Romans 3:9-18 - The Sins of the Jews

Romans 3:9-18

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.
Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,
The poison of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Message: The Sins of the Jews

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element. The Gentile believers were experiencing peace, but Paul felt like they needed a strong dose of basic Bible doctrine. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

In the previous lesson, the sins of the Gentiles were examined as recorded in Chapter 1, verse 18-32. Now, here in Romans 3:9-18, the charge is that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. 

Many 1st-century Jews acknowledged their sin, but because of their status as descendants of Abraham, they felt their special status excused somewhat their sin and their status in God's kingdom was still intact. Paul was a Jew. He states in Galatians 2:15, We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles so even Paul saw a difference between the Jew and the Gentile. This was common knowledge among the Jews and so Paul is addressing it. 

His explanation of the sins of Gentiles is fairly short and to the point, but as he turns to Jews, the proclamation is long as he spends all of Chapter 2 explaining it further, culminating in the conclusion in Chapter 3:9-18. In chapter 2, he mentions

• The Jew cannot judge others and then not also be condemned. God's judgment falls on all (v.2:1-5). 
• Even the Jew's actions or works of evil will find tribulation and distress (v. 6-10)
• Yes, the Jew is unique but God does not judge with partiality, as only doers of the law will be justified (v. 11-16)
• In teaching the Law, the Jew must be obedient to the Law and outward signs like circumcision do not result the same as Law adherence but rather to be righteous the law must be kept (v. 17-29)  
• They were entrusted with the oracles of God, but are they adhering to all of its words or simply some of them; Only God is found to be true; every man is a liar (v.3:1-8)             

Again, the reason for Paul's writing here is to confront the Jew who thought by being a Jew that right off the top, the Jew then had a special advantage over the Gentile and so the Jew should be looked at differently. Paul is clear the Jew has advantages like having the responsibility for passing on the words of the Bible, but Paul still wants to assert that all people are sinners. And their actions, their uniqueness, the fact they are teachers and carriers of the Law and Word - these things do not excuse their sin. Sin is a universal condition. Yes, the Jew has special privileges but this does not mean the Jew is more righteous. 

Thus, Paul now with the Jews will use direct quotations from Scripture to support His argument. I studied this passage previously and here list the references for these verses. 

• Romans 3:10-12 from Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3
• Romans 3:13 from Psalm 5:9 and Psalm 140:3
• Romans 3:14 from Psalm 10:7
• Romans 3:15-17 from Isaiah 59:7-8 and see Isaiah 48:22
• Romans 3:18 from Psalm 36:1

I think what is especially interesting about these verses are the words - it is not simply that people are not righteous, but rather "no one is righteous". 'None' is repeated 4x and then also 'not even one' and 'no.' Again, the Jew was looking for some sort of exception clause, but Paul is wanting to be clear -- 'None' and 'Not even one.' What a sobering thought this must be for the Jew, for all of us. None of us are free from sin and so all of us need a redeemer, a Savior. All of us are guilty. None of us are perfect. 

Promise: There are good people in life and good citizens among all of us. People are nice and people have good virtues. But, all people are still under sin and no one is righteous. Everyone has sinned, so we all need Christ in order to be reconciled to God. 

Prayer: O Lord, I am a sinner. I know this. You show me my sin often and each day I see it. I am embarrassed by that sin. I hate to repeat my sin and yet I so often do that. So each day I see the same need that I have for you God, to be My Savior. I need thee every hour because I am a sinner every hour. Yes, I try hard to not make mistakes, but they still happen and even in my job, as I try to not make adding errors or poor decisions, in my life, I am still selfish, greedy, an adulterer at heart, a murderer at heart, disobedient to parents, not observant of the Sabbath, an idolater, and selfish. I am so selfish God. Thank you for showing me clearly my sin and my need of you. Keep showing me. Never let that be dull and keep revealing that to people. We need to all keep seeing it. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

 - The Sins of the Gentiles - Though born with God being evident, Gentiles do not honor God or give thanks, look to their selves for truth, and God gives them over to their sin, and in the process God's wrath is sin which will culminate on the Day of the Lord. 

Ephesians 2:18 - The Trinity and Christian Unity

Ephesians 2:18
for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

Message: The Trinity and Christian Unity

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying:

As I have studied previously, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work inseparably. Every act of God is from the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity has the same divine attributes, but each person acts in a manner fitting to His unique personal properties. Unbegottenness is the unique personal property of the Father, begottenness is the unique personal property of the Son, and procession is the unique personal property of the Holy Spirit.

They have worked inseparably in creation, making the universe out of nothing - in atoning for our sin - in redeeming the Israelites and man in general, and in sanctifying the saints.

Ephesians 2 is the life of a Christian, showing us being dead in our sins, made alive in Christ, and walking on to live our lives in good works. As this verse records it is through Him (Jesus Christ) that we are made alive (Eph 2:5) as we were dead in our transgressions. Whether people recognize it or no in their lives, it is clear they are dead in their sins. In Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph 2:12). One of Jesus' complaints to the Jewish leaders was they were excluding the Gentiles from access to God. At one point he got upset with them for turning the synagogue and worship area into a market. He spoke of the fig tree and how they were not bearing fruit. The tabernacle had a place that would give access to the Gentiles, but the leaders instead excluded them.

It is through Him we both have our access. What is the meaning of the word 'both?' Ephesians 1:1 says this writing is from Paul to the saints at Ephesus. He speaks and states that Gentiles were formerly excluded: you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God (Ephesians 2:14). God never intended his chosen people Israel to be his only people. In the temple there was an outer court and inner court. Jesus said in Mark 11:17 quoting from Isaiah 56:7 - My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. The temple had a section for the Gentiles to come into and pray to Yahweh but they were not welcome there. Between Jews and Gentiles there was also a division, an inner court and outer court.

