Romans 15:1-13 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
There are so many lessons we can learn from today’s passage, Romans 15:1-13. Let’s go!
Romans 15:1-3 (NIV)
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
On verses 1-3: One of the big lessons of Romans is that we don’t live to please ourselves, but we live to serve others. That’s the whole point of Romans 14 and now in Romans 15:1-2 says it even more directly. And why do we live not just to please ourselves but to serve others? Because that’s how Jesus lived (v3).
Romans 15:4 (NIV)
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
On verse 4: In typical Pauline fashion, after the point about serving others and using Scripture to back it up, Paul starts on a tangential point, this time about the whole purpose of Scripture. He says that God gave us the Scriptures so that we could find encouragement and hope. That’s the ultimate reason why the Bible was given to us: not so that we could have a rulebook of do’s and don’ts, not as a means by which to judge ourselves or others, but that we might have encouragement and hope.
Romans 15:5a (NIV)
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement…
On verse 5a: God is not one who saps our strength; rather He gives us endurance. God is not one to discourage us, but He gives us encouragement. So if you’re getting tired of serving others, if you need endurance or encouragement right now, the best person you can go to today is God. Cry out to Him. Spend quality time with Him. Endurance and encouragement happen when you draw near to God.
Romans 15:5b-6 (NIV)
5…give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On verses 5b-6: To me it’s incredible how much the importance of unity gets emphasized in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. I believe it’s because God knows our sinful tendency to misunderstand and judge others, to get offended easily, to hold grudges, to distance ourselves from others, and to think of ourselves as better than others. God made His church to be fully united as we follow Jesus.
Romans 15:7 (NIV)
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
On verse 7: When you love accept others the way Christ loved and accepted you, you bring praise to God. That’s the three-way-ness of Christian relationships: when you love others well, not only are they blessed, but God is glorified. God being glorified is not a side benefit of loving others. Glorifying God is the main goal. So try this: intentionally make it your goal to glorify God in the way you speak and interact with others today. You’ll find that life takes on a new meaning and joy when you intentionally do things to give God glory.
Romans 15:8-9 (NIV)
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.”
On verses 8-9: Paul notes how Jesus served the Jews and in so doing made it possible even for Gentiles to know and glorify God as well. It goes to show that when we seek to glorify God just by loving the person directly in front of us, God uses that to advance His kingdom and bless other people in ways we don’t even realize.
Romans 15:10-12 (NIV)
10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.”
12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”
On verses 10-12: As if Paul had not already made a clear and convincing case that God’s plan included bringing Gentiles into His family, Paul cites Deuteronomy (v10), the Psalms (v11) and the prophet Isaiah (v12) to show that every part of the Old Testament – the Law and the Prophets – points to God’s plan to reach the entire world, both Gentiles and Jews.
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
On verse 13: This is one of my favourite verses in the Bible. You can preach a whole sermon on just this one verse. We learn from this verse that God Himself is full of hope and made us to be full of hope as well. We learn that hope is not something we manufacture; rather it is the product of God’s power working in us. We learn that when God is the source of our hope, the result is joy and peace. We learn that the hope God gives is meant to be shared; you were meant not just to contain hope but to overflow with hope so that it affects others. At Thrive it’s what we call contagious hope.
Father, I recognize today that the reason I live is not to please myself but to glorify You by serving others. Since endurance and encouragement come from You, I run to You today and ask for more of You. Please help me to live the life You want me to live, for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
