Does Your Life Speak Well of God?
Romans 15:1-13
On the way to my freshman orientation at Clemson University, my father looked at me in the car’s rearview mirror and said something that shaped my next four years and beyond: “Son, your mother and I are excited and proud that you are able to go to college. You’ll have a lot of freedom there to choose how you live. But we want you to understand that your actions will communicate to others what you believe about God, your church, your family and yourself. People will form an opinion about these important parts of your life based on what they observe in your life. Live in such a way over these next four years that your life would bring honor and respect to them.”
His words were just the counsel I needed then and have served me well since. In Romans 15, Paul encourages believers to be living tributes to God, to let our actions reflect well the faith that we profess.
Prefer others: In chapters 12-14, Paul clearly communicates that Christians are to be controlled by the law of love, compelled to consider the needs of others and to encourage those who might be weaker in the faith. He continues that same exhortation in chapter 15, specifically in verse 2: “Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”
Our model for living for others is none other than Christ Jesus, who left the glories of heaven, made himself nothing and offered his life as an atoning sacrifice on the cross (Philippians 2:5-11). Following Jesus involves being captivated by His focus on others.
Live in harmony: Jesus’ prayer for His church is that we be unified in our devotion to Him and that our unity of faith would draw the world to His truth (John 17:20-23). Paul offers a similar prayer in Romans 15:5-6. It is a request for God to bring harmony and unity to the church, which ultimately brings glory to God through Christ. This is a prayer to which so many of today’s fractured churches must give priority.
Accept others: Beginning in verse 7, we see that some of the struggles experienced in the Roman church were likely caused by the different backgrounds and perspectives of Jewish and Gentile believers. Today, believers in Christ are increasingly diverse – representing different ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Paul’s word to the Roman church and to us is simple and direct: “Accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you.”
Express hope: Several years ago, Southern Baptists sponsored an evangelistic campaign called “Here’s Hope.” In verse 13, Paul prayed that the hope we have in God would fill us and overflow to others. As our lives display an abundance of hope, harmony, acceptance and love, we pay tribute to God and others are drawn to Him.
Owens– Lessons in the ETB series for the fall quarter are being written by Ken Owens, director of the collegiate ministry group for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.