I think it is important here to see that God had always had a mission to the Jew and Gentile, to redeem mankind. He chose Israel and they did not allow the Gentile to be included. Jesus came and opened the access for all. It is through Him we both (Jew and Gentile) have our access.

All too often I think I have thought that the Old Testament was about the chosen people, the Jews as God was about only the Jews. Then Jesus came for the Gentiles. Instead, God has always been about saving and grafting in all people - Jew and Gentile. The Jews were really meant to assist the Gentiles towards God. And now in Christ, after we are all made alive - we are all commissioned to take this message to everyone - to all nations. The message is God wants to redeem or save all.

Promise: It is through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Our access to the unbegotten Father God is in one Spirit. It is a three-fold union. It is three-fold unity. We come to Father, in the spirit, through Jesus. Both Jew and Gentile come to the Father in one Spirit. There is unity in coming to God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for showing me the Unity and confirming the truth of your forever gospel message of saving all people - Jew and Gentile - all nations. You love all and you want all to be with you forever in heaven, in paradise.


Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with January being about the doctrine of God.

Mark 11:15-17 - Judgment on the Temple

Mark 11:15-17
15 Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.”

Message: Judgment on the Temple

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus is headed to Jerusalem to begin his time before going to the cross. He first has the disciples go get the donkey he would then ride into Jerusalem on and fulfill messianic prophecies. He would go the temple but not do anything and then retreat to Bethany. The next day he was hungry and saw a leafy fig tree which meant it should have had fruit on it, but it didn't and pronounced a judgment on the tree that it would never bear fruit, which was likened to Israel and being a people that looked fruitful but were not.

Now they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple. What do we see here? We see Jesus entering the synagogue, which we have many records of occurring, but he saw something happening in the temple that wasn’t part of the purpose of the temple and he quickly drove those people out. The temple or church is the place for worship, teaching - nothing else. It is not a place to take advantage of those that are there. I have heard of this and thought of this as if church is a place to make business connections, but I must remember it has one singular purpose.

One of the problems that the old covenant people had was that they never really made a good effort in reaching the Gentiles.

In the first century, the Jerusalem temple did have a court of the Gentiles that measured some thirty-five acres where non-Jews could come and pray to Yahweh, the God of Israel. However, the Gentiles were not really welcome there. The popular Jewish mind-set hoped that the Messiah would cleanse the temple of all Gentiles. Moreover, when the Gentiles came to the court of the Gentiles in first-century Jerusalem, there was no welcome awaiting them. - Tabletalk, October 19, 2016

So this was the setting and Jesus would even remark in his response - My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. This was a quote from Isaiah 56:7 - Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." Perhaps the previous section and the pronouncement of judgment on the house of Israel for not bearing fruit was a foreshadow now of this event. Rather than bearing fruit here in the temple and reaching out to the Gentiles or all the nations, the temple priests were focused on themselves and looking out for their own interests and their own gain. Again, this is contrary to Jesus' message previously as well about the need for us to be servants. We may have power but our role as a leader is to serve.

The temple is called My house. It is a place set apart for the worship of God. Yes, we are the church, but I personally think we as Christians need a place to go to, like a church, like a temple each week as it is a place set aside for a specific purpose, to worship God. Someone was telling me that it wasn't important to go to church because we are the church. That is true, but Jesus mentions the importance even here of being in the house of God. 

Summary - Jesus has come upon the temple now in Jerusalem and sees that its purpose has not been fulfilled. The temple is not just for the Israelites. It also has a section for the Gentiles, but he is bothered because the priests are not fulfilling their role to reach everyone and welcome everyone, but instead are focused on their own selfish desires and setting up the temple as a place to exchange goods and make for themselves a profit. 

Promise: From R.C. Sproul - "The Jews hoped that the Messiah would cleanse the temple of Gentiles, but Jesus cleansed the temple for the Gentiles." Jesus is Savior of all, not some. 

Prayer: O Lord Jesus thank you for showing that you are intended for all people and the Gentiles had a place set up for them in the temple. Your people are to reach all people, all the time. I want to be intentional in my walk with you and be open to all people as well. Give me the courage to be that person and love the way you love. 

Mark 7:27-30 - The Faith of a Gentile Woman

Mark 7:27-30
27 And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered and *said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” 29 And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.

Message: The Faith of a Gentile Woman

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface: Jesus speaks to all the people, going beyond just the scribes, and declares clearly that when speaking of being clean, the key is what comes out of a person, not what is taken in. Jesus goes to the region of Tyre and Sido in an attempt to get away from ministry in Galilee for a time, perhaps in hopes of getting away from the crowds. But news of him is there as well and a woman appears to him requesting that an unclean spirit (demon) be removed from her daughter.

Mark mentions this Gentile woman who begs Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Jesus had previously commissioned his disciples to go and preach, first to the children of Israel and then later, to go into all the world. This exchange with this woman seems odd to me as the words from the Syrophoenician woman were just begging him to cast a demon out of her daughter, so why the response about children by satisfied first. Commentators have said that Jesus' words referred to Israel (the children), the gospel (bread), and the Gentiles (dogs). Thus, he was implying that she was a dog, but it seems that his exchange was not necessarily to be taken seriously or rather his purpose in saying the words he did was to get the response that he did. But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” Thus, the woman had faith and believed that the dogs or Gentiles still had a claim to the gospel. So, what Jesus was doing was continuing to teach his disciples. He wanted them to see the value there is in all persons. Prejudices were obviously present. People shows favoritism for different classes of people and Jesus did not want his disciples to approach people in this way.

