1 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 our instruction, 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. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 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 15:1-13, ESV

Romans 14:1-15:13 is one section best studied in three parts.  It offers a philosophy of the Christian life based on Christian love.  When followed, it maintains unity in a church filled with different people with different opinions about different matters on which there are different interpretations of Scripture.  Unity amidst diversity enables us to reach out to diverse kinds of people all over our community and the world to unify them with Christ and His church.

Debatable matters in the text so far have included dietary choices, observing special days, and drinking wine.  Throughout the years, the church has also displayed strong (lax, permissible) and weak (strict, prohibitive) opinions about clothing, hair styles, gender roles, music and movies, politics, and specific theological subgroups.  All too often, division has ensued.  But like the late Rodney King said, “Can we all get along?”

Well, the Apostle Paul has been trying to tell us how to get along.  We can love and let live (14:1-12), love by letting there be some limits on our liberties (14:13-23), and best of all, love like Jesus loves (15:1-13).  For this sermon we will supplant the once popular acronym WWJD with HDJL, How does Jesus love?

Jesus loves by living for others.

Paul begins by again bringing up the difference between “strong” and “weak” Christians (vs. 1).  The English rendering does not do the original language justice.  It is not a matter of superiority and inferiority, but a difference of opinions about what is “possible” and “impossible” in one’s Christians life.  

In Paul’s day, some Christians thought it possible or permissible to eat meat sold in the mostly pagan butcher markets, while others avoided controversy by keeping a vegetarian diet.  In our day, some Christians drink alcoholic beverages with a clean conscience, while others feel they cannot possibly imbibe.  It is not a matter of right and wrong, just a difference of opinion.

For the first time, Paul pronounces he is one of the “strong.”  He was one meat-eating, wine-drinking dude.  But, he pledges to “bear with the failings of the weak,” again too strong in English, which actually means to honor the tender conscience of those with stricter principles regarding food, drink, and other such matters.  He basically made the same argument in the previous paragraph.

In this new turn, however, Paul plays the trump card.  He lays down the Lord Jesus Christ as the ultimate example of loving other brothers and sisters in Christ, in spite of different (“strong” and “weak”) opinions.  Jesus loved others by not living for Himself, but rather to “please” (vs. 2-3) and “welcome” (vs. 7) others.

For example, when Levi the tax collector was saved and became Matthew the Apostle, Matthew threw a big party for Jesus and invited all of his rock and roll, dancing and drinking buddies.  Jesus pleased and welcomed them all by joining in.  Of course, Jesus was “reproached” (vs. 3), criticized, and the Pharisees called Him names, like “glutton and winebibber” (ref. Matthew 11:19).  

Just as well, Jesus dined with Pharisees (ref. Luke 7:36), and observed their customs at the meal, which probably consisted of a kale salad and unsweetened tea.  Can you imagine the flack our Lord caught from Matthew and the other Apostles after that?  But Jesus loved even the Pharisees.  How else do you think Nicodemus became born again and was there to bury Jesus when He died?

Once I was invited to speak at a church, which I did not realize was an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church.  I arrived early, fortunately, with my family.  My wife was wearing pants and one of my daughters had on shorts.  The old friend who had invited me was mortified, and said we shouldn’t come in dressed like that.  Did I walk away?  No, since we lived nearby, we were able to dash home, change clothes, and get back in time to preach the gospel.  

Our purpose in life is to build up the church and bring people to Christ.  We can only accomplish this when we live for others, not ourselves.  We must be God-centered and people-mattered.  We learn this from Jesus.

I am sure it “did not please Himself” for Jesus to leave the glory of Heaven to come down to this dusty and depraved earth.  He lived in obscurity for three decades.  He hit a a hard sawdust trail of ministry for three years.  He stretched out for six hours one Friday on an old rugged cross.  Jesus loves by living for others, not Himself.

Jesus loves by glorifying God.

This second point is shorter and sharper.  Jesus loved, pleased, and welcomed others “for the glory of God” (vs. 6-7).  This is the greatest reason to do anything.

Our personal faith and corporate identity rest upon the five pillars of The Great Reformation.  We govern ourselves by Scripture Alone.  We preach the gospel of salvation by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in Christ Alone.  Why?  For the Glory of God Alone!

In line with this, Paul wrote in another epistle, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” (ref. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33).  

