David Bahn – Reflections

Romans 15:1-8

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for ourinstruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

The old Campbell’s soup commercial proclaimed, “Soup and sandwich go together; you can’t have one without the other.” As Paul moves toward the end of the most profoundly theological and doctrinal letters in the New Testament, he cannot leave aside the significant practical and everyday life application of the doctrine he has laid out. He speaks of relationships among in the fellowship of Christ. Weak persons must be honored. Harmony must mark the relationships within the body of Christ. Each is to serve the other.

Why this? Because Christ set the example. God gives encouragement and hope to sustain us along the way. Christ has welcomed us. The actions, attitude, and person of Christ join together to provide motivation and example of the Christian walk. You can’t have one without the other.

One way this is expressed is by the concepts of Covenant and Kingdom. Covenant is about relationship and identity: We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Kingdom is about representation: We represent the King’s purposes and will in our relationships and daily living. Covenant is about faith. Kingdom is about life. These two concepts must not be segregated; they are intertwined as surely as the twin strands of the DNA molecule.

For this reason, it is essential that we live in humility and mutual encouragement; just as it is essential to connect that humility and encouragement to Christ. For we do not live to gain our relationship with God; that’s a given. Nor do we simply sit in a corner having embraced our identity as sons and daughters of the King.

Paul’s immediate application of all this was that Gentile believers bring glory to God – just as surely as Jewish believers had done for centuries. That’s not just a theological fact; it is a calling that we must all embrace. And as we do so, we will also discover that it is essential that we each embrace one another; for none of us has the right to become children of God apart from Jesus Christ, and none of us who are sons and daughters of God have any right to deny the other.