Jesus shows here that he is looking for faith. This woman responded with faith in stating that even those individuals who may not have been the primary audience for the gospel can benefit from it. But, I don't think Jesus is saying this. He is looking for faith. He is wanting people to show that they have the faith and whenever they do, he backs up the truck and gives them what they ask.

Verse 30 is interesting because the woman seems to have gone to Jesus without her daughter. And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left. Tabletalk records here these words --

Ultimately, the encounter is about the place of Jews and Gentiles in God’s kingdom. The children—the Jews—get presented the kingdom first, and afterward, the dogs—the Gentiles—hear of it as well. This Gentile woman recognized the propriety of that plan. She did not ask for first place but in faith believed that Christ was for her as well.

Summary - Jesus goes to the regions of Tyre and Sidon and upon his arrival, a woman comes to him (without her daughter by her side) asking Jesus to heal her daughter, possessed by a demon. Jesus uses the situation to teach his disciples that faith is what he is looking for in people, not heritage (i.e. a Jew or even a Gentile). The woman shows her faith and she is healed.

Promise: Jesus lavishes his grace upon us. He wants to see us acknowledge our faith in him.

Prayer: Lord, I have faith in you. I do. And yet sometimes the way I act in my life gives the idea that I don't. I believe you are the Creator of all. I believe that you have saved me. I have faith in you. When I pray, I believe that you will do what I ask. Keep me aligned with you each day. Keep me focused on you, believing that you will do what you said, what you say.

Luke 2:22-35 - Our Divine Vocation

Luke 2:22-35

22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Message: Our divine vocation

Time: The Gospel according to Luke was probably the last Synoptic Gospel to be written, thus penned around 60 AD. The words salvation are in Luke, though not in Matthew and Mark. Luke, a gentile physician, wrote more than any other NT writer, writing primarily of redemptive history.

What the Lord is Saying: There is a continuous theme in the Old Testament that is carried forward in the New Testament because it is a theme that occurs in the lives of Jews and Jewish Christians. That theme is cleanliness versus being unclean. Many of the sacrifices that were set up in Leviticus were for the purpose of someone becoming clean again. The most common source of uncleanness was the stain of sin in a person's life. But there are other things as well. One of those things is a woman giving birth. After the birth, they were considered unclean for 7 days and then would have to stay home 33 days more, and then for having a girl these periods were doubled. And then they were to present in the temple an offering of purification: a burnt offering of a lamb a year old, and a young pigeon or turtle-dove as a sin offering. But if someone is poor then the lamb can be replaced with a young pigion or turtle-dove. This is what Mary brought for Jesus (v. 24).

And then there was Simeon, who we know nothing about, but that he was waiting for the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit came upon him, perhaps for a moment, rather than continually; but he was clearly a holy man. At some point in Simeon's life he had been told by the Spirit that he would not die before first seeing the Lord's Christ. It would make sense then that Simeon was very old.

Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus into the temple to carry out the custom of the Law in making and Simeon takes the baby in his arms to thank or praise God (v. 28).Simeon here recognizes that in this infant something special. God had told him through His spirit to wait for this baby, and this is indeed a special moment in the temple where Simeon, an older and wiser man sees that he can now depart from this world because he has seen the salvation of God's people, namely Jesus. Jesus is a light to the Gentiles and a glory to Israel. Thus, Jesus covers all people.

Joseph and Mary hear this, amazed once again. If anything this is also for their benefit, what Simeon has voiced, for them to hear that this baby is indeed different. There have already been so many signs of Him being different but these words from Simeon are the clearest.

Simeon speaks to Mary and Joseph with a prayer or a command and blesses them. They are blessed to have the honor of being related to this child and were entrusted to bring Him up. Jesus will be a savior of death to some (unbelievers) and a savior of life to still others (believers). But these words had to be hard to hear by Mary and Joseph that this baby would be rejected by many, would receive lashings and be opposed, but all of this is ordered by Providence as Jesus will reveal the actions of men. Jesus' suffering would hurt Jesus but also hurt Mary. But his suffering is necessary, as is our suffering.

Here we have the prophecy of Jesus and his life, by a man, Simeon that is really not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture and Luke records him. Jesus is set apart. He is indeed unique.

Promise: Suffering is a necessary part of life. The reality is suffering hurts and it is hard, but we remember it is necessary.

Prayer: Lord, I have seen that suffering is real. It does indeed hurt for it to occur in our lives. We have suffered for pain that our children experience or hurt that comes upon us from their actions. It is tough to be a parent, to experience all of the sacrifice and the things that we do to help make our kids great and then along the way, we hurt for them. It is a joy but it is also a difficult part of life. God, I thank you for what you do in our lives and for bringing us along in life the way that you have. Keep our eyes focused on You. Thank you for the prophecy of Jesus and that he is salvation for all people. We need You and we need You every hour.

Psalm 2:7-12 - God's Call to Kiss His Son

Psalm 2:7-12
⁷ “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸ ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
⁹ ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

¹⁰ Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
¹¹ Worship the Lord with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
¹² Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Message: Jesus speaks to all the nations and the Lord will be worshiped always

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

Chapter 2, the first 6 verses was broken into two 3 verse stanza's that were very similar in their organization, but reflect 2 different views. It began with the heathen nation, the non-Israelites, the kings of the earth, the rulers and their opposition to the ways of the Lord. They sought to bind the strong cord. But, God responded and made known that His plans will never change or be altered. His ways are the same. He will take care of the opposition and their ways will be thwarted as He will anoint His messiah over all and set Him high upon the hill. 

The Decree

In verses 7-12 it appears to continue for 3 verses or stanza's about Jesus and then the last 3 verses returns to a message to the kings of the earth and rules. While verse 4 uttered the words of Jehovah, now the Messiah speaks, "I will tell of the Lord" versus verse 6, "I have installed My King."That seems amazing that this Psalm, written by David, 1000 years before the time of Christ, here David speaks of the Messiah. David paves the way for the message of the Messiah. That's kind of hard to even fathom, that those words would be spoken of a future person.

