Devotional Romans 15: Supporting the Weak and the Duty of the Gospel Reflection on Romans 15: the call for the strong to bear with the weak, the responsibility to be light, and the priestly duty of bringing truth to unbelievers. Topics: Devotional, New Testament.

Devotional Romans 15: Supporting the Weak and the Duty of the Gospel

Today’s devotional is found in the book of Romans, chapter 15, and this is what happened.

Synopsis: In this chapter, Paul finishes writing his letter to the Romans and explains two important things that we as Christians must keep in mind: those of us who are strong in faith ought to support the weak, and all Christians have the priestly duty of sharing the gospel of Christ with unbelievers.

Observations

These were my observations.

1. Those of us who are strong in faith ought to support the weak, rather than pleasing ourselves. This is the reason why people who are strong in faith received this gift from the Holy Spirit—to help others. It is the same reason why we received our other gifts—strength, wealth, medical or legal knowledge, etc. All of these were given to us by God for the purpose of serving Him (i.e., sharing the gospel and helping others). In other words, we must not use them for our own selfish ends or only for things that please us (Romans 15:1). Receiving these gifts also comes with responsibilities. For the world we live in is cursed (Genesis 3:17). There is so much suffering and darkness that people are searching for a light at the end of the tunnel. As Christians, this is our responsibility—to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14–16). To guide people who are looking for hope into the arms of Jesus Christ.
2. All Christians have the priestly duty of proclaiming God’s gospel, so that unbelievers may come to believe in God and be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. This is the commandment Jesus gave us. And it is a great responsibility for us as Christians. For we must do our part to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. But this does not mean we will not encounter adversity. It is quite the opposite. For Jesus told us that the servant is not greater than his master (John 15:20). That is to say, if He, a being of perfect character, was persecuted for speaking the truth about the kingdom of God, we will be too. However, we must keep in mind that while we spread the gospel, our conduct must be congruent with God’s Word (Romans 2:21). For it is useless to proclaim that we are Christians and spread the gospel when our actions demonstrate the opposite. Nothing drives people of little faith and unbelievers further away from God than Christian hypocrisy (Romans 2:24). For when our actions do not match our beliefs, we become a stumbling block for those seeking God (Romans 14:13). Therefore, we must indeed share the gospel (Mark 16:15). But we must also take care to represent Jesus Christ (and, consequently, God) in the right way. So that we may be a light pointing to God rather than a stumbling block pointing to idols.