Romans 15

I read chapter 15 and can’t help but thinking “Wow”. Because of this chapter I think I now have a greater understanding of the character of Paul, and I want to grow to have that sort of character. Paul’s passion for spreading the gospel is amazing, but in this chapter I get a real feel for his genuine love for others. In Acts we saw how he was persecuted and stood before kings and leaders and boldly proclaimed the Gospel. And while those scenes are exciting and dramatic, it almost seems like an action movie where these events take place occasionally. But I think in chapter 15 we get a glimpse of his heart and how he goes through the daily norm of pouring into people. He truly loves the people he is writing to and about and he has a genuine concern and desire to share and pass along what he has already received so that they can also experience the joy and peace that he possesses.

One thing that I’ve come to appreciate is Paul’s leadership. Not only did he practice living out the gospel, but he was able to communicate it and multiply it. Because of his faithfulness to the gospel and his leadership, we, in central Texas, are reading about him in scripture and learning from him on the other side of the world from which it all took place nearly 2000 years later. Granted, all of this is possible because of the power of God, and let’s not use sight of that, but God called Paul to do some tremendous things for the Kingdom, and Paul was faithfully obedient with that calling.

Things have not changed. God still calls men and women to accomplish tremendous things for the Kingdom. We may not be called to stand before world leaders, but we are called to love God, love others and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ until His return.

As we’ve been going through this reading plan, I’ve found that more and more I have read things that have really challenged me and have me evaluating what is important to me and what I am called to do. Chapter 15 is no different. With the very first verse of the chapter, Paul says that we, as believers, have an obligation we must strive to fulfill, there is something we ought to be doing. That something is “bearing the failings of the weak.” When I read this, my natural inclination is to think I’m not qualified to be considered “strong in the faith”, so this doesn’t apply to me yet. But I think that even as someone new to the faith, you are already qualified. Because you have already come to realize your need for the gift of grace and salvation provided through Jesus, you are “stronger in faith” than those that do not. If you have come to accept Christ as your savior later in life, you still have the wisdom of your past experiences to help guide the younger generations. If you are more mature in the faith, then you should be pouring into the “younger in faith.” And we should all be encouraging and supporting one another.

In chapter 15, Paul continues expanding on the principles he mentions in chapter 14, which is to create environments where relationships can be nurtured and flourish, and individuals can come to a greater understanding of God. In order for that to happen, we need to have a selfless attitude. So, I am to serve and be generous with my time and resources for the sake of others. I am to do these things so that others can see the love of Jesus through me and they would glorify Jesus, whether it be leading a small group or sharing the gospel with someone at work or visiting someone that is ill, or just offering to pray for someone (and following through on it). Whatever it is I am to do, it should be with the same attitude that Paul shows us, with a genuine love for God and others.

Another thing in this chapter that I was drawn to was Paul’s faithfulness to the message of the Gospel. It seems in current times, the Gospel has been distorted for the sake of either growing church attendance or so that people would not be made to feel the weight of their sin. There are likely a number of other reasons, but the reality is that there has been a trend of diluting the Gospel, but this is also nothing new. The very fact that Paul penned multiple letters to multiple churches shows that, we as humans have a tendency to corrupt the gospel message for one reason or another. But Paul was confident in the message and knew that ultimately nothing could be gained by trying to change the gospel. If anything, it drew people way from God. His confidence was rooted in what he had seen Christ accomplish through him. He was a witness to God’s power and faithfulness to keep his promises, and this gave him comfort and hope, as well as boldness and motivation to continue to proclaim the Gospel.

I think we can also have that same level of confidence, courage and hope. God wants us to share in the joy of serving others for their sake. He wants us to know the freedom that He offers when we stop trying to build our kingdom and invest in His instead. He was wants us to feel the confidence that no matter what we may face in this broken world, He will never leave us nor forsake us. He wants us to live with the courage that we can step out of our comfort zones and do something to share the love and grace of God through Christ Jesus to further His Kingdom. He wants us to live with the hope we are His and will spend all of eternity in the presence of His glory and majesty.

 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

  Marty Pina | Elder

Marty and Cecily began attending Hutto Bible Church in August of 2008. They both began living out their faith in 2003 while attending Gateway Community Church in Austin. They were married there in 2004. Marty serves in children's ministry, as a small group leader, small group coordinator and as a shepherd. Cecily has served as a C-group leader in student ministry in the past. She currently serves on the worship team and co-leads a small group and co-shepherds with Marty. Marty is currently employed as a network engineer for Time Warner Cable. Cecily is a medical billing software trainer for Brightree. They have two daughters, Alexis (19) and Zoe (8).