Once you know, you must make him known. That should be my motto.

While "sons of God" has been used in scripture to refer to saints or children of God, the naming, "Son of God" is only appropriated to the Messiah in Scripture.  

To Infinity and Beyond
In verse 8, the idea is that the Father gives the son dominion or hands over the entire world. Heathen and nation are synonymous words here are therefore translated as such in different translations. At this time, there were Hebrews and non-Hebrews, just as in the New Testament it is spoken often that there are Jews and Gentiles. The idea here then is that God the Father grants God the Son the entire world as His inheritance. God is not a God of the Jews only. The Book of Romans often is showing the Jews that the message of God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is going out to all people, everywhere and going out to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

I think of Acts 1:8 here in the words of uttermost parts of the earth, "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." The ministry of Jesus in people's lives, his disciples, would reach the uttermost parts of the earth. How exciting to see a verse written 1000 years before Christ have its culmination later in this same idea in Acts. It goes to show how the words and message of the New Testament isn't so new. 

Verse 9 reiterates a common theme in this 2nd chapter of Psalms and that is that God has complete authority over all people and specifically, he will deal with the enemies of God. God will deal with them. Man does not need to and really should not be doing to bad-mouth people that think and live contrary to the word of God. My message to them is always simply the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus. People's eyes are blinded and they need to know that Jesus died for all, for sinners. This verse shows the completeness of their destruction as they will be shattered like a potter's vessel is shattered. And yet this will be an act of the Messiah. 

Address of Psalmist who has heard the words of Jehovah and Messiah
This book begins with the evil plot of the heathen nations and then Jehovah speaks that these nations have no dominion over him or His people. The Messiah enters and sees his impact and now the writer of this Psalms adds his words from verse 10-12.  

He begins with verse 10 or the writer begins speaking to the kings, the judges of the earth. They are not to attempt to resist the ways of God but to surrender to Him and "show discernment" or "be wise." They need to realize that it is not good to be an enemy of the Messiah. This could be a similar prayer that I could pray today towards people that people need show discernment or be wise and take instruction, Jesus is to be served with fear. 

I was reading a comment yesterday by a person on Facebook and they simply remarked, "God is love." I think this is a statement that is overused by many. People use this statement because this is all they want God to be is a God of love and then they define that love as meaning God accepts the behavior and lifestyle of anyone. God does love but his love is so needed because of the sin of man. He loves in spite of man's sin and His love removes the penalty of sin. The thing about these 3 verses now in Psalm 2, 10-12 is they are showing that people need to come before the Messiah and accept Him. 

Verse 11 says to "rejoice with trembling." Yes, we are to praise God but we do so because we recognize his almighty power and that the consequences of being found opposed to him must be overwhelming and awful. 

Verse 10 says to "show discernment" and "be instructed."  Verse 11 says we need to "serve the Lord with fear", "rejoice" but "with trembling." There are times, I think, when people need to see and know the real Messiah, not just the Messiah they conjure up in their mind. 

Verse 12 says, "Do homage to the Son" but I think the King James Version does a better job with this phrase by saying, "Kiss the Son." Man is to come before the Son of God and express his allegiance to the Son. A kiss expresses an Oriental custom to show respect towards one of superior rank. 

In 1 Samuel 10:1, "Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over His inheritance?" The ruler here received a kiss from Samuel as the Lord's anointed ruler. 

But, kissing is also done to idols. 

I Kings 19:18, "Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him." 

You see this often in sports, for when the team or person wins the championship or ultimate prize a trophy is given to them and they kiss it. In that kiss, they are showing their allegiance to that prize that they had been seeking. In this same manner, man is to kiss the Son. We are to show our complete allegiance to Him. We are to accept Him completely for who He is and this will mean many things to us. There will be many ramifications, but he is our God and King. He deserves it and He has done so much for us that we should be willing to do anything for Him. 

Or "He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled." There are consequences for not embracing Him as He is. And this is what people don't want to see. They just want to hear and believe the words, "God is Love." They want to embrace the idea that God will allow them to do whatever because He is love. That there is no accountability to Him. 

For "How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" Is God Love? Yes indeed and we are to seek Him and take our refuge in Him. I am to hide myself in him. This is the message of the Gospel, that man is a sinner and Jesus has redeemed man and so man takes his refuge not in his/her own good behavior, but takes his/her refuge in Him and Jesus is our protector and He blesses us.
  

Promise: It is in vain to attempt to oppose the Lord and His appointed king. From Tabletalk:

It is not difficult to get people to say nice things about Jesus when the only Jesus they know is the gentle Jesus of popular culture who makes no demands on anyone. That is not the Jesus of Scripture. We live in an era of divine patience, when God is holding back His wrath so that many may be saved. But make no mistake, this patience is not eternal. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, will execute His wrath at the appointed time. Today is the day of salvation, tomorrow the day of wrath.

Romans 15:25-27 - Our Debt to the Jews

Romans 15:25-27 - ²⁵ but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. ²⁶ For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.

Message: Our debt to the Jews
 
Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:  

Background
In the last section, there was sort of a new theme that took place in the chapter. Paul is starting to conclude the book. His diatribe regarding Jews and Gentiles appears to be over. He has made his case for the Gospel and shown it is not a new message. He has helped the Christian understand that his faith is practical and it is not self-seeking, but is focused on others and this includes when we have differences with our brother, We are interested in other people's well being, not our own. And the Gospel is available to all, even the Gentiles. And once again, this is not a new message. 

