# Introduction
The Lord renews our minds so that we can live according to true standards. We look around and we see things that need explaining. Those who live according to the flesh invent some explanations, though their thoughts are more like riddles and riddled with inconsistency. They have trouble putting all the pieces together, which is actually a piece that believers have an explanation for. Those who live according to the flesh can get some parts right, but they can't get it all right. Whenever they shake their magic 8-ball, the answer comes up *death*.
A key reality in Romans 8 is that believers live according to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives faith and gives leading and gives a testimony that we are God's children. The Spirit enables us to put to death the desires and deeds of the flesh, and the Spirit enables us to see and explain and endure with hope the suffering that happens before we are "with-gloried" with Christ.
Paul just said that those who are glorified with Christ are those who suffer with Christ (verse 17). This paragraph has more to say about both: groaning (as we suffer) and glory (as we wait eagerly in endurance and *faith* and hope).
# Coming Glory | The Future of God’s Sons (verse 18)
In English when we say “there is no comparison," we actually mean that we already did a comparison and the results weren’t close. **For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.**
The **consider** is the same as "reckon" back in Romans 6:11. It requires thought, but maybe even more the idea of calculation; “weighing the evidence” (Morris). Two objects are as on two sides of a balance: current sufferings and coming glory. The “sufferings of the now season” belong to the present age, in which we live and groan. But the sufferings are personal; as the losses and brokenness and hurts are personal, so will the glory be. (Think also 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
> This glory is…to be bestowed upon us, so that we become the actual partakers; it is not a glory of which we are to be mere spectators. (Murray)
We’re not merely onlookers or bystanders of suffering or of glory.
The sufferings are not **worthy** (not "worth comparing” as the ESV). On the scale they don't match “the about to be glory.” In the doctrine of salvation we refer to justification, sanctification, and glorification. We have fallen short of the glory of God, and by His grace He is preparing us to be restored to glory. This is a glory that is **to be revealed to us**, but that could make it sound like glory is like a great display for us to see. But *we* will be *with-gloried* (συνδοξασθῶμεν, verse 17), our bodies will be redeemed (verse 23).
# Creation Waits | The Revelation of God’s Sons (verses 19-21)
The "for" at the front of verse 19 is explanatory, but not in a causal sense. Verses 19-21 are one sentence (in Greek) that the glory to be revealed to believers is something the whole universe knows about. The cosmos is just waiting to see it.
**For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.** The **waits with eager longing** is one word in Greek, and it's used again in verse 23 and again in verse 25. Here **creation** wants something, and it wants it badly.
What it wants are for the **sons of God** to be **revealed**, that is, to be revealed in all their glory. There's a coming part of their adoption, which relates to the physical redemption (verse 23). The creation knows that *that* revelation is better than the present trials.
What part of creation are we talking about? That's a good question. Let's come back to that after verse 21.
**for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.**
In **futility**, in a frustration of failed fulfillment of purpose, creation "was made to submit." That wasn't what creation wanted, but it was decided for creation by "the one having subjected." The Creator subjected creation. This is Pauls explanation of Genesis 3. When the Lord punished Adam He cursed the ground, and the fields wouldn't give up their fruit like before. The Lord Himself established the plan.
The **creation** Paul refers to doesn't seem personal, though Paul is personifying it. It's not angels and certainly not demons who would never want glory for God's sons. God’s sons are learning from creation so it's not them, and why would unbelievers *wait eagerly* for such revelation either? So this is the non-rational creation. This is the sun and moon, plants and planets, mountains and seas and trees and flowers, the rocks and hills, deserts and gardens. Something holds them back from their freedom; God has inflicted on nature a sort of slavery. God has also provoked creation to hope. (See also a different but related worship performed by creation in Psalm 96:11-12.)
The **bondage** will be broken and the **corruption** will be undone. Creation will be set free along with the children of God.
