42: Helps for Hope

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42: Helps for Hope

Or, The Good of God’s Purpose

November 13, 2022 • Sean Higgins • Romans 8:26–30

# Introduction

There are so many things to say about these verses that one might be tempted to abandon hope of doing them justice; will you dare to breaststroke across the Pacific? But one must try! One might also be tempted to fear the possible reactions of those who want the engine of hope to work another way. But one must step on those toes with love.

Should we use theological labels as we work through the paragraphs? Don't these doctrinal nicknames often cause offense? What's more, don't they often become divisive, partisan, and like trampolines for preachers to jump up and down in front of their base, whoop them into frenzy about how ridiculous anyone who thinks something else might be? Yet, why be shy about what the inspired words say or how they've been summarized by other believers? And why not take advantage of certain categories for our own understanding of the world, for passing on the truth to our kids, as well as for giving context to our experiences, and to increase hope in our *sufferings*?

Romans 8:26-30 are follow up to the issue of suffering. We will be glorified with Christ "provided we suffer with him" (Romans 8:17). The glory is so glorious that "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing" (Romans 8:18). That said, a Christian in long-suffering, deep suffering, dark suffering, may ask, "Really?" Even the creation groans in its current condition. We likewise "grown inwardly as we wait eagerly" (Romans 8:23). It really requires *hope*, which isn't hope unless it’s banking on something which isn't currently seen.

Two unseen, but knowable, dependable, bankable, realities fuel our hope. First, God's Spirit prays for us when we don't know what to pray. Second, God's sovereignty fulfills all His purposes whether we see it in real time or not.

Pastorally I think it's silly to not use some theological shorthand, and also, it doesn't bother me whatever you call it. But pastorally I am telling you that if you don't submit to the fullness of God's sovereignty then you can't have the comfort. These truths are not crutches, they are the bones of your hope. When I say you can't have the comfort, I don't mean that you don't deserve it, I mean that you logically lock yourself out of it. To be consistent with some emotions (the wannabe independent, self-willed sort) is to make other emotions (comfort and peace) impossible.

Pastorally I also think that these truths can be used inconsistently. Solomon said that the one who sings songs to a troubled heart is like one who takes a garment away on a cold day or who pours vinegar on soda, like a volcano (Proverbs 25:20). It is possible to ignore someone's suffering with theology and feel virtuous about it. But theology *explains*, it doesn't distance. And when we think about our approach to our own, or to a friend's suffering, we ought to be thinking about the glory God is working into them, not immediately about how wrong they are.

Also, it's valuable that Paul leaves "suffering" and "weakness" and "all things" as ambiguous and vague; they have more than one definition and not all the same extent. Is it as bad, hard, and painful for you as it was for Paul's original readers? Believers in previous generations, or in other parts of the world, or across the room? You don't have it as bad as somebody, and yet these truths are for everybody. It's okay if your trials aren't the worst, God is getting you warmed up.

# Suffering So Bad We Don't Know What to Pray (verses 26-27)

The suffering of this present age requires endurance as those who are saved in hope wait for the consummation of their salvation. But we have a hard go of it, even with hope. We're weak. God helps those who can't help themselves. The nature of His help is in prayer, and the value of that help is that His prayers are always according to God’s will.

**Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.**

**Weakness** doesn't mean sinfulness, though sin has made problems in the post-fall world, in our bodies of flesh. We are not strong to bear up under the things we can see, things which cause groaning. We are limited in capacity or even debilitated, fragile. We also cannot see everything, which means we're not even certain, sometimes, what to ask God for.

**The Spirit helps** (*coopitulatur* in Calvin’s Latin translation). Paul doesn't say that the Spirit fixes prayerlessness. The Spirit isn't a surrogate, He is a different kind of advocate. The Spirit **intercedes**, but we are faced toward God, just not sure of the words. **We do not know what to pray as we ought**.

The **too deep for words** or “groaning which cannot be uttered” (KJV) are not a new kind of language. This isn't a private prayer language; it’s not a language at all. Even if we wanted it to be the gift of tongues, the gift of tongues wasn't for *everyone*, but weakness and the Spirit's help is. Creation groans, and we **groan**, an involuntary expression of stress; maybe the modern version is “AAAAAA!” We’re searching for words, we don’t even know what we don’t know to ask.

**And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.**

The Heart-Searching One here is God, the Father, not the Son nor the Spirit. As the Son intercedes for His brothers (see Hebrews 7:25), so the Spirit intercedes for the saints. And His prayers always get through, meaning that they are never selfish (which is one reason we don’t receive what we ask for, James 4:3) or off by a click.

When your chest is tight and your mind is turning like an overfull cement truck and words escape you because it hurts, one reason not to give up hope is because the Spirit who lives in you is praying for you.