Then, he mentions that his desire is not just to write letters, but it is also to visit people with the Gospel and see them face to face. He wanted to do this with the church in Rome. His ministry goal had been achieved in seeing the gospel expanded and preached, but now he had a new desire to take it to Spain, which seems to be further than he originally thought possible. And along the way he could stop and see his friends in Rome. 

But first
Even though he has told the church his ambition to come to them and go to Spain, he first mentions that he is to go to Jerusalem and serve the saints. Paul is a man of his word. 

John MacArthur comments about Jerusalem and their condition:

There was a famine throughout Palestine, and because of persecution by unbelieving Jews, many Christian men lost their jobs and many others were put in prison, making bad conditions still worse for their families. In addition to that, many foreign Jews who were visiting Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost were converted to Christ and decided to remain in the city, usually as guests of believers who lived there.

Yes, it is true that Paul's ambition was the gospel, but that doesn't mean he let other things be lessened. He saw the need in Jerusalem for encouragement that the the Christians needed in Jerusalem. Christians were there and yet receiving persecution. While others were arriving and converting to Christ.

The Giving Body of Christ
And Paul mentions how the people of Macedonia and Achaia have come to the aid of those in Jerusalem. They saw a need and desired to meet it. This is a great picture of how Christians help one another. God has given us the capacity to care for those hurting and in need. We do desire to assist people and again, make others more important than ourselves.

Paul had planted a church in Philippi, the capital of Macedonia and also the major city of Thessalonica. The capital of Achaia was Corinth. The family of God were meeting the financial needs of the poor in Jerusalem. What a beautiful picture.

The gospel is not just about meeting people's needs with the Gospel, but it is also about helping their temporal needs, which may include providing money or clothes or food. And in verse 27 is the words that these gifts were not an obligation but were voluntary: "They are pleased."

But not only did they want to give to, but the wanted in some way to pay back, for they were benefactors of the work of those in Jerusalem. And Paul makes the point that receiving spiritual blessings means we are to share in material blessings received.

There is a key word in verse 27 and it is minister. When we share what God has provided us with others, it is as if we are ministering to them, and therefore, what we are doing is glorifying God through our gift. The tithe is really to be a gift to God, benefiting a ministry, but ultimate a returning of blessing we have received to God. And in this way, when helping the poor here in this context, conveys the same type of giving a tithe. It is a service to God like prayer or teaching.

Promise: From Tabletalk on November 17, 2015, "As Gentile Christians, we owe a great debt tot he old covenant community and the Jewish people. God chose them as the first recipients of His special revelation. He saves the world through a Messiah who is of Jewish ethnicity. Jewish Apostles wrote the vast majority of the New Testament (Luke-Acts being the exception) and preached the gospel to the Gentiles. Let us not forget that debt, and let us seek to "repay" it by supporting Christian ministry to the Jewish people.

Romans 15:20-21 - Paul's Admition

Romans 15:20-21 - 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.”

Message: Paul's Ambition

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome
 
What the Lord is Saying: Paul has just mentioned that it is his desire or calling has been to the Gentiles, to speak to them, a people he formally did not even like, but now he is sharing with these Christians in Rome his zeal for the gospel. Throughout these 2 chapter (14 and 15) Paul is emphasizing his desire to preach the gospel and he is calling special attention to those that may be weak in their faith and the importance of not being a stumbling block or not saying something that will diminish that person's belief in God, but instead to deny ourselves, and not focus on the differences. We need to focus on our hearts and our desire for the truth. 

Preach the Gospel

Paul echoes words he has said elsewhere in this book, namely his desire to preach the gospel. In Romans 1:15 and 16 he said, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome for I (Paul) am not ashamed of the gospel. It is Paul's ambition to preach the gospel. 

It is interesting those words of "My ambition." I wonder if preaching the gospel is really my ambition or if it is rather just one of the things that I do. For Paul, I am sure this meant that in his life, in his relationships, in his conversations, that the idea of the Gospel was always forefront in his mind. For me, this seems somewhat difficult or maybe, more of a challenge, because of the varying responsibilities that I have: Father, Son, Employee, Supervisor, and I'm sure others, there seems to be a jockeying for what is most important at all times. And yet, Lord, I want the Gospel to be most prominent. 

New Ground
Now these are interesting words, "not where Christ has already been named." It is not Paul's ambition to simply preach a message to those ears that have already heard. I think on one hand this is a charge to not get comfortable simply staying around Christians, speaking to them all of the time, but it is a charge to go to ground where people have not named Christ. But, it also makes me think of whether I should be trying so hard with people that know a Jesus, but not necessarily the Jesus Christ. This is hard. 

Someone else's foundation
The reason Paul does to go where Christ is already named is because he does not want to build on another person's foundation. Again, these are interesting words and, in some ways, hard to apply in this day and age where there are churches everywhere. Multiple churches aren't bad if they are all full. But Paul's desire is not to try and not override someone else. It is somewhat sad to see churches almost competing with one another for congregants. I think the key here is to not settle. 

As it is written
And Paul puts a special emphasis on his words here: because God says so. He quotes now from the Septuagint and the words of the Old Testament to further emphasize this message. It should be a special point of emphasis when he goes to the Old Testament to emphasize his words. He is calling those words to special attention and showing that this is a message that is not unique to his own time.  

Verse 21 says, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

• Isaiah 52:15 - Thus shall many nations wonder at him; and kings shall keep their mouths shut: for they to whom no report was brought concerning him, shall see; and they who have not heard, shall consider.
• Isaiah 65:1 - I became manifest to them that asked not for me; I was found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold, I am here, to a nation, who called not on my name. 

Albert Barnes states that Isaiah 52:15 is not literally quoted but the sense is retained. The design of quoting it is to justify the principle on which the apostle acted. It was revealed that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles; and he regarded it as a high honor to be the instrument of carrying this prediction into effect.