# Christians Wait | The Groaning of God’s Sons (verses 22-23)
I would have taken verse 22 as the end of the point about creation and start a new point with verse 23. But all the Greek copies I looked at take our verses 22-23 together as one sentence. Obviously the content connects, but the "we know" and the "we groan" put the focus back on persons.
**For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.**
This is Christian 101; **we know**, it's understood. Unlike the ESV, there are two different verbs, both that have a "with" idea. All creation "with-groans" and "with-suffers pain" (συστενάζει καὶ συνωδίνει). The commentator Moffatt puts it: “the entire creation sighs and throbs with pain.” The image of childbirth isn't in the original text, but it is probably the best picture. These aren’t death pangs but birth pangs, labor pains rather than last pains. But, it is *pains*, which gets us back to the "sufferings" that the paragraph opened with.
*Creation cries out.* We know He commands wind and rain, futility and pain.
There is a pile up of transition conjunctions at the start of verse 23: "not only but, but also." Creation feels the pain, we even more.
We have the **firstfruits of the Spirit**. Paul referred to the Spirit as a sort of downpayment that guarantees future inheritance to the Ephesians (1:13-14). The firstfruits image isn't only chronological but eschatological, in terms of there will be more where that comes from.
In the meantime we **groan inwardly**. It’s personal. There is a community of sufferers, which is different than the FOG, the Fellowship of Grievance. We can be the Fellowship of Groaners, but that's not grumbling as much as **waiting eagerly**. We see what's coming. We've gotten a little taste. We look forward to **the redemption of our bodies**. Jesus will deliver us from the corruption.
# Enduring Hope | The Hope of God’s Sons (verses 24-25)
**For in this hope we were saved**. Salvation comes with hope; hope is part of the basic salvation package. Salvation looks back differently; our sins have been covered. Salvation looks around differently; we walk in newness of life, ready to serve righteousness. But saving faith has an *end*, the future of faith is when faith isn't necessary. Faith is temporary because of its telos.
There's some basics in the last part of verse 24 and verse 25. Paul gives a definition, almost a logical tautology. **Hope that is seen is not hope.** The nature of hope is a confidence about what's coming. It can be comprehended but it's currently concealed. **For who hopes for what he sees?** What square has rounded corners? A square with rounded corners isn't a square. What man can give birth? If a man gives birth we can know it wasn’t a man. So hope *means* the anticipation part not the accomplished part. Hope can visualize what is not visible right now.
**But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.** The “eagerly waiting” word finishes the paragraph, and while **patience** is a an acceptable translation, this is the typical NT word for *endurance*, for perseverance. It's a remaining (ὑπομονῆς), continuing. ENDurance begins with the END of our hope.
# Conclusion
We might have wet cheeks reading along as Caspian's crew sail sunny, placid waters through bright and still flowers right before Reepicheep gets home to Aslan’s Country. Our joy in that part of the story is because we also long for final joy; we’re eager to be done. But we see that way more clearly because usually, we are in an ongoing battle, our supplies are sufficient but rusty, those we thought to be allies are apathetic, and we're fighting to the last before we get in. But we will. It will be an end that is also a new beginning.
For now we groan and we hope. We *groan in hope*. We are not hopeless, we also don't act surface-level upbeat just to please people. From a pastoral perspective, it would be easier if we self-policed, if we were honest with ourselves, rather than seeing how hopeless we can appear before a brother has to say something. "Hey, bro, you're acting like your future glory just got a can of soup thrown on it."
Likewise, we're learning how to not poo-poo the present, which is also what God has given us His Holy Spirit to hope through. God likes the idea of hope. Lines are Christian; God invented waiting. But we can wait better or worse, with order and hope or not. We can waste our waiting or provoke others to ask us about the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). We are not materialists or gnostics; we see what we see and we hope for what we do not see.
Creation cries out and my sufferings proclaim He is Lord and the Savior of hope.
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## Charge
Brothers, rejoice in your sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces a shameless *hope*, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (see Romans 5:3-5).
Let us build in hope, battle in hope, rest in hope, wait in hope. Hope in God!
