Romans 15: 1-7
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just to please ourselves.
As big brothers and big sisters we need to uphold our little brothers and sisters, helping them for their benefit and growth. This will also benefit us, too, but we are to do it for their good, as members of our family.
Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.
We need to be aware of our neighbors, to be able to help them in the way that will benefit them, even if they're not family members yet, so that they will be drawn to God as we were.
For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written,
"The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me" (Psalm 69: 9).
Jesus took our sins upon Himself, when we were still His enemies, and He drew us to Himself thereby; so our doing good to our neighbors will show them God's love for them.
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
God had all the Scriptures written down, not just an oral history, so that we could know that what we read there is accurate, and trustworthy, and true. We can confidently trust it to lead us aright. To show us how following His ways is so beneficial for us, to encourage us to keep on keeping on, especially when the going is tough. So we would know that His plans for us are for our good, to reward us with Himself and His glorious goodness.
Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
He wants us all to be one family, to all think His thoughts for us, so we will all hold up one another in encouragement to persevere in the things He has planned for each of us to accomplish in His strength.
so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As one great choir, all singing the same symphony, in gorgeous harmony, in thanksgiving for all He has done for us and in us and through us, glorifying His great Name!
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
This will only happen when we take one another just as we are, even when we rub against each other's rough spots, when we are aggravated and irritated with one another's faults. Christ accepted every one of us in our sinfulness, which made us His enemies; so we are to accept one another, and let the irritations slide off our backs as water off a duck's back.
We are to forgive one another, as God forgives us through Christ, and get along with one another, helping their weaknesses in our strengths, and letting them help our weaknesses in their strengths. We are so much better together, as our Father in His compassionate wisdom has put us together to help one another, to His great glory!
O my Father, You are so compassionate in Your Love for us, to put us together into families and communities and congregations and Nations. You made us to be social beings, because You enjoy being Father and Son and Spirit.
You are One and You want us to be united as one in You also. In unity, not uniformity, because You love diversity. You made us all different from one another, and You want us to learn to get along with one another, even in our differences. To be united in Your Love.
Father, continue to teach us how to do this. You know that we are only dust, and we have the World, the devil, and our own flesh all working against us. But Your Spirit in us is so much stronger than all of these combined, to give us the victory over every deception and every battle and every temptation, because Christ Jesus has already won the war!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will sing Your praises, that Jesus is our Christ and Redeemer, our Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Romans 14: 1-23
Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
Loving one another means we will not deliberately offend a brother or sister. We might say that everyone is welcome in our meetings, but then we tend to criticize someone who does not meet our standards.
One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
In this Roman society, the raging issue was that all the meats in the market had been previously sacrificed to idols. So was it all right to eat them or not?
The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.
If you know that the idols are nothing, and therefore could not have any effect on the meat, so it's all right to eat it, then don't look down on your brother who has not yet come to this understanding, and still has doubts about it.
And if you think that the demons behind the idols could have put some kind of curse on the meats, so you don't want to expose yourself to any detrimental spiritual effect from it, so you don't eat it, then don't criticize your brother who is eating it, because he is your brother who God has accepted in Christ.
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own Master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
We are all to serve one another, but our Master is Christ, and we are accountable to Him. So we are not to put down another servant of Christ as though we are his master. We are each ultimately accountable to Him, and He is able to exonerate each one of us eventually.
One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
Many of the pagan festivals were open to everyone who wanted to join the party. So if someone wanted to go and have an enjoyable time out with his wife, he didn't have to acknowledge the idol to just have a good time, considering it just another day that had an opportunity.
Another brother might consider that festival day to be one to stay home, to not give any weight to the Pagan idol being celebrated.
The brother out to dinner, and the brother eating at home, are both doing what they consider the best thing to do at that time, but each should be convinced that they are both doing the right thing, having no doubts about it.
He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.
So the one who eats dinner out, gives thanks to the Lord for the good food and good time and good opportunity to enjoy the party. And the one who stays home and does not go out to eat, still thanks God for the good things He gives him at home, and the good time he can have privately with his own family.
For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
So whether we live, however we live, or even if we should die, we all still belong to the Lord.
For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
No matter what our condition is, Jesus lived though it all, experienced it all for us, so that He would have victory over everything that could happen to us; and He has conquered everything that we will ever face, no matter what it is, all the way up to dying. He has our back.
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt?
We are all at different spiritual stages of maturity. We have big brothers and big sisters and we have little brothers and little sisters. We are to love one another in this big family of God, considering that we are at different "ages" in relation to our siblings, and let the big brothers and sisters have the freedom and privileges due their maturity without envy or comparison, and see our little brothers and sisters with compassion to protect them from from hurt or wounding.