From TableTalk (November 13, 2014) - Isaiah foresaw a day in which foreigners to God's covenant with Israel would hear of the Servant of the Lord--the Messiah--and be struck with awe. Under the ministry of Paul in particular, and the rest of the Apostles generally, this took place as the gospel went forth into pagan lands and the Gentiles came to faith in the one true God for the first time. Today, Isaiah's prophecy continues to be fulfilled as unreached people groups the world over hear the gospel and churches are planted among them. Moreover, this fulfillment will continue until every tribe and tongue is represented in the great company of believers. 

Promise: My ambition is to preach the Gospel. Do this and everything else will be taken care of with success.

 

Romans 15:14-16 - Paul's Priestly Service

Romans 15:14-16 - 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.

Message: You are mature in Christ, now keep on ministering and offering the Gentiles as acceptable to God

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

Background
Paul has been speaking to the strong ones, primarily, the strong in faith, and reminding them of the importance of being sensitive to people at different levels of faith. And to be sensitive to them regarding their beliefs or convictions. I am to build other people up, to live in harmony with others, to welcome others. Christ has welcomed me. The Jews and the Gentiles have both been grafted into the family of God. I am not to pass judgment on another person because of a conviction they have, though this is in the context of what that person believes regarding a religious conviction. This doesn't mean I can never judge nor does it mean that I am to accept everything a person does. Sometimes what people do is outright sin. I am not to be accepting towards everything a person does. 

You are mature in Christ
Paul then in verse 14 says some things to the Jewish Christians here, which is who he is primarily speaking to in this book of Romans. Verse 14 kind of reminds me of the letter to seven churches that is recorded in Revelation 2 and 3 and the words John says to each of those seven churches, praising them first for something they are doing right. "You yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another." 

There may be a tendency to think that because of all that Paul has said in this fine book that these Christians were therefore deficient in their understanding but this verse is a bold proclamation that these Jewish Christians were in fact living out their faith in a doctrinally sound manner and were passing on what they learned to others. And this was all based upon what he had heard concerning them because he had never visited them personally.  

These were Christians that came along the side of other Christians and counseled them. They were there for each other, providing encouragement and instruction. 

Reminder
Paul makes a transition in verse 15 to state why he has stated what he has. All of us need to be reminded. And Paul has not held back in his explanations. He has been bold in those explanations, comprehensively describing the explanation of thought and deed. 

Ray C. Stedman makes this remark:

"I saw a man the other day with a string around his finger. The string was to remind him of something. The fact that we so easily forget things is somehow built into our humanity and I think one of the greatest proofs of the fall of man is that we have such a hard time remembering what we want to remember, yet we so easily remember what we want to forget!... Living out in the world, as many of you are, working every day among non-Christians, it is so easy to be sucked into the attitudes of the world around. It is so easy to get the idea that life is designed to be a pleasant picnic, that we can work toward the day when we can retire and enjoy ourselves. I find that attitude prevalent among people everywhere, but that is not what the Bible says. The Bible says we are in the midst of a battle, a battle to the death, against a keen and crafty foe. He wants to discourage us and defeat us, and to make us feel angry and hostile. He knows how to do it, and he never lets up. This life is not designed to be a time of relaxing. There are times when we need recreation and vacations, when we can slow down a bit. But you never see the Apostle Paul talking about quitting the battle. You cannot quit, as long as life is there. So Paul tells us that we need to be reminded, day by day and week by week, that we are in a battle and that we have a crafty foe. This life is not all there is, by any means. This is school time, a training ground, where we are to learn our lessons. This life is getting us ready for the real thing that is yet to come."

I agree with this statement. We believe so often that life is about us and about our enjoyment. In Christ, however, I am on mission. 

Be a minister
Throughout these past 2 chapters, the overriding message in these chapters is to be a minister to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is to think of others as more important than myself. It is to want the best for others. I think we all just have this tendency over and over to make ourselves happy and please ourselves. Yet, Paul uses a different word here for minister to emphasize something. He uses  leitourgos because he saw his missionary work like that of a priest offering sacred worship to God.

Paul desires to present Gentiles before God. A person makes a sacrifice or presentation before God to show God that I am denying myself and bringing something before you, hoping that you find it pleasing. So Paul wants to encourage these Christians to not just accept the Gentile but to present these Gentiles to God as a sacrifice like a priest would do. It is one thing to accept others that are different from us, but it is quite another thing to present them before God. It is to come alongside them and really desire their best.

Offering of the Gentiles
Transformation of thoughts are possible. Paul is a testament to this. Prior to being in Christ he hated the Gentile believers and now he is bringing them before God as a sacrifice, desiring them to be pleasing to God. The Lord will reward us as we offer up these sacrifices.


Promise: We labor, not only for the saving of men, but for the satisfying of the heart of God. This is the most powerful motive.

 

Romans 15:13 - Abounding in Hope

Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Message: Abounding in Hope

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome


What the Lord is Saying:  

This statement here is a concluding admonition offered to the Gentiles which was the audience for verses 9-12. Jesus brought hope to the Gentiles. 

May the God of Hope
This verse is a prayer and word of encouragement that begins and ends with hope. God is the God of hope and His goal is to give hope to the believer. He orchestrates this through the Power of the Holy Spirit. I am filled with hope with joy and peace when I believe.  

God is the origin and object and giver of hope. Abounding in hope is only possible when the God of Hope moves in the life of a believer. Society may think they have hope, but it is a false hope. With God hope is a permanent state.

Fill you
This idea means literally to fill to the brim. Filling is to make something complete. When I fill a glass or container with something, I make that empty container complete with that substance. Here it is the idea of filling a person with all that they need. 