## Benediction:
> May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13, ESV)
41: Creation Cries Out
Or, Wait! There's More!
October 30, 2022 • Sean Higgins • Romans 8:18–25
92: Altar Blessings
March 24, 2024 • Sean Higgins • Romans 1:16–17, Romans 12:11
One test of whether or not you understand something is if you can explain it in your own words. It's not only a helpful exercise to engage with the material, it's strategic for locating the *point*. If we assume that what we're reading is organized in order to reveal truth — which we can assume with the epistle of Paul to the Romans — then we expect that all the parts build into a whole. I keep being not just surprised, but disappointed when I reach the last verse of a Bible book in a commentary and the next page is: Appendix A, or Topical Index, or Acknowledgments. What about the *synthesis*? What about the *point*? We spent all the time looking at the trees on our way through the orchard, and some of the trees had great fruit. Now that we can look back, how far did we come? To me, not just a review but a rejoicing review is in order. There were two phrases that stood out to me as summaries of the two main divisions of the letter. Those phrases stood out to me enough that I used them as my email signature in two different years. The first captures the doctrinal (though there's truth for practice) in chapters 1-11, and the second captures the practical (though there's principles of truth) in chapters 12-16. # From Faith to Faith I get this from Romans 1:16-17, arguable Paul’s own summary of the theme of the epistle. In the gospel is revealed the righteousness of God **from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.' (NASB)** - We cannot be saved without faith; the gospel is for all the believing ones. - We cannot please God without faith; the gospel argues against our righteous works. - We cannot resist sin without faith; the gospel forgives and the Spirit frees us from sin’s power and fulfills righteousness. - We cannot endure suffering without faith; the gospel gives us hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. While one day we won't need faith any longer, when we see face to face, we cannot live as Christians without it for even one day in these bodies. Faith is the instrument of justification, and this undid Rome *twice*, first the paganism of the Roman Empire and then again the popery of the Roman Catholic world. In the 16th century the dominant worldview, which came from the teaching and worldview of the dominant worship, was that men could only be righteous through a combination of faith *plus*: faith plus their own works, faith plus some saint's extra good works, faith plus money that purchased a status, faith plus visiting/touching/kissing some special artifact. To be righteous by faith *alone*, that led to the single greatest church split ever, and we are still blessed by that proper division 500 years later. That said, faith apart from works is not really our fight. We wear t-shirts and drink out of coffee mugs with *sola fide* printed on them. That doesn’t always mean we live from faith to faith. Our fight is more faith vs sight, faith except for all the times we think we can fix it ourselves. We are people who get things done, who make things happen, who take responsibility. We are realists, pragmatists, “modern” men of math and material things. If there’s a problem, we’ll solve it. We’ve got bullet points, after all. And then we see the second half of Romans 1 played out in front of us, and we thought cultural degradation should be done by now. More bullet points! But consider the placement of Romans 1:18-32. We say that it shows the *need* for the gospel, and it does. Men do not meet God's standard for righteousness, in unrighteousness and ungodliness they suppress the truth, so they are guilty and need the gospel. So true. But who did Paul write the explanation *for*? It wasn't an evangelistic tract for the pagans per se, it was encouragement for those who needed to live from faith to faith. He wrote about God's wrath so that the Christians in Rome would know what to tell their sinning neighbors, but also so that the Christians in Rome would not lose heart. Our culture is schizo. Unbelievers want more and more material things, we want physical comfort and prosperity, and we figure all that is possible if we follow the right 7 Steps to Success. But when it comes to moral things, the same unbelievers think that's up for grabs, think and act and be whatever you want, and we figure any of it is possible, just follow your feelings. What both those perspectives share is not *not* faith, certainly not saving faith, but an alternative faith, just that we don't call it "faith" because it seems like we have some sort of control. If there is anything that Romans teaches us, beloved, it is that men are not in control. As Christians we cannot even control our own flesh (think the last half of Romans 7); men are slaves to sin or