ROMANS 15 - LIVE TO BLESS YOUR BROTHER
A. Being full in the Christian life
1. (Romans 15: 1-2) Full of affection and concern for others.
So we who are strong must bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not please ourselves. Each one of us pleases his neighbor in what is good, for edification.
to. So we who are strong must bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not please ourselves: If you consider yourself strong compared to your brother, use your strength to serve your brother in Christ - instead of using your "strength" only to please yourself.
i. Bear: The idea is not really to bear with but to bear the weak brother - to bear him with your superior strength.
ii. It runs counter to the general meaning of our times, which advises people to "look for number 1" and to belittle those who live the life of real sacrifice for the good of others. But, without denying it, Paul points the way to true happiness and fulfillment in life - take your eyes off yourself, start building others and you will find yourself built up.
b. Each one of us please his neighbor: It is a simple call, but which brings a lot of challenge, to put our neighbor first. Paul later wrote much of the same in Philippians 2: 3-4: Do nothing for strife or vainglory; rather with humility, each one esteeming the others as superior to himself; not looking each for his own, but each also for the others.
i. This does not mean that the church is governed by the groans of the weak. "A genuine concern for the weak would mean an attempt to make them strong by leading them out of their irrational weaknesses so that they too can be strong." (Morris)
c. Each of us pleases his neighbor in what is good: This shows that Paul does not want to imply being a "complacent man." Such a person may want to please his neighbor, but not in what is good.
d. For Edification: Very often Christians destroy others easily rather than edify them; This is a classic strategy of Satan against the church which must be resisted.
2. (Romans 15: 3-4) Filled with the example of Jesus, who puts others first.
Because not even Christ pleased himself; rather, as it is written: The vituperations of those who reviled you fell on me. Because the things that were written before, for our teaching were written, so that through patience and the consolation of the Scriptures, we have hope.
to. Because not even Christ pleased himself: Jesus is the ultimate example of someone who did not please himself, but put others first. The classic development of this idea is in Philippians 2: 5-11.
b. As it is written: As Jesus was abused and suffered evils for the glory of God, He fulfilled what was written in the word of God. Jesus showed by example that for most of us we are very quick to vindicate ourselves, rather than let God vindicate us. Jesus showed how the Father is able to vindicate us.
c. The reproaches of those who reviled you fell on me: The commandment that Jesus fulfilled in Psalm 69: 7 also applies to us. They were written for our teaching, so that we have hope, knowing that we do the right thing even when it is difficult.
i. When we answer correctly to the reproaches that the world throws against us for the sake of Jesus, it bothers them even more. It lets them know that there is nothing they can do against a child of God, who have their eyes on Jesus.
ii. An old Christian song goes, "I have joy in my soul, joy in my soul" and then it continues in another verse like "I have peace that passes all understanding in my heart" and "I have a wonderful love of my Blessed Savior in me heart." One of the great verses in that song goes like, "I have a blessed hope that breaks into my heart." The hope we receive even when we are reproached shows that God is truly real to us.
3. (Romans 15: 5-6) A prayer for the fulfillment of this attitude in the Romans.
But the God of patience and consolation give you one mind according to Christ Jesus, so that with one voice, with one voice, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
to. But the God: The fact that Paul puts these words in the form of a prayer shows that he recognizes that this is a work that the Holy Spirit must do within us.
b. The God of patience: Our God is a God of patience. Very often we are in a hurry, and it seems as if God is working very slowly in us. Very often God's purposes seem to be delayed, but they are always fulfilled. Delays
A. Being full in the Christian life
1. (Romans 15: 1-2) Full of affection and concern for others.
So we who are strong must bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not please ourselves. Each one of us pleases his neighbor in what is good, for edification.
to. So we who are strong must bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not please ourselves: If you consider yourself strong compared to your brother, use your strength to serve your brother in Christ - instead of using your "strength" only to please yourself.
i. Bear: The idea is not really to bear with but to bear the weak brother - to bear him with your superior strength.
ii. It runs counter to the general meaning of our times, which advises people to "look for number 1" and to belittle those who live the life of real sacrifice for the good of others. But, without denying it, Paul points the way to true happiness and fulfillment in life - take your eyes off yourself, start building others and you will find yourself built up.
b. Each one of us please his neighbor: It is a simple call, but which brings a lot of challenge, to put our neighbor first. Paul later wrote much of the same in Philippians 2: 3-4: Do nothing for strife or vainglory; rather with humility, each one esteeming the others as superior to himself; not looking each for his own, but each also for the others.
i. This does not mean that the church is governed by the groans of the weak. "A genuine concern for the weak would mean an attempt to make them strong by leading them out of their irrational weaknesses so that they too can be strong." (Morris)
c. Each of us pleases his neighbor in what is good: This shows that Paul does not want to imply being a "complacent man." Such a person may want to please his neighbor, but not in what is good.
d. For Edification: Very often Christians destroy others easily rather than edify them; This is a classic strategy of Satan against the church which must be resisted.
2. (Romans 15: 3-4) Filled with the example of Jesus, who puts others first.
Because not even Christ pleased himself; rather, as it is written: The vituperations of those who reviled you fell on me. Because the things that were written before, for our teaching were written, so that through patience and the consolation of the Scriptures, we have hope.
to. Because not even Christ pleased himself: Jesus is the ultimate example of someone who did not please himself, but put others first. The classic development of this idea is in Philippians 2: 5-11.
b. As it is written: As Jesus was abused and suffered evils for the glory of God, He fulfilled what was written in the word of God. Jesus showed by example that for most of us we are very quick to vindicate ourselves, rather than let God vindicate us. Jesus showed how the Father is able to vindicate us.
c. The reproaches of those who reviled you fell on me: The commandment that Jesus fulfilled in Psalm 69: 7 also applies to us. They were written for our teaching, so that we have hope, knowing that we do the right thing even when it is difficult.
i. When we answer correctly to the reproaches that the world throws against us for the sake of Jesus, it bothers them even more. It lets them know that there is nothing they can do against a child of God, who have their eyes on Jesus.
ii. An old Christian song goes, "I have joy in my soul, joy in my soul" and then it continues in another verse like "I have peace that passes all understanding in my heart" and "I have a wonderful love of my Blessed Savior in me heart." One of the great verses in that song goes like, "I have a blessed hope that breaks into my heart." The hope we receive even when we are reproached shows that God is truly real to us.
3. (Romans 15: 5-6) A prayer for the fulfillment of this attitude in the Romans.
But the God of patience and consolation give you one mind according to Christ Jesus, so that with one voice, with one voice, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
to. But the God: The fact that Paul puts these words in the form of a prayer shows that he recognizes that this is a work that the Holy Spirit must do within us.
b. The God of patience: Our God is a God of patience. Very often we are in a hurry, and it seems as if God is working very slowly in us. Very often God's purposes seem to be delayed, but they are always fulfilled. Delays
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