We're on Day 24 of our current series, studying the Book of Romans with HelloMornings. You’re very welcome here!
Our passage of Scripture for today is Romans 15: 14 - 21 ...
My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. 15 Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of God’s good news. My purpose is that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God. 18 For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, 19 by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. 20 My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but, as it is written:
Those who were not told about Him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.
Paul encourages his readers here: "My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another."
He is aware that the disunity they're experiencing is not because of deliberate attempts by anyone in the church to cause division, so much as because of misunderstandings differences of backgrounds and views.
But he is also aware that the church at Rome will not represent Christ well to the world if they cannot worship and serve Him in harmony! And thus, the issues in the church cannot be left undealt with.
This is an important lesson for us in the church today, I believe. The world is looking for truth, for peace, and for wholeness - and they're not finding it in their jobs, their acquisitions, their social media status, their cheap relationships, or their expensive habits.
When they look at the church for the answers, I pray that they'll find them in our togetherness, and not find a band of brothers and sisters tearing themselves apart over minor disagreements and trivial matters.
"Paul taught all Believers to keep Christ at the centre of all ministries, to live out the love that had been so graciously given to them so that our lives would be a witness of the Holy Spirit at work in us" (Jaime Hilton).
Photo credit: Elizabeth Stewart