slaves of righteousness, but they are not their own. It is God's will, by His eternal command, that the gospel go out, that faith would come by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. That faith confesses that *Jesus is Lord*. At what point in your Christian life do you not need to live in light of that reality? We do not enter the blessings by faith and then fix the rest ourselves. It's all by faith. # Don't Hold Back This is from part of a verse in Romans 12:11: **Do not be slothful in zeal**. Three times Paul references zeal in Romans, and all three assume that there are ways to mess up zeal. Paul said in Romans 10:2 about the Jews that "they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." In Romans 12:8 he exhorted those with various gifts in the body and included, "the one who leads, with zeal," like it's possible to go out first halfheartedly. And it is. Then in Romans 12:11, **Do not be slothful in zeal**. I think that the first line actually sets the tone for 11-13, because "being fervent, serving, rejoicing, persevering, being devoted, contributing, and seeking" are all participles that hang on it. To be **slothful** is to be reluctant, to lag behind, to hold back. Brothers, Jesus is Lord, don't hold back. # Conclusion *We are individually offerings*, having received mercy by gospel, so Romans 12:1. > I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. We've been called to altar living. You are not allowed to hold back some part of your life, some time of the day, some percent of your will. “To be freed from only one sin—that’s just our own agenda." (—John Owen, _The Mortification of Sin_). The mercies of God move all our bodies up onto the altar. *We are collectively an offering*, being made by the gospel: Romans 15:16. Paul was > a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The gospel is the power of God to make an offering of offerings, one made up of many, just like the singular body of Christ has a plurality of members. How then do we believe the gospel? Like offerings to God. We are part of the fulness of the Gentiles (Romans 11:25), so that “the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” (Romans 15:9). God has grafted us into blessings, and His blessings make us jealousable before men and pleasing to Himself. Because of the gospel we are to be a people of faith, believing in God and confessing Jesus as Lord and being conformed to the image of God’s Son. By His will we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. By His love we have reconciliation and peace with God. By His command the gospel has been known to us to bring about the obedience of faith among all peoples. By His mercies we present our bodies as living sacrifices. What altar blessings! What gift. What depth of riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. To Him be glory forever! ---------- ## Charge Christian, living from faith to faith is not a hobby or side-hustle, it is your life calling. It is your identity; you are "the ones believing." Keep on believing in your heart the word of faith about the Lord of all. He bestows His riches and joy and peace on all who believe in Him. ## Benediction: > Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! > > “For who has known the mind of the Lord, > or who has been his counselor?” > “Or who has given a gift to him > that he might be repaid?” > > For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33–36 ESV)
91: There Will Be Strength
March 17, 2024 • Sean Higgins • Romans 16:21–27
This is it, the last of the letter. Unlike our salutations there’s no “Sincerely,” but Paul sincerely commits the Roman Christians to the care of the only wise God. We'll see a few more greetings in verses 21-23, then a send-off doxology in verses 25-27. Next week, Lord willing, we'll take one more run at a Romans recap, then we'll rejoice together on Resurrection Sunday. # Other Withs (verses 21-23) Chapter 16 started with 13 expressions of greeting to those *in* Rome, verses 21-23 include four more greetings from those *with* Paul. **Timothy** was one of Paul's with-workers, and we know more about him than any other named person in the chapter. He even received two letters from Paul himself, extending the ministry to churches. **Lucius and Jason and Sosipater** were more of Paul's with-borns, called **my kinsmen**. There's no reason to think they weren't part of his extended family. Verse 22 comes from Paul's with-writer, though that is not actually a word; I made it up. **I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.** Have you heard of the job: amanuensis? It's the academic name for a writing assistant, for one who takes dictation. Tertius wasn't just a professional secretary, he himself cared about the believers **in the Lord**. **Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you.** If Pheobe hosted a church in the port city of Cenchrae, just south of Corinth, Gaius was hosting an assembly in Corinth itself *and* at least Paul as a guest. **Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.