For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
This is the Bema Seat, the awarding of prizes and awards for achievement. Every one of us will receive some commendation, for all the wrath and punishment for our sins has already been paid by Jesus on the Cross as our Personal Sacrifice. We all will receive only for the good things we have done, as crowns and jewels in our crowns to cast at His feet (see Revelation 4:10).
For it is written,
"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God" (Isaiah 45: 23).
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
Only our Creator God and Redeemer God has the authority to judge each of us. He is our Owner and Master and Lord, and has purchased us with the Blood that was poured out at the foot of His altar, the Cross (see John 19: 34, and Leviticus 4: 7).
Therefore let us not judge one another any more,
We are not judges, but we are to be encouragers of one another, to build each other up in the Lord.
but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.
We are to make up our minds to be aware of others' sensibilities to not do or say anything that might cause another brother or sister to stumble or doubt. For if we boast about or proudly display some behavior that someone else may not be convinced is all right, then we may be encouraging them to do something they may consider might be wrong because you think it's okay.
I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything is unclean, to him it is unclean.
Our thinking processes determine our attitudes. Paul knew that Jesus has cleansed all the animals, making them all right to eat, because of Peter's vision in Acts 10: 9-16; 11: 4-12, as well as the Gentiles to receive the Gospel.
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.
So don't show off your freedom in the Lord to show up someone else! This is not loving one another, it's wounding their consciences.
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;
And it's letting something good be spoken evil of, which is what our enemy tries to convince people of in his deceptions. He always twists what God made as good into some evil caricature, and calls evil good and good evil. We certainly don't want to be like him.
for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Food is only what sustains this Earthly life we are living now, and has no eternal value in itself. So whatever diet you decide to eat is up to you, to keep your body healthy. And remember that righteousness and peace will last forever, which will cause our joy in the Holy Spirit to increase.
For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
So when we live this way, we will be doing what is right for both now and eternity, and people will find nothing in us to criticize.
So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
Let's just go after what will help us get along with one another and encourage each other to keep on growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.
Food is what was the troubling issue of that day, but the principle is to be applied to anything in each society that is considered questionable. Should a Christian today have a social drink? Would a Christian woman wear a bikini at a public beach? There is any number of issues that we must consider in living our lives, for we live in glass houses, observable and watched by the World around us. Everything we do and every word we utter is scrutinized by the world around us.
But we are to be especially aware of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
We are to limit our freedom in the Lord for the sake of our family members. If I would want to do something dangerous, but see my little sister there, I will desist in doing that dangerous thing, even if I was trained to do it safely, for her sake. I must be protective of my family members.
The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
When I am confident in what I do, then I will do it in joy and enjoyment.
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
But if someone still has doubts as to the rightness or wrongness of what he is considering, if he does it anyway, thinking it might be wrong, then he is deliberately doing wrong, which is sin.
That's why we need to be totally convinced in our own minds. We must believe that what we are doing really is right and beneficial. We don't want to miss the mark (sin) in anything we do or say, as far as we are able.
O my Father, teach us Your ways. Help us to be firmly thinking Your thoughts for us, to have Your viewpoints and Your attitudes concerning what is going on in our lives. Help us, Father, to protect our little brothers and sisters, and to help them to also grow up in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Teach us how to be good big brothers and sisters, and to always make the right choices in how we live our lives.
May our every moment be in acute awareness of Your Presence in us and with us, to do what pleases You according to Your will for each of us, and keep us from comparing ourselves with ourselves and each other, but only with You.
Teach us how to love one another as You have Loved us, that the World will know we belong to You and will be drawn to You.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Romans 13: 11-14
Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now our salvation is nearer to us than we believed.
It's time to wake up! God's church has been so asleep through this whole "church age" in most of us just keeping to ourselves, not making waves, not making any extra effort to go out and tell people.
There has always been the few who are celebrated as Great Saints in each generation, but the great masses of children in God's family have let them do all the work.
The night is almost gone, and the Day is near.
The night of everyday sameness is almost over, because we are rapidly approaching the end of the Last Days that Jesus told us about in Matthew 24: 3-51, then He spent all 46 verses of the next chapter describing different aspects of the Kingdom in parables.
It's up to us, people, brothers and sisters, to get off the stick and boldly step out of the comfortable box and do the work of promoting His Kingdom. Every believer can be a "super saint" by totally giving ourselves to the Lordship of our King. This is His Kingdom, and it will be our kingdom, too, as we sit in His throne with Him ruling under His authority as His kings and queens!
Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
It's time to change our focus, and get serious about preparing for this near future by putting on the armor God provides us, found in Ephesians 6: 10-18.
Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
Let's not be carried away in partying, late nights, and worldly carryings on. Wear the armor deliberately to protect yourself from all the fiery darts of the enemy and the World and our own flesh, to set our focus on spiritual things that will last forever, and learn to be good and faithful servants of our King.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Wear Christ as the Love you put on as your overcoat, to fill in any gaps the armor might leave, to eliminate any vulnerability we would have to provide even the smallest path back into our previous worldly attitudes; burn the ships, and don't look back. It's Onward Christian Soldiers.
O my Father, please help us all to realize how late the hour is, how little time we have left to get Your work done! Father, we're out of leisure time, it's time to get to work!
Wake us all up, Father; get us all working together to get the Word out, that everybody alive will be able to hear and understand that You Love them so much! And You have already provided for their every need in Your Son, as our Savior and Lord and King. And our gentle Bridegroom!
O Father, wake me up! Get me out of my bed and out spreading Your Good News to everyone in my little world. Teach me what You would have me do, what You would have me say, who You would have me approach because You have prepared their heart to hear.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Romans 13: 8-10
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law.
Here's the sum of the law: to love our neighbor--that it fulfills all the Law on the second Tablet of the Ten Commandments.
For this,
"You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet" (Exodus 20: 13-17; Deuteronomy 5: 17-21),
and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying,
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19: 18; 22:39; Mark 12:31).
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.
If you love your neighbor, you will not want to steal the affections of his wife, you will not entertain fantasies of murdering him, you won't want to steal his possessions. You won't want any harm or misfortune to happen to him, let alone causing the harm or misfortune.
We only entertain thoughts of doing these things to people we hate. And if we love God, then we will love those He Loves, who are other people, not hate them.
If we find that we hate someone who God Loves, we must examine ourselves to see if we have really received His Spirit in our spirit.
God loves all people, the whole human race. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (I Peter 3: 9). He knows that they all won't, but He still gives everyone time and space to do so. Even those who have viciously fought against Him extensively.
That's why the end of this era will not come until every living person has heard the Truth of who God is and what He has done on our behalf, to understand sufficiently to make an informed decision whether to accept the Lamb of God as their own Personal Sacrifice, or reject Him. (See Matthew 24: 14.)
So it's up to us, brothers and sisters in the Lord! We need to love one another as Christ has loved us (John 13: 34), which goes way beyond how we love ourselves. This is why it is a "new commandment."
We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, but to love our brothers and sisters in God's family as He has loved us is what will show the World that we are His disciples, His family ( John 13: 35).
When we truly love our neighbors, even when they make themselves our enemies, and slander us and despitefully use us, that will be able to melt the stoniest heart into repentance. Or spur them on into making us martyrs.
But our unconditional, unlimited love for one another will show the World the reality of Christ coming to Earth to be our Lamb of God, and will return as the Lion of Judah to reign on David's throne.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Romans 13: 1-8
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.
This refers to whatever government you live under. Remember, Paul was living in a day of very corrupt and evil kings who headed up the governments he knew.
For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
All authority belongs to God, and He portions it out to those on the Earth to maintain order, even if their order is not exactly in line with God's.
Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God;
So we must live according to the laws that govern us, to maintain the order God has placed into His creation.
and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
Those people who disobey their laws are condemning themselves, calling upon themselves retribution for transgressing.
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil.
Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
for it is a minister of God to you for good.
People who are law-abiding need not to be afraid of the civil authorities over them.
But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
Bearing the sword refers to the death penalty for capital crimes. This is the most drastic retribution. So it also metes out all the lesser retributions, too.
Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
So even if a law doesn't make much sense to you, as long as it doesn't conflict with God's laws, we are to obey it, not only to not get into trouble with the law, but also because it's what God would have us do.
For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
The only money a government has comes from taxing the populace, so if no one paid their taxes, then the government workers would get no paychecks. Since they go to work full-time in the government, they expect a paycheck for their work, so we need to pay the taxes we owe.
Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Have the respect for your government to render each worker whatever their station calls for.
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another. ...
Always pay all your bills, not defrauding anyone, whether it be your government, or your credit card, or whoever you owe. Try to be debt-free as much as possible, so that you will have the freedom that God calls us to.
And it's much more stress-free to not have bill-collectors breathing down your neck.
Only to love one another, that's what we owe each other.
O my Father, You have Loved us so much! You have established the Natural Laws to govern Your creation, and You have established human government to give order to our societies, even knowing how evil we are. Even the unrighteous governments we have or have had in the past, still maintain order in their cultures.
Father, show us how You have determined we are to submit to the authority You have given to our government over us, to follow the laws they have passed, and to honor the positions and offices even when we don't approve of the people who occupy them.
Father, I know that You use even evil people in powerful governmental positions for our good. They are also threads in Your grand Tapestry of Time. And we can develop and grow our good characters under them to be like that of Christ, which is Your good work that You are working into each of Your children.