With all Joy and Peace in Believing
God is filling the person with joy and peace. The believers responsibility in this process is simple: to believe.  God will give the believer joy and peace. Joy is something we have that signifies our position in Christ. There is great joy in our salvation. But, that joy can go away at times, but peace will always hold. We need peace to be reminded that our condition of salvation is permanent. 

Joy is a state of knowing I belong to God. It looks past my sin and gives me joy. Peace makes this state a permanent thing. 

The act of believing is done when we consider something to be true. It is not enough to read the scripture. It is not enough to go through the motion of going to church. It is not enough to be in the habit of lifting up concerns to heaven. We must believe. A person is to believe. In believing, the floodgates are opened to joy and peace. Reading the Word, going to Church, and Praying are each important, but they all are only real under the umbrella of believing. 

I have seen this in my life. Sometimes I think that by just going through the motions of reading, church going, praying, listening to sermons or Christian music that it will make all things fine. But, my real issue is whether or not I really believe. Have I placed my trust in God?

By the Power of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is not an afterthought or this other option that is just there. The Holy Spirit has a real purpose and we cannot, as a Christian, live a life of power without the Holy Spirit living and working in our life. 

I saw this written on preceptaustin.org and it is is so perfect regarding the Holy Spirit and His Power:

Remember that when Jesus was on earth, having emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives (albeit still fully God - mystery of mysteries! See Phil 2:5, 6, 7-note), He presented us the perfect example of how to live a supernatural life. And what was Jesus' "secret"? Luke unfolds the beautiful truth that at the beginning of His ministry, "the Holy Spirit descended upon Him" (Luke 3:22, compare Isa 11:2, Isa 61:1, 2, 3, notice also the timing = Luke 3:23 "And when He began His ministry..."). Note what Luke is saying - Jesus receives the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and this event marks the inception of His powerful ministry over the next three years. Luke goes on to record that then "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1, see  Paul's command to believers to be continually full of the Spirit, Eph 5:18-note), Jesus "was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness" (Luke 4:1b) which resulted in a period of intense temptation "by the devil " (Luke 4:2-17). In short, Jesus gives us His example for powerful ministry - filling with and submission or surrender to the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that now indwells all believers (Ro 8:9-note, 1Cor 6:19-note, 1Cor 6:20-note). In the book of Acts, Luke reiterates the vital role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' ministry recording Peter's declaration...

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power (dunamis), and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. (Luke 10:38)

Notice the association of the Holy Spirit with the presence of enabling power, power to accomplish the ministry the Father had assigned to His Son (Do you see the Trinity at work?). Now return to Luke 4 and notice that after His victorious temptation.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power (dunamis) of the Spirit (Luke 4:14).

Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit, led by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit began His ministry. In so doing, Jesus the perfect Man is providing us the pattern for powerful ministry! Have you learned the "secret" of the Holy Spirit's power in your life? Paul (1Cor 11:1), Peter (1Peter 2:21-note) and John (1Jn 2:6) all call on believers to follow in the steps of Jesus. While clearly there are some exceptions (Jesus' miracles of raising the dead, etc.), the basic pattern of power for supernatural ministry is provided - the secret is the Holy Spirit! Jesus' charge to His men in Acts 1:8 and playing out of that verse in the remainder of the book of Acts affirm the basic principle of the Holy Spirit's power  enabling us to live the Christian life as more than conquerors!

May God open the eyes of our heart to the surpassing greatness of the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:18, 19-note) available in our lives so that we might experience an abundant, fruit filled life (Gal 5:22-note, Gal 5:23-note), in turn so that God the Father might be greatly glorified by the supernatural deeds the Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29b) enables us to perform (cp Mt 5:16-note, Jn 15:8) as we progressively learn more and more to yield to Him, to be filled with Him and to walk by Him (Eph 5:18-note, Gal 5:16-note).

You may abound in Hope
Hope here is not just the desire that something will happen in the future, but it is the assurance and confidence that it will indeed happen. We spoke to a man at the mall last night at the mall and it was clear in our discussion (eventually) that this man was in a permanent state of hope, believing that Jesus Christ did it all for him, and his confidence was not in his own ability to be obedient, but his confidence was in Christ and all his hope was in Him. He knew his future was secure not because of anything he had done, but because of what Christ had done for him. He was in a state of hope. 

Promise:  The promise to the Christian is by believing they receive the Power of the Holy Spirit and in their life, this gives them a Hope that never fades.

Romans 15:8-12 - The Hope of Jews and Gentiles

Romans 15:8-12 -
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. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”

¹⁰ And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

¹¹ And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”

¹² And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

Message: Christ is a Servant

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

Paul has expressed in these verses the importance of accepting one another. This has been in his main theme since chapter 14, verse 1. Paul is speaking to a unique set of people in Rome, Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. He is helping them understand how they are supposed to be in community together, despite the fact that they have so many differences. Paul's primary admonition is one of acceptance. Paul has given reasons why we accept others:

• God accepts him (14:3)
• People are acting unto the Lord (14:6)
• We are Lord's (14:8)
• Carrying out what was given in earlier times (15:4)
• God gives us the means to be of one accord (15:5)

Spurgeon made the remark: It was to Abraham and his descendants that the promise was made that, in him, and in his seed, all the nations of the earth should be blessed. So our Lord came, as a Jew, to be "a minister of the circumcision." Let us never forget that he came to those whom we are apt to forget; and, peradventure, even to despise, "to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.'" Jesus, our Lord, became the servant of the Jews, and preached among them in fulfillment of prophecy; shall we not become the servants of others for their good? Nor did his ministry end with Israel; but we, who are Gentiles, share the blessing; therefore, like our Lord, we should seek the good of all mankind and live to bless them.

