). God’s saving purpose was not only for the ‘dyed
in the wool’ Jew. He saved both Jews and Gentiles (9-12). Thank God that
Paul was not as narrow-minded as many people are today! God’s blessing
is not only for our type of people! Let us learn from Paul. ‘A minister
of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles’, he was always reaching out to more and
more people ‘in the fulness of the blessing of Christ’ (16,29).
16:1-27
- Paul was writing to a Church with big problems (17-18). Deeply
influenced by the wrong kind of people, the Church gets bogged down in
‘dissensions and difficulties’. Critical, fault-finding people exert an
extremely divisive influence. They look after their own interests. They
only think about themselves. Nothing else matters to them. They
manipulate other people – to get their own way. They go out of their way
to get their own way! The problem may be great – but the power of God
is greater (19-20)! Strengthened by ‘the God of peace’ and ‘the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ’, let us press on in ‘obedience’ to God, claiming
His victory over ‘Satan’. Let ‘the preaching of Jesus Christ’ make you
strong for God (25-27).
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