This week, I would like for us to pick up where we left off last week by looking at the next section of this letter that is recorded for us in our Bibles, called the book of Romans, where Paul continues to address the tension that often arises when it comes to how we practice our lifestyle as followers of Jesus when it comes to the liberty we have as a result of our relationship with Christ. And it is in this section that we will see Paul reveal for us another timeless practice that is necessary to embrace if we are to practice a lifestyle that advances God’s kingdom mission and enhances His reputation. And that timeless practice is this: Followers of Jesus practice a lifestyle that strives for unity. In Romans 15:1-21, we will discover three ways that followers of Jesus practice a lifestyle that strives for unity. We see Paul reveal the first way that followers of Jesus practice a lifestyle that strives for unity in Romans 15:1. Let’s look at it together:
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME." 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. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul begins this section of his letter to the members of the church at Rome by explaining that those who had the strength and freedom that flowed from their confident trust in the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel to exercise their liberty when it came to debatable issues of the faith ought to bear the weakness of those without strength. Now this word ought literally means to be under obligation to meet certain social and moral conditions. And the social and moral obligation that they were to meet was to bear patiently and put up with those whose weakness of faith that limited the exercise of the liberty that they had in Christ in their day to day lives. Instead of focusing on experiencing pleasure and self-satisfaction as a result of the freedom and liberty that they had in Christ, Paul is calling for a sacrifice of self interest for the sake of others.
Now an almost immediate response and objection that could be raised regarding Paul’s comments here is this: “Why should I have to sacrifice the freedom and liberty that I have in Christ for someone else? I am not sinning; so why do I always have to give up and sacrifice my liberty for someone who is weaker in faith and won’t exercise the freedom that they have? If Christ is the one who provides this freedom to have a beer after work, then why do I have to limit living in that freedom by not having a beer because of some teetotaler?”
Maybe I have just described a question that is running through your mind. If that question is running through your mind, I just want to let you know that it is a great question to be asking. And fortunately for us, Paul provides the answer to us in verse 2: “Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”? And it is here that we see Paul reveal for us the first way that followers of Jesus are to practice a lifestyle that strives for unity. And that first way is this: Followers of Jesus are to strive for unity by building others up. Paul commands the members of the church at Rome, and us here this morning, to practice a lifestyle in community with one another that is focused on the spiritual growth and spiritual good of those around us.
Now, as is often the case when we are asked to limit our freedom, the first question that arises, regardless of what age or stage of life that you are in is “why”? Why should I lovingly limit my freedom for the spiritual good and growth of others who are not able to exercise the same liberty and freedom that I have?” Paul, anticipating this question, provides the answer in advance in verse 3 by explaining that Christ did not live His life on earth with a focus on pleasing Himself. Paul then reinforces this reality by quoting from a section of a letter in our Bibles called the book of Psalms. In Psalm 69:9 which is a Messianic Psalm that predicts and proclaims what Jesus would experience on earth, reminds us that Jesus faced and endured disparagement and disgrace during His life on earth.
And as the accounts of Jesus life in the Bible remind us, Jesus never played the God card. Jesus did not enter into humanity in order to exercise the rightful freedom and liberty that He had as the Co-Creator of the universe who is large and in charge of everything. Instead, Jesus entered into humanity and lovingly limited His freedom by allowing Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful life, so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life. You see, Jesus never asks us to do something that He has not already done. Paul then reminds the members of the church at Rome that the Bible was given to us by God to teach and to encourage us to bear up and hold out in the face of difficulty with the confident expectation that in the future, every follower of Jesus will be able to exercise the freedom and liberty that they have in Christ as a result of their relationship with Christ.
Until that time, however, as followers of Jesus, we are to practice a lifestyle that strives for unity by building others up in a way that lovingly limits the freedom that we have for the spiritual good and growth of others. Paul then pauses, right in the middle of his letter, to pray that God would give the members of the church at Rome, and followers of Jesus throughout history the ability to live in unity as a community of believers that influence the opinions of the world around them by enhancing God’s reputation through their attitudes and actions with one another. Because, as followers of Jesus we are called to strive for unity by building others up.
So are you focused on the spiritual good and growth of others? Or do you find yourself focused on you and the freedom and liberty that you have, regardless of how the exercise of that freedom and liberty effects others?
Tomorrow, we will see Paul reveal a second way that followers of Jesus are to practice a lifestyle that strives for unity,
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