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4000 E.
Collins Rd. “Preaching
the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)” |
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GENTILES
HAVE HOPE IN CHRIST (Romans
15:7-13) 3/29/09 Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor I.
ACCEPT ONE
ANOTHER IN CHRISTIAN LIBERTY (7) A.
Ro 15:7 is
really connected with vss. 1-6. It is Paul’s final conclusion (diò – inferential conjunction –
“therefore”) to the issue of Christian Liberty. The believer is commanded
to “keep on accepting one another” (present middle imperative). “Accept” (proslambánō) means to receive to oneself. It is the opposite of
separating oneself due to the Christian freedoms of other believers.
Accepting other believers in their Christian freedoms was to be done every
time and toward one another. B.
The basis for
accepting other believers is the fact that Christ has accepted the believer.
This infers that Christ is deity because in Ro 14:3 it is stated that “God”
has accepted the believer. Only God can accept a sinner who has been made
righteous through Christ’s death on the cross (Justification cp. Ro 3:28; 4:22-24).
Only God receives the glory for His great redemptive plan (Ep 1:6). Furthermore,
God is glorified when believers do not judge but accept one another in the
area of Christian Liberty. II.
CHRIST HAS
ACCEPTED BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES (8-9a) A.
It is stated
that Christ has become (“and continues
to be” – perfect tense) a servant to the “circumcision” (Jews) and
therefore has accepted them. 1. Christ is the great “Servant of the Lord” in Isaiah’s
writings (Is 42:1; 49:3; 52:13; 53:11). 2. He was sent to the Jews for the sake of God’s truth,
promises, and covenants to Israel. Christ, the Messiah, “confirmed” (bebaióō - verify, prove to be true) and fulfilled all these promises to the fathers,
through His death on the cross. 3. All the covenants were either fulfilled through
Christ’s death on the cross (Abrahamic Covenant – Ge 12:1-3), or were
established on that basis in order to be fulfilled in the future (i.e Davidic Covenant – 2Sa 7:16; New Covenant – Jer 31:31). 4. These promises and covenants were made only to
Israel (Mt 10:5-6; 15:24) and God’s truthfulness depended on Christ’s
redemptive work. B.
In an
interesting way, Paul now turns to the Gentiles. He writes that the Gentiles,
who were not part of the promises and covenants because they were given only
to Israel (Ro 9:4-5; Ep 2:12), received mercy because of Christ’s work. 1. Christ’s ministry to the Jews was accomplished for
the sake of truth, but His ministry to the Gentiles was accomplished for the
sake of mercy. 2. Both truth and mercy were ultimately accomplished
for the glory of God, which has become a main theme in Romans. a) Believers with one voice are to glorify God (Ro
15:6) b) Believers are accepted in Christ for the glory of
God (Ro 15:7). c) Gentiles received mercy to the glory of God (Ro
15:9). 3. Paul has already taught the distinction between
Israel and the Gentiles: a) Paul has an unequaled burden for the physical
descendants of Israel (Ro 9:1-3). b) The promises, covenants, and fathers belong to
Israel alone (Ro 9:4-5). c) God will also call the Gentiles who are not Israel
(Ro 9:25-26). d) There will be a remnant among Israel (Ro 9:27). e) Israel’s stumbling meant salvation to Gentiles (Ro
11:11b). f)
Through the
salvation of the Gentiles Israel is being made jealous (Ro 11:11c). g) Israel’s “partial hardening” during the “fullness of
the Gentiles” (Ro 11:25). h) Mercy was shown to the Gentiles so that mercy will
be shown to Israel (Ro 11:30-36). i)
Paul makes a
distinction between Israel (“His people”) and the Gentiles in Ro 15:10 (cp.
De 32:43 cp. Lu 2:32). III.
THERE IS HOPE
FOR GENTILES IN CHRIST (9b-13) A.
Paul then
quotes a series of Scriptures (Ps 18:49; De 32:43; Ps 117:1; Is 11:10) to show that God’s plan from the beginning was to
extend mercy to the Gentiles. 1. David sings praises in the midst of the Gentiles (Ps
18:49) and he also exhorts the Gentiles to praise the Lord (Ps 117:1). 2. Moses declares that the Gentiles are to rejoice as
well as Israel (De 32:43). 3. Isaiah states that the Gentiles will hope in the
Root of Jesse, i.e. Jesus (Is 11:10). B.
There is a
progression in the relation of Gentiles with the Lord which that Paul points
out in Scripture. 1. First the message and the praises are “among” (preposition evn –
in the midst of) the Gentiles (Ps
18:49). 2. Next the Gentiles are rejoicing “with” (preposition meta – in company with) Israel (De 32:43). 3. Then Gentiles from “all” (pa,nta – every or every group) nations are praising the Lord (Ps 117:1). 4. Finally, the Gentiles will believe “on” (preposition evpV –
on or upon) Christ and be ruled by
Him (Is 11:10). C.
Paul concludes
with a benediction of hope for his Gentile readers. God is the God of “hope”
and causes the Gentiles to abound n hope. There is hope for the Gentiles
because God has extended mercy to them. Because of such hope Gentiles are
filled with joy and peace. But this hope only applies to believing Gentiles
(“in believing”). IV.
0BSERVATIONS
AND APPLICATIONS A.
Hope Manifested
in Unity 1. In making a distinction between Israel and Gentiles,
Paul’s point is not far from his thoughts on Christian Liberty. In the area
of Christian Liberty (or any other area for that matter), Jews in the church
were not to look down upon Gentiles because Gentiles have received mercy
through Christ. Gentiles in the church were not to look down upon Jews,
because the Jews were God’s chosen people. 2. No believer should look down upon another in the
area of Christian Liberty because the Lord has accepted al believers. B.
Hope Manifested
by the Power of the Holy Spirit 1. Ro 15:13 states that believers abound in hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit opens the believer’s heart and mind
to the promise of God’s mercy. 2. The Holy Spirit encourages the believer in all of
the things in Scripture, which God has done for and will do for the believer.
This is the basis for Christian hope. C.
Hope Manifested
in Mercy 1. As Gentiles, we of all people should be grateful to
God for showing mercy through Christ. Even though we were outside of Israel,
God’s chosen people, through Christ He has made us His people. 2. The believer also has grace and mercy in the
Christian life (He 4:16) and the believer is to extend mercy to other
believers (Ep 4:32). |
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