# Sovereignty So Good We Know His Purpose (verses 28-30)

We don't always know what to pray. We do know, always and for all things, that God's purpose for us - glorification - will be completed. This is better than merely drinking another six-pack of beer and dreaming everything will turn out all right.

## The Promise of His Purpose (verse 28)

**And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.**

Is there any other verse in God's Word more quoted to others when they are having a hard time? Is there another one that is harder to believe *in the moment*?

The **we** in the **we know** is only for those who in a certain category, described in two ways. It belongs only to 1) those who love God and 2) those who are called by God.

We are commanded to love God, this is the great/greatest commandment, and it is personal. Those who don't bother giving their hearts to God shouldn't concern themselves with whether God has given His attention to them.

The **called**, as becomes definitive in the next two verses, are the ones elected and drawn to God by God. It isn't just those who have heard the gospel, it is those whom the Spirit has given new life. How do you know if you're called? You love God. How did you come to love God? You were called.

There are a couple ways to understand the grammar of the main piece but the point is that *God* works together all things unto good. The **all things** is accusative, the direct object, and plural, whereas the verb is singular. The things are what receive the action, not the doing of the action. God weaves and works.

As for what are the **all things**, isn't the point to say the suffering things, the we-aren’t-sure-how-to-pray-for-them things, the *bad*, evil, depraved, sinful, unjust, malevolent, demonic, dirty, bent, traumatic, horrible, hurtful, unholy things? God causing good things to work toward good is true, and obvious. We can see that, it takes hope in God for what we can’t see.

This promise is *not* a justification to sin, any more than being justified by faith is a justification to sin. Those who love God shouldn't love Him by driving the car off the cliff and saying, "Oh, He'll fix it."

It is not simplistic, but it is simple. Joe Biden being our current president is for good, for sure, and it apparently wasn’t to make our neighbors wake up to vote better in the midterms. Your cancer may be for your good-er weeping with another, not for your recovery story on earth. The acute things, that can be named, that have a shorter duration, are worked by God for good. The undiagnosed, apparently unending or at least of uncertain ending, that ruin your plans and upend your life. The nagging and annoying and inconvenient, the systemic and global and generational, God is God of working **all things**.

Which also means I do not have to have experienced your portion of the all things in order to have some perspective on your portion of the all things. "You don't know what I'm going through." That's true, but not completely right. And I *do* know that God cares, He has ordained, He is at work. I also know the *end* of what you're going through: **good**. This is the *good* good, the ultimate good.

Of course neither you or I are at the center of God's plans. But both you and I are being taken through God's plans for you and I.

## The Progression of His Purpose (verses 29-30)

**For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.**

Whatever the exact nature of God's relationship to time is, the comfort in our sufferings does not come from the idea that God looked down through the corridors of time and saw that we would believe and then He responded by determining from that point that He would take care of us. Our hope is not in His response but in His purpose.

And **foreknew** only means pre-knowledge on the surface of the compound word. It’s not semantics to say that when God *knows* it’s more than accumulated data, it’s affection and familiarity. Foreknowledge is more than foresight. **Predestined** means He set the path toward the horizon for those He knows.

The subordinate goal is that we would be Christlike; **conformed**, συμμόρφους, made to match the mold. The goal up from that is that Christ would be glorified. The goal up from that, the end for which God created the world, is glory to God, Father, Son, and Spirit. That glory is the same one He is calling us into.

Beloved, God made the world and rules and knows how to get you to the good. That great good is in Christ, and this is for the preeminence of Christ.

**And those he predestined, he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.**

It’s not the complete *ordo salutis*, but it is covers the complete picture of our experience of salvation, calling to eternal glory. That Paul wrote **glorified** in the past tense presents the God’s purpose as so determined it might as well be done.

# Conclusion

When we are weak, then we need God's sovereignty. We need *monergism*, Calvinism, the doctrines of grace.

When we talk about being blessed, about being jealousable, about living the sort of provocative lives that are a treasure of salvific riches for the world (Romans 11:11-12, 14), how we suffer, and watch God work non-linear, complex good and blessing in our pains, is part of it. Obviously blessed with success is one kind of glory, obviously blessed with and through suffering is another.

Those who love God have been foreloved by God (1 John 4:19), elected to salvation *and elected to specific sufferings* that we might learn obedience (Hebrews 5:8) and be made like the Son in His glory. In John Calvin’s words,

> “by the same celestial decree, the afflictions, which conform us to Christ, have been appointed; and he did this for the purpose of connecting, as by a kind of necessary chain, our salvation with the bearing of the cross.”

When it hurts, what can you do? You can pray. When you don’t know what to pray, remember the Spirit intercedes for you, and prays according to the purpose of God for your glory.

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## Charge

The charge is: having girded up the loins of your mind, and being fully sober, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).

Hope in God! You will praise Him again, and forever.

## Benediction:

> But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

> Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. (Philippians 3:20–4:1, ESV)

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)