** Just for sake of observation, while Paul told the Corinthians in his first letter to them that having a rank in the world didn't guarantee having wisdom to know God, Erastus, who was a Corinthian, did have some recognizable rank, and had become a Christian. He likely had enough of a network to have known some who now lived in Rome. You might not have noticed that, at least in the ESV, there is no verse 24 (NAS has it in brackets, KJV includes it). The more likely to be original manuscripts don’t have it, and if we read verse 20, we don’t miss anything. # Strengthening Worship (verses 25-27) There is a difference between a Benediction and a Doxology. I think about it when I choose the final Scripture for our Lord's Day worship. Paul ends different letters *both* ways, both are good, all are yours. A *benediction* is a good word (from Latin *bene* and *dico*, good-speaking), a favor-blessing usually directed to/over the recipients. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (16:20) is a benediction, as were 15:6 and 15:13. A *doxology* is a praise word (from Greek *doxa* is glory and *logos*, praise-speaking), an honor-blessing usually directed to God. Romans 11:33-36 is a previous doxology. But both — praying to the Lord for His favor (benediction) and praising the Lord for His glory (doxology) — *bless* the hearers. It is good for us that this is our God, and so we lose nothing by finishing with doxology instead of benediction. It is a different kind of literary protein, both build the muscles of our faith. Verses 25-27 make the longest doxology in the NT, one sentence stretched out (11:33-36 is like three within one, or even just verse 36 alone is the doxology proper). **Now to him who is able to strengthen you**, and immediately we see how an attribute of God blesses the people who worship this God. We could pause here for a moment, because, are you allowed to be encouraged that God has abilities to enable your abilities? Or is that man-centered? Are you just coming to God because of what you can get from Him? There is a kind of exaggerated pietism that is too good to ask God for help, as if helping "*me*" is below God. But God doesn't want our strength, He wants us to thank Him and honor Him for all His power (see Romans 1:20-21, see also 2 Corinthians 4:7 and 12:9, see also Psalm 50:12-15). The establishing/stabilizing/reinforcing comes **according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ**, which, is Paul allowed to say "*my*" gospel (which he already did in Romans 2:16, too)? Again with the so afraid of being man-centered that we focus on how a man is doing it wrong. The gospel is the theme of the whole letter according to Romans 1:16, and note that the gospel converts only as the start, then it transforms (Romans 12:2) and fortifies. This message is **according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages**. What is the **mystery**? The OT prophets knew a lot, including knowing that they didn't know it all. We're told some of them studied their own writings to know the time and person of the Christ (1 Peter 1:10-12). The identity of the Messiah was a secret, but so also that “a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25). Then light! There were shadows, but now there is substance. There had been questions **but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations** (*ta ethne*). Have all the Gentiles heard the gospel? Had *Spain* heard the gospel? The point here is that the gospel is *good for* all the peoples, that there is to be no narrowed for the Jews *only* even if “to the Jew *first*” (Romans 1:16). While not revealed in its entirety, the revelation is not a change of course. The gospel has gone out **according to the command of the eternal God**. God is internationally known, eternally governing. The gospel of salvation to all who believe was **to bring about the obedience of faith**. The only other place the phrase “the obedience of faith” is used is in Romans 1:5. In it is root and fruit, faith that leads to obedience. It is impossible to be justified by works/obedience, and those who have peace with God have been raised to walk in newness of life/obedience. So we keep living from faith to faith. This is the second bookend, more about the "Him" of abilities in verse 25. God is also the God of wisdom: **--to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.