Verse 8
Christ accepted the Jews. He did not wait for them to respond, but he accepted them first, and fulfilled the words of the patriarchs. Our service is to all people. I am to be a minister to all. Paul has just said in verse 7 that I am to welcome others. And I think Paul wants to make sure that we are not thinking that there are any exceptions to this.

Verse 9-12
God made covenant with the Jews. He had mercy on the Gentiles. And Paul here offers 4 quotes:

• David praised God among the Gentiles (15:9)
• Moses exhorted the Gentiles, Rejoice . . . with His people (15:10)
• the psalmist commanded the Gentiles to praise the Lord (15:11)
• Isaiah predicted that the Gentiles will live under the rule of the Root of Jesse (the Messiah) and they will hope in Him (15:12).

- David praise God among the Gentiles
The first quote is from 2 Samuel 22:50 (Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name.) and Psalm 18:49 (Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name.), from the Septuagint.

David sees that the Gentiles are to be included as God's People.

- Moses exhorted the Gentiles, Rejoice . . . with His people
Here is a quote from Deuteronomy 32:43 (Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him). In Abraham's seed all nations will be blessed. 

- the psalmist commanded the Gentiles to praise the Lord
Psalm 117:1 (Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye peoples). The Gentiles were not an afterthought but Paul shows that God always wanted to bring the Jews and Gentiles together into one body. Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible as it has only 2 verses and yet it is quoted here. 

- Isaiah predicted that the Gentiles will live under the rule of the Root of Jesse (the Messiah) and they will hope in Him
Paul quotes from Isaiah 11:10 (And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall arise to rule over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust, and his rest shall be glorious). We spring forth from the bloodline of Jesse. Christ shall reign over Jews and Gentiles. 
 
Promise: Seek unity among all persons, grounded in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Romans 14:15-16 - Preserving Christ's Sheep

Romans 14:15-16 -  ¹⁵ For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil.

Message: Showing Love to Your brother though your choices

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

I am right in the middle of a discussion on a Christians behavior towards another person (namely a Christian brother) over matters of disagreement. Paul isn't speaking of all disagreements, but those that involve information that is not explicitly understood through the reading of scripture.

He started off the chapter by talking about a person "weak in faith" or not as strong as the person seeing the other person. The big issue I saw was a respect towards people and their different convictions. (That said, I have said it earlier and I continue to think it is important to mention that there are many subjects that one person might view as negotiable and another non-negotiable. This is especially true in matters spoken of in the Old Testament as doctrine, but then not spoken of in the New Testament and the belief that their is in fact a new covenant and so the stuff in the Old Testament isn't needed to be upheld.) So, I think the principle of these verses is easy to read but the application of them is hard to define.

From verse 3 on, there is back and forth mentioning of food and days. Obviously, in that day and time, these were matters of big concern. And more specifically, the parties Paul is discussing throughout the book of Romans are Jews and Gentiles. To me, this started in chapter 2 when Paul began to speak about the customs of the Jews that tended to then regard the Jew as saved, notably circumcision, keeping the Law, and judging the Law. And probably, here in these verses, is once again looking at the customs of the Jew and now the life of the saved person and the Gentile. And the church of Rome was made up of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. There were customs, traditions, that the Jewish Christians continued to keep that the Gentile probably did not seem necessary.

And so now looking at verse 15, I see Paul's words to the Gentile: "If because of food your brother is hurt." The Gentile believed that any food was able to be eaten. The Jew held probably to vegetables only, but the Gentile ate whatever. This is somewhat of a confusing verse. A person may even get defensive reading it, sensing that he is begin instructed to give up something he enjoys. The key phrase I see in verse 14 is "walking according to love."

The evaluation tool that I should use is, am I showing love to my brother. I think of a couple of scenario's:

1. I am having a party, inviting several friends, and at the party I plan to serve alcohol. One of my Christian brothers is a recovering alcoholic and recently took a vow to not drink again. Because of this, I need to not serve alcohol. Serving alcohol is something I do not have a problem doing, but I need to be sensitive to my brother and I don't want him to be given an opportunity to stumble. Here I am having charity, that is sacrificing my own comfort in order to not hurt the happiness of another.
2. Same scenario as above, but this time one of my friends does not like to drink alcohol. I do not have to not serve alcohol. They don't like drinking alcohol so they won't, but that doesn't mean that other shouldn't. This is the respect that I believer Chapter 14 is referring to.

In verse 15, it has a couple of thoughts to it. One, in the same thought of verse 14, we need to make sure that what I think is good, but someone else thinks is wrong, doesn't because then something that people look at me and see as evil. This is kind of tough. So, with my above scenario, is it okay to have drinking in a house with someone that doesn't like drinking. I think it depends on the person and whether or not they can respect your different views.

I think also in this verse is a little bit of the idea that I must be very careful of my actions as a Christian. If my actions cause someone else to sin then how am I acting as a Christian? Paul has spoken of this many times. Verse 1 of chapter 2 says the Christan condemns himself when he judges. But even more clearly is verse 24, regarding the Jew, "The name of God is blasphemed because of you." The Jew upheld the law, but then broke it behind people's backs. Is it any wonder that the world loves to bring to light those pastors or ministers or broadcast Christians that have sinned in a manner that the world knows Christians despise? I think of many times when a pastor has been found cheating on his wife or even being caught in a homosexual relationship. How unfortunate this is because it gives the name of God a bad name.

I remember when I was 21 and worked at a golf course during the summer while doing beach ministry and my head foreman heard me cuss. He glared at me and thought I was in trouble. How could I do such a thing? It was fine for him to do it, but not me. (I notice this when I walk in a room and people are cursing and they immediately turn to me and say, "Sorry Chris" like they have offended me.)

As a Christian I must be very careful and I must be quick to apologize.

Promise: A mature believer is to be a strong believer.