There is no question that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the greatest example of a life lived for the glory of God.  The Apostle Paul was a pretty good imitator of Jesus Christ.  Now we are called upon to imitate Paul.  

When we “bear with” (vs. 1) one another, we show love, which glorifies God.  When we make decisions to “please [our] neighbor” (vs. 2), we show love, which glorifies God.  When we “live in such harmony with one another” (vs. 5) in the church, we show love, which glorifies God.  

In summary, when we do not haggle over secondary matters like dietary codes and dress codes and morse codes and other codes, we demonstrate love for one another instead of pride.  This unifies the church and glorifies God.  And, this will bring more unchurched people into Christ’s church, saved and lost.

Jesus loves by being a servant.

Jesus and Paul were Jewish.  Jews are often referred to as “the circumcised” (vs. 8) in the New Testament.  Circumcision is a delicate subject to preach about, so I’ll leave it to the fathers of the congregation to do two things with their sons: one, explain to them what circumcision is; and, two, tell them to thank God they have no memory of their own.  

One thing Jesus and Paul understood better than most Jews was that Jews were supposed to bring Gentiles into the kingdom of God.  This is the “promise given to the patriarchs” (vs. 9) pointed out by all the Old Testament passages quoted by Paul (vs. 9-12).  How did the Old Covenant Jews do?  Not so good.

Is the Christian church doing any better when it comes to bringing the unchurched into the kingdom of God?  For two thousand years, the results have been mixed.  Paul says we will do better if we better follow Christ.

Jesus showed love to others by being a servant.  “Christ became a servant to the circumcised” (vs. 8).  Many of the Jews He served missed the fact He was and is the Messiah.  They were looking for a King on a white horse, of which He will be at His second coming.  But in the first advent He was a babe in a manger, a man with carpenter’s hands, a server of food, a washer of feet, a rabbi riding on a donkey.  

Paul’s point is when we love one another by living for one another, by living for the glory of God, by living to serve one another, not only do we enjoy “harmony” (vs. 5) among ourselves, we become more attractive to the lost and unchurched.  When we do not fuss and fight over “strong” and “weak” issues, imposing our peccadillos on each other, and others, we make the gospel more plain and powerful to everyone.  Nothing could be more loving, like Jesus.

Jesus loves by giving hope.

We in the church need “harmony” and the lost world around us needs “hope” (vs. 12-13).  If we have one, perhaps we can give them the other.  Here is where the whole section (14:1-15:13) begins to kick in.  Loving one another like Jesus will lead to lost people coming to Christ, and to His church.

The evangelical church in America, led by the Baptists, peaked in the 1950’s because of what happened in the 1960’s.  In that latter decade, Black people began to experience some civil rights and some ventured into White churches.  Hippies started coming to Christ and sought shelter in the church of Christ.  And what did the church do?  We literally barred people from entering our services because of the color of their skin or the length of their hair.  

    Mother, mother,
    Everybody thinks we’re wrong.
    But who are they to judge us,
    Simply because our hair is long?
    — Marvin Gaye

Who are we to judge?  Judgment condemns, separates, and so often does so for no good reason, extremely bad reasons, or some of the silly secondary reasons mentioned in this section of Paul’s letter to the Roman church.  

What lost and unchurched people need is the salvation of Jesus and the fellowship of Christ’s church.  To reach them we must love them like Jesus and bring them into a church that gives them hope, not despair.  The gospel, offered by a gospel church, is that hope, the hope of forgiveness, the hope of eternal life, the hope of abundant and meaningful life.  

To summarize for the church, God’s word in Romans is teaching us the old adage ascribed to Augustine and different saints through the centuries, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”  Let us love, one another, and all others, like Jesus loves.

To summarize for the lost and unchurched, Jesus loves you, and so do we.  Come to Christ.  Become a member of Christ’s church, by grace through faith in Jesus.  

We will not put any burdens upon you except that which God’s word clearly forbids.  We do not care about the color of your skin nor the length of your hair, or whether or not you eat meat or drink wine.  Repent, of any spiritual, moral, or sexual sin that is not just someone’s opinion, but is plainly prohibited by Scripture.  Believe in the person and work of Christ, the tri-unity of God, and the authority of the Bible.  

Live for Jesus and learn to love like Jesus loves.