By Pastor Greg
As we draw near to the end of our Study of Paul’s letter of Romans, let me quickly summarize his main points. He says that from the very beginning God had a plan to redeem humanity; to purchase back that which was lost. And this plan begins by revealing our sin and convicting us of sin and judging our sin. Our behavior becomes a witness against us. And although we may argue against that judgment, in the end God is justified in His actions. But because of our faith in Christ, we find ourselves at peace with God. This brings eternal life, in no longer being slaves to sin, in being conformed into the image of Christ, comforted when we do sin, sanctified into a believer who is more like Jesus each day, redeemed by God in spite of those times we do sin, and in standing uncondemned because of Jesus. This is God’s plan which He introduced right after the first sin. He predestined that a person might receive these things because of their belief when hearing the message of salvation. Finally, after their conviction, confession, and repentance, a believer is adopted into the family of God.
This is the Gospel. This is the Good News that humanity so desperately needs to hear. For those who recognize their sinfulness and wickedness and helplessness, there is hope. And it comes not through effort or works or any other deed we might perform, but instead through faith and belief. This is what Paul was teaching in the first half of the letter. It is straightforward and simple. No wonder so many people use this outline of Romans as a tool to help others find salvation through Jesus.
What shall we say about such things? God is for us, not against us. How shall we respond to such wonderful things? What should we do in response to all that God has done for us? Paul tells us that we are to allow ourselves to be transformed into a Christian who is genuine, respectful, loving, considerate, sensitive to the convicting power of the Spirit, and to be accepting of one another.
I’m not sure if you noticed what Paul has been saying since the beginning of chapter 12. He says that our reaction to God’s redemption plan should not only transform our relationship with God the Father, but also with the people we meet and those who live around us. Salvation must cause a transformation in our lives. And that transformation must not merely flow upward to God but outward toward humanity as well. Salvation is much, much more than mere head knowledge or even heart-felt joy. It is also transformative. The gift of grace must transform the way we live, the way we serve, and the way we love God. But salvation should also transform the way we see, the way we serve, and the way we love others. This is so important that Paul dedicated 4 chapters of this book simply to address how this transformation should affect our relationship with other people. The final point he makes is that as believers we are to be accepting of one another (Romans 15:1-15).
Let me remind you that Paul’s letter of Romans was written to the Church; written to Christians in the Roman church and for the Christians in the Roman church. It was written to guide these believers into one central truth; that what God has done for one, He has done for all. In other words, to the Jewish Christian and to the Gentile Christian, Paul says that if God has accepted one group because of their faith in Jesus, He has accepted those in the other group for the very same reason. If God has accepted one person in spite of all their weaknesses and shortcomings, He has accepted the next person in spite of their weaknesses and shortcomings as well. The Jewish Christian must not despise and alienate the Gentile Christian. And the Gentile Christian must not do the same to the Jewish Christian. As Paul had written earlier, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you” [1] (Galatians 3:28-29).
Although certain sections of Romans may be deeply theological, for the most part Paul teaches the elementary foundations of Christianity. He moves us from sin to conviction to confessing to salvations to transformation. This process, he says, should be familiar to all who have been saved (Romans 15:15). And since it is something all Christians have experienced, it is this truth that should unite us together.
I tell you the truth: we may not all agree on certain aspects of God’s Kingdom[2], but we should agree that just as God accepted us because of our faith, He has accepted our Christian brother or sister as well. And this is the kind of attitude which is fitting for followers of Christ (verse 15). Instead of focusing on the things that divide us[3], maybe we should be focusing of this truth: that each of us has been accepted by God because of our faith in Christ. It is this truth that unites us. It is this truth that draws us together. It is this truth that we should be celebrating as the Body of Christ.
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Ga 3:28–29). Carol Stream, IL
[2] There is a big difference between convictions and personal preferences. For example, I don’t eat certain foods, like shellfish, because of preference. I don’t like the taste or the texture. It has nothing to do with conviction. On the other hand, I no longer listen to certain styles of music, even though at one time it was the kind of music I preferred. One night, during prayer, the Spirit convicted me about my preference in music. This is why I threw many of my records in the trash. My taste had not changed, but I was convicted about my taste or preference. As believers, we need to be aware that there is a big difference between convictions and preferences. And we need to be aware that the Kingdom of God is not built upon our preferences or our convictions.
[3] As Paul reminds us in Romans 14, convictions are directed at each person, not at the church as a whole. One believer is convicted to pray more often. Another is convicted to fellowship more often. It would be wrong for either individual to demand that all Christian spend time alone in prayer or that all Christians spend time in social fellowship. These are the things that divide us. We must recognize that God convicts us each differently in order to accomplish a different task. Thank God for diverse convictions!
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