“Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past…to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” Romans 16:25,27 NIV
Life can feel like a whirlwind. Spiritual, emotional and even physical storms blow and shake us. They try to cause our lives to fall into shambles.
BUT there is one who establishes us, Jesus! As we come to Him and dwell connected to Him, we do not need to fear the storms! Jesus is the Rock upon which we build our lives. He is our Firm Foundation.
Paul finishes his letter to the Romans giving glory to the One who establishes us.
“to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” Romans 16:27 NIV
God’s wisdom, His perfectly applied knowledge, in our lives keeps us secure. His Word will establish us, strengthening us. He will give us victory in our daily struggles!
Praise Him and give Him glory! He is all that we need to live secure and established!
“Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Romans 16:19 NIV
To be wise is to be learned, cultivated, and skilled…(Webster’s 1828)
Paul commended the Roman believers for their obedience, or their heartfelt submission to the teachings of Jesus. Obedience is very important to our lives as followers of Jesus. What He says we need to listen to / take to heart, and do. Jesus told us that if we love Him we will obey Him. AND our obedience is always for our own good! Because everything that God commands us to do is good.
This is why it is so important to “be wise about what is good” We need to learn about what is good, cultivate it, and be skilled in it. Everything God says is good! Let’s be students of what He says in His Word!
As we study God’s Word and truly take it to heart, we will come to know God better. We will love Him more. We will act according to His Word. Sin will be defeated in our lives. This is what it means to be “innocent about what is evil.” Or another word for innocent is “blameless.”
God has given us everything we need to live as He wants us to. As we obey Him, study His Word so we can be wise about what is good, and live blamelessly when it comes to evil, we will live lives of freedom.
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Romans 16:20 NIV
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” Romans 16:17 NIV
It is easy to be deceived. Especially if we are not fully aware of the truth. We need to “watch out!”
There are many philosophies, doctrines, and thought patterns in our world. It is popular to say, “discover your truth” or “that may be true for you, but it is not true for me.” Tolerance of and embracing others views is encouraged. Truth is relevant in our society.
This was true in Paul’s time. One of the favorite pass times of the Roman world was to debate philosophy. This was in an effort to discover what the “real truth” was. The followers of Jesus had the Truth — Jesus Himself. The early church had a problem. There were those who wanted to mix Jesus’s teachings with the thought of that day. This caused division. It was an obstacle that kept people from truly knowing Jesus. Paul said to “Keep away from them.”
Our world is no different than Paul’s. We are to be VERY careful about what we accept as truth. There are many who want to take today’s modern thought and combine it with Scripture. Twisting God’s Word to say what they want it to say. This is called Christian syncretism. It simply will not work. Truth cannot be combined with lies to create “new truths” for us to believe. “My truth” and “your truth” and anyone else’s truth cannot exist. There is only ONE Truth… Jesus! His Word is truth! It stands alone.
If people want us to accept anything short of the pure and unchanging Word of God, we are to “watch out!” We are to “Keep away from them.”
How do we know? How do we “watch out?” We must be students of the Word of God — The Bible. The best way to be on guard against deception is to know the TRUTH! Daily time studying the Word of God will help us! Paul said that he urged the Roman Christians to “watch out.” They were to compare what they heard to the “teaching {they} had learned.” May that be said of us as well.
Let’s get into the Word, our Bibles, and know the Truth. So we are able to guard our hearts from the deceptive lies of our enemy!
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.” Romans 16:1-4 NIV
Romans 16:1-16 has a list of greetings that Paul sends to the ones his letter will reach. Over and over again, Paul talks about the various people in his life, who were a part of the Church of his time. Phoebe was dear to him, a sister, deaconess — servant leader. Priscilla and Aquila were “co-workers in Christ.” They opened their home for the church to meet. Some of the people listed Paul speaks of as working hard for the people in the Church and for the Lord. The early Church had a family relationship and a mission. They desired to know God and make Him known!
When we receive Jesus, we become a part of God’s family His church. His church is no different today than it was back in Paul’s time. It is where we experience relationships with each other. We are brothers and sisters, coworkers in our effort to make God known, and we are friends. It is a wonderful thing to live in relationship with one another.
Each of us has a role to play as we focus on our mission. Together we encourage each other to know God better and to make Him known!
Paul took the time to greet the ones who were dear to him in the early church. He appreciated the gift each of them was to his life. He was thankful for them.
Let’s take the time to appreciate those God has placed around us to “do life with.” God has given us the gift of family with the believers He has given us relationship with. Together, we share our laughter, our heartache, our needs and our abundance. What a gift He has given us to be a part of His family— His Church!
Your Love 