Romans 16;19 - For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.
Message: Wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil
Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome.
What the Lord is Saying:
Starting in verse 17,
Paul makes a statement to the Christians in Rome that they need to be
careful about those around them that proclaim the name of Christ, for
there will be some that are false teachers. These false teachers will be smooth talkers, with flattery, and only interested in pleasing themselves and making their empires bigger. He states that these people need to be avoided. And not only false teachers, but be careful about those that cause divisions and obstacles within the body. His thrust in this book and in the last few chapters has been about thinking of others first and building up the Body and preserving unity.
Your obedience is known to all
Paul sort of adds a crescendo to this statement and why it is so important that we watch out for false teachers and divisions within the Body, it is because "your obedience is known to all." People are watching you. People are watching me. They are paying attention to how I behave and how I speak and talk. Am I different?
My friend Bobby mentioned to me that when he was in the hospital recently, the nurses made a comment about how he and his wife relate to one another, stating that there was kindness in their speech to each other. They remarked that this sort of husband/wife relation is unlike what they see in the hospital. People are noticing when people are different. People are watching me at all times and they are looking at how I respond to events and even stressful situations. Am I responding any differently to anyone else?
I rejoice over you
Paul notices their behavior. Paul notices their wise choices. Paul praises them to others. Paul has done this in this chapter, making mention of people that are serving alongside him.
Wise to what is good and Innocent to what is evil
The mark of the Christian is to be focused on good, not doing evil. It is that simple. Paul wants us to recognize what is good and recognize what is evil. We should not be naive to the things of God and the things in the world.
The lines have really blurred here, I think. Gambling and casino's have become common place. Where I live, the are a primary source of entertainment for adults. It isn't always the gambling itself, but it is the atmosphere. The lines are blurry regarding movies and the ability now to watch anything you want. Movie ratings mean little. They are really guides to content now and they are mostly ignored. Sin and different choices, in the past, would hidden or segregated to certain areas of town, but now they are freely exposed to all through the internet. From the comfort of the home (or phone) all is accessible.
Yet, nothing has changed. I am still to be wise to what is good or seek God and innocent to what is evil. I am not to give into evil, but steer far away from it.
Promise: Seek that which is good, this is what other people are looking for in you, a Christian.
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