And the glory that we will receive will so far surpass any of the pressure or mistreatment or persecution we will ever have to face here, there is no comparison.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, the King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Romans 12: 14-21
We are continuing this chapter, looking at how we are to live, what attitudes we are to have, in order to show our love for others. All others, but especially our sisters and brothers in Christ.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
This goes along with what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5: 44).
This means that we are to ask God to give them of His goodness, not to pray against them for God to punish them for their wrongdoings. He didn't punish us for our wrongdoings, but put that wrath due us onto Jesus. We are to pray that God also reveals His Love to those who are against us for His Name.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
We are to empathize with them and put ourselves in their shoes, whether they are going through good times or troubles. Share their times with them.
Be of the same mind toward one another;
Have the same attitude toward what is happening around us, as we are all one body together.
do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.
Don't think you're any better than someone else, but be ready to be a friend to every brother and sister, regardless of their station in the World.
Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Don't think you know better than someone else, or compare yourself with anyone else except for our Lord Himself.
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.
We are to do good to those who despitefully use us. Never think to pay back like for like, but always think of doing better for the other than they did for you.
Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
When we consider what is "right in the sight of all men," this includes the World. Here we must take special care, because a lot that God considers to be right is considered to be "wrong" to those of the World. So we must take extra care to find those areas where we can agree is "right" both to God and to the World, and choose our words very carefully to not offend them.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Here's the "Desiderata" for us all to aim for. But it is only as far as it depends on us. Sometimes even when we've been very careful with our words and attitudes, those of the World will still not want to be at peace with us.
At those times we will need to examine our own hearts to make sure that we have not, even unconsciously, insulted or offended them from reacting from our own flesh. There is a fine line here.
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written,
"Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord (Deuteronomy 32: 35).
Whenever we try to "get even" with someone who has wronged us, we're taking God's prerogative out of His hands, and that's never a good idea. He has portioned out His wrath upon all sin and sins, and only He knows how much goes to each of us, and who has had his portion laid on Jesus instead.
"But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head" (Proverbs 25: 21-22).
Feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty is to be done on an individual basis. Sometimes the government takes on this responsibility, but it is not for the government to take care of the people, but to protect them from foreign invasion and to provide judges to decide civil and criminal cases. The "sword" is given to the governing authorities to wield in the administration of the laws.
The Lord has given the church to have compassion and meet the needs of the poor and those who make themselves enemies of the Truth. Our kindness and uncalled for love can melt the hardest heart.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This could refer to our enemies' evil toward us, or it could even be the evil that we find within ourselves, having become an obsession or addiction. The good that God has given to us is powerful in the overcoming of every evil, whether inside us or outside us.
O my Father, thank You for all the goodness that You have given to us, to grant us the faith to believe and put our trust in what You have said; in the Truth of Your Son being our Lamb of God, whose precious Blood washes away our sins.
Father, help us to always carefully consider our words, even when provoked by our enemies, or even by our friends. May we develop the habit of pausing for the moment to decide to answer according to love and compassion, and not ever react in retaliation.
O Father, Your Love is so immense! Teach us how to manifest Your Love to the World, especially when they are fighting against themselves by attacking Your Truth. Show us how to display Your compassion for these enemies, and melt the stone in their hearts to turn to You and Your Love.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Romans 12: 9-13
Let love be without hypocrisy.
Real love will be without pretension, unfeigned, sincere.
Let's see how we are to do this:
Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
These are opposites: we are to view evil with extreme aversion, but hang on to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love;
We are to be "kindly affectioned" toward one another with family loyalty.
give preference to one another in honor;
We are to value each other with highest esteem and dignity before ourselves.
not lagging behind in diligence,
Or, "not slothful in business." We are to respect others enough to not be lazy in our own responsibilities, putting more work onto them, in the business or in the family or in the church.
fervent in spirit,
To be on fire spiritually.
serving the Lord;
Let us view all our relationships and dealings with others as in service to the Lord, growing His Kingdom.
rejoicing in hope,
The hope of rewards forever, in the presence of our Lord Himself.
persevering in tribulation,
Patiently persevering through all the troubles and trials that come in life.
devoted to prayer,
Or, "continuing instant in prayer." Always pray about everything, be in constant conversation with our Father, discussing everything with Him and listening to His advice, continually.
contributing to the needs of the saints,
Never forget about the poor, or the missionaries, or the ministries that uphold one another.
practicing hospitality.
Always have open hearts and open doors.
O my Father, teach us how to love You by loving one another. Let the love we show for each other show the World how much You Love us all.
Father, we all need to learn more how to love as You have Loved us. We will never in this life be fully able to demonstrate Your Royal character; not until You have finished Your work in us, and changed these flesh bodies into spiritual bodies.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