** I appreciate that the ESV translates with an exclamation point. # Conclusion There’s room to recap the whole epistle and some of the emphasis we've considered, but what can we take-away from the final praise? God has wisdom and strength. Every moment God's wisdom and strength works all things for good for the called, for those who love God. Do you love God? He is the God of all glory; none compare to Him. Do you love God? He is the God of all wisdom; He neither seeks nor needs counsel. Do you love God? He is the God of all power, who has sent His Son for the eternal blessing of all who believe. From this doxology we are blessed to know that God is powerful, eternal, wise; those three attributes are stated explicitly. Also we see that God reveals His will. God has global intentions. God expects worship and obedience. God is personal, He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and the gospel. God deserves all glory. And He delights in glorifying Himself by giving us strength to worship Him as our Rock. You’ve been called to believe, to live from faith to faith. This is the God in whom you believe. > For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, > for my hope is from him. > He only is my rock and my salvation, > my fortress; I shall not be shaken. > On God rests my salvation and my glory; > my mighty rock, my refuge is God. > (Psalm 62:5–7 ESV) All the alternatives are smoke. They are superstitions and ignorance rather than revelation, deaf and mute and mortal and worthless idols rather than true. What are your temptations? What are your doubts? What are your sufferings? What are your weaknesses? Christian, do you need strength? *There will be strength.* ---------- ## Charge God not only has the power to strengthen you if He wants to, HE WANTS TO. The eternal and wise God saves you by faith and STRENGTHENS your faith to persevere in praise. He wills strength for you because He wills glory for Him. There will be strength! Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ## Benediction: > Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV)
90: False Offenses
March 10, 2024 • Sean Higgins • Romans 16:17–20
There are only so many more verses left in this letter, only a couple more sermons from Romans after today. What a mountain of material we’ve traveled over, and yet the final 5% is still important. They say most accidents happen closest to home, Paul doesn’t want us to crash before we get there. He puts up a big warning sign as he gets ready to sign off. In verses 17-19 he urges the believers not to be naive because they’re in a battle, and in verse 20 he encourages them with a good word about winning that battle. # Divisions and Scandals (verses 17-19) There is a kind of selfish person that sounds as if he’s “in-the-know” and who gets kicks out of kindling strife. With only a few strokes left in his pen, Paul gets in this crucial instruction, how to identify offense-mongers (AKA offense dealers, offense traffickers), what drives them and how to respond to them. Before considering the exhortation, observe the problem people: **those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.** **Divisions** is “dissensions” (NASB)(one of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20), a break between people. We also call these factions, schisms, splinter groups. The divisions belong with the **obstacles**, which is from * σκάνδαλα*, so stumbling blocks, hindrances, *offenses*. And the structure identifies a group with shared characteristics. They are “the — factions and offenses - making ones.” This is the way of man, to “help” someone to see how BAD it really is, and form a Ring of the Ones Who Are Right (ROWAR) against those who are the cause of the BAD or even against those who can’t see how BAD it is. Show a person how upset, how offended he should be, the dam of love is broken, the floods of offense flow and now there are two sides. In marriage, two become one flesh; in the flesh, one becomes two, or more. These persons are creating a perverted koinonia as they teach how grieved some should be (at others). That divide-by-offense strategy is **contrary to the doctrine**. It’s false teaching making false offenses, teaching that is outside the “standard of to which you were committed” (Romans 6:17). What was the contrary teaching? It’s not specified here, and it’s not even obvious that such faction-makers had arrived in Rome. Paul addressed some arguers throughout the letter, but he had also just said that the Roman believers were doing great (Romans 15:14). That said, he’d been around “all the churches” (Romans 16:16), and of course he was writing from Corinth, known for their divisive quarreling. The problem and the problem people, are not those who have questions, who have exegetical disagreements, or those who have different convictions in disputable matters. Think back to Romans 14 and the need to sacrifice for and welcome whose who choose differently. Yet there is a kind of teaching that is opposed to salvation by faith alone; they teach there must be *more* than faith. There is a kind of teaching that is opposed to grace that frees us form sin and makes us slaves of righteousness; they claim that adds *more* to faith. Both of those angles have been addressed earlier in Romans. The gospel is the power of God to save and to cause us to walk in newness of ever-transforming altar-sacrifices. It’s not hard to see Pharisees, Judaizers, legalists, church ladies offended by free grace, and it’s not hard to see law-hating, obedience-oppressed, flesh-lovers. That kind of division is no good and works against the witness of harmony in the body as just seen in verses 1-16. Paul is also NOT calling sin confrontations “divisive.” Here’s an example. Person A is sinning, Person B goes to them (per Matthew 18:15-17) and Person A pushes it off. Person B takes Person C, maybe eventually Persons D and E, too, and Person A still won’t listen to the appeals. Especially if Person A is a leader (and see 1 Timothy 5:19-20), he may be tempted to use his position of authority to claim that that Persons C-E are causing division, but he would be *wrong*. Not liking that someone else (or multiple someones) can see your sin does not make them the object of this paragraph. When there is an offense-monger faction-maker, Paul urges the brothers **to watch out**, to keep their eyes open, and to **avoid them**. The KJV has “mark…and avoid,” which is punchy enough for a lot of social media, but is nonetheless a call to divide from the divisive (applicable to pulpits, podcasts, and parking lots). Verse 18 exposes the motivation: they want power. **For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites**. They “serve their stomachs,” their bellies. It could be a figure of speech, not just that they want food, but appetite represents the esteem and support they get from others. It’s the idol of ego, without the resources of Nebuchadnezzar to make a 90’ tall statue. They are dining out on the grievances they triggered. This is how most fundraising works, show how your opposition is the devil that’s ruining lives and the wallets open. Most outrage-raisers eat well. They also manipulate, **by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive**. This doesn’t only happen with soft verbal pats on your cheek, “you’re so pretty.” Smooth talk can seduce you to anger not just adultery, and flattery leads to war not just personal vanity, hence offenses that cause divisions. It’s like our politicians use verses 17-18 as a playbook. Why should they care if we’re too dumb, **naive** or unsuspecting, to destroy ourselves. The same happens in local churches (the immediate context of Paul’s warning) and denominations and extended families. In verse 19 Paul makes clear that he’s giving preventative medicine to the Romans. **For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.** Naivety is a sliding scale. The Roman Christians had knowledge as evidenced in their living. It still didn’t change the charge. Without saying her name, a number of terms seem to reference Eve: wise, good and evil, flatter and deceit, as well as Satan and feet in verse 20. Have all kinds of wisdom doing all the ways of good, but be unmixed, be pure, when it comes to evil. Jesus taught His disciples to be serpents of good and doves of evil (Matthew 10:16), which goes against the usual animal archetypes. # Grace and Peace (verse 20) Peace and grace, both are typical expressions by Paul, here in powerful promises. Satan loves schism. Our adversary loves making adversaries among WITHS. The devil works to conquer by division. He loves destroying faith, he loves destroying fellowship. **The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.** The juxtaposition of peace crushing is obvious, but how does it work? Peace is more than absence of conflict, just as fellowship is more than two people in a room not choking each other. We battle as worshippers of the God of peace, we have peace so we engage, and we know His aim is peace, not eternal wars. But we don’t become pacifists because of our God, we are not naive. We may be tired, but we’re not blind. Satan will be crushed by God who uses **our feet**. This seems eschatological, the final win, though it will be **soon** depending on how you see the timeline. As the Seed of the woman crushed the serpent’s head, fulfilling Genesis 3:15, so by extension God uses those who confess the Son as the Seed. Don’t hold back. The **grace of our Lord Jesus Christ** is also not throw away. The anointed Christ, the master Lord, the God-man Jesus, who is and was and is to come, from through and to Whom are all things, risen from the dead, the Lion who defeats the prowling lion, the Son of the God of all grace. Such personal grace is blessed to you who serve the Lord Christ. # Conclusion “The Church’s One Foundation” is a great song. > though with a scornful wonder > men see her sore oppressed, > by schisms rent a-sundered > by heresies distressed; > yet saints their watch are keeping, > their cry goes up,“how long?” Saints, keep watch, it won’t be long. ---------- ## Charge Christian, mark and avoid your OWN false offenses, mark and avoid your own selfish appetites. Be wise in the ways of truth and true fellowship. Be innocent in envy and grumbling. Let your obedience be known to all. Victory is promised, and the Lord's grace given to keep watch. ## Benediction: > Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV)