SERIES: The Book of Romans
The Imitation of Christ
Introduction: This is Advent Season. The normal thing we do on these Sundays before Christmas is to interrupt whatever series we are on and turn to some aspect of the birth of Christ for our themes. Especially would that seem appropriate when our last several messages in the Book of Romans have been on the very un-Christmas-y topic of what to do when other Christians disagree with us regarding our lifestyle choices.
Yet as I studied the first half of Romans 15, I came to realize that it was not only the conclusion of the argument Paul began in chapter 14, and thus by all rights must follow immediately the exposition of that passage, but I discovered in addition that this portion in chapter 15 is actually a most appropriate Christmas text. Not only is it almost totally concerned with the person of Christ, but it also focuses upon some of the central themes of His incarnation and, therefore, central themes of Christmas. Our text today is Romans 15:1-13:
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. {2} Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. {3} For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” {4} For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
{5} May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, {6} so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
{7} Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. {8} For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs {9} so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.”
{10} Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
{11} And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.”
{12} And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”
{13} May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The major thrust of Romans 15 is “The Imitation of Christ.” We are urged to imitate Him in seeking to please others rather than ourselves and also in accepting one another.
We are to imitate Christ in seeking to please others rather than ourselves. (1-4)
At first glance this proposition may seem strange to you because people-pleasing is not viewed as a positive characteristic today. In fact, it is generally considered a psychological disorder that often accompanies a low self-image. Yet this text tells us we are not to please ourselves but rather please our neighbors. To understand this, it is very important that we notice to whom this particular instruction is written. In the very first verse of the chapter the Apostle says, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” Clearly this exhortation is addressed to the “strong” believer. If anything, the “weak” are already too concerned about what other people think.
This is what God expects of the “strong” believer toward the “weak” believer. Now for the sake of those who haven’t been with us the past two Sundays, we need to offer a bit of background in order to understand who the “strong” and “weak” are. They aren’t strong or weak physically, or mentally, or emotionally, or even necessarily spiritually. Their strength or weakness is specifically related to their attitude toward what we have called “things that don’t matter.”
God has told us clearly that some things are right, always and for everyone. He has also told us that some things are wrong, always and for everybody. But regarding a lot of things God hasn’t said. The “strong” Christian is one who has lots of freedom of conscience respecting these matters not nailed down in the Bible. The “weak” Christian has very little freedom of conscience about these matters. He tends to have quite a long list of “don’ts.”
While the fundamental instruction to both the “strong” and the “weak” is that they shouldn’t judge one another, there is a special obligation assigned to the “strong” believer. He is called upon to limit his liberty by love for the “weaker” believer and not to force the “weaker” person’s conscience. But we noted also that God does not ask us to cater to Pharisees, who often disguise themselves as “weaker” believers but differ in that they are proud and desire to control other people’s lives.
Here at the beginning of chapter 15 “strong” believers are urged to bear with the failings of the “weak” and “not to please themselves.” Ten or fifteen years ago there was a very popular song that went like this, “You can’t please everybody so you gotta please yourself.” That’s the philosophy of our age. What difference does it make who likes it? What matters is whether I like it.
Paul, I think, would agree with the first part of that song—that you can’t please everybody. At least he never could. But he would strongly disagree that therefore you have to please yourself. Instead, he says, “Each of us should please his neighbor, for his good, to build him up.” And the implication is that we should do our best, knowing that we cannot control other people’s responses.
But notice here, if you will, that we are to seek to please our “weak” fellow-believer only when it is for his good, and when it will build him up. I take it that means that the “strong” person is not always to give in to the wishes of weaker Christians. There may be times when the “strong” believer must say, “This scruple of yours is so contrary to common sense and even destructive of the truth of God’s grace that we are not going to follow your desires. If you really have a conscience about this, then obey it, but we cannot.” I like what Pastor Ray Stedman has to say along this line:
Be careful that your giving in does not allow your neighbor to be confirmed in his weakness. Do not leave him without encouragement to grow, or to rethink his position. Please your neighbor, but, for his own good, always leave something there to challenge his thinking or make him reach out a bit and possibly change his viewpoint.[i]
There’s a fine line here, perhaps, between forcing his conscience and forcing him to think, and we need God’s discernment to distinguish between the two. What Paul is calling for here is a determination to adjust to whatever will contribute to the spiritual good of the other person.
Now we come to the heart of the passage in verse 3—the example of Jesus Christ: “For even Christ did not please himself.”
Jesus Christ is the preeminent example of one who sought the good of others rather than His own good. (3,4) The entire earthly life of Jesus Christ, from the moment of conception until His ascension to the Father exhibits the truth of this statement—“He did not please Himself.” First, He sought the good of others rather than His own good in the incarnation. Phil. 2 is a passage very much parallel to Romans 15, and I’d like for you to turn there with me. Phil. 2:5-7: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ‘Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
My wife collects nativity scenes–ceramic ones, crystal ones, wooden ones, paper ones, Jewish ones, Spanish ones, Chinese ones—they’re all over the house. They’re all so pastoral and lovely. Looking at them one can’t help but think how beautiful the circumstances of Christ’s birth were! I almost wish our children could have been born in such a romantic setting, with fresh-smelling hay, clean straw, a hand-hewn cradle, gentle cows and clean sheep, a starlit sky, magi bearing gifts, and temperatures around 65 degrees.
We tend to forget that this was a stable, that there is no clean straw in a stable, that there is no such thing as a clean sheep except at the State Fair, that it was winter, that this birthplace was a last resort because Motel 2 in Bethlehem was full. And even the best of the inns in those days was the pits.
I focus on the circumstances of Christ’s birth as an example of His not pleasing Himself, because it is something we can readily picture, especially at this time of the year. But in the last analysis, the very fact that he became a human being at all was a far greater humiliation than the circumstances of His birth. Even had Jesus been born in the penthouse suite of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, that would not have lessened the humiliation He endured by emptying Himself of His divine prerogatives, giving up His fabulous position at the right hand of His Father in glory, and taking upon Himself the form and the frailties of human nature.
A book entitled, The Mystery of the Incarnation, contains the following thought-provoking meditation:
He who is the Almighty … became a suckling baby.
He who is all-wise … took on the dumbness of a newborn.
He whom the heavens cannot contain … was enclosed in a woman’s womb.
He before whom the seraphim continually cry, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” … was
born of a sinner into a world under the dominion of sin.
He who is unchanging … went through nine months of constant change to
enter a world of change.
He who is infinite … became but a microscopic cell.
He who is all-knowing … had to communicate through baby cries.
He who is love … was born outside a hotel because no one had room for His
laboring mother.
He who is the Creator … became a creature.
He who has always been spirit … took on the awkwardness of a human body.
He who is eternal … allowed Himself to be bound by time.
He who is light … was entombed for nine months in warm blackness.
He who is sovereign God … became dependent on a man and a woman for
His food and clothing.
He who is clothed with majesty … was born in a cattle trough.
He who alone is self-sufficient … had to be cleaned and nursed.
He who is life … was born with a death warrant around His neck.
Can there be a greater mystery? … Can there be a greater miracle?[ii]
But His becoming incarnate is not the only way in which Christ refused to please Himself. He did so also in submitting to human insults. This is specifically mentioned in verse 3: “For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: ‘The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.’” This quotation is a prophecy from the Messianic 69th Psalm. It essentially tells us that Christ absorbed on Himself the hatred men had toward God. When He was ridiculed, rejected, called names, alleged to be demon-possessed, spat upon and blasphemed, He was enduring reproaches intended for God. He did so because He was jealous for God’s honor. Shall we, then, insist on pleasing ourselves in such picayune matters as eating and drinking, to the detriment of our brothers and sisters?
But if we wish to look at the preeminent illustration of Christ’s refusal to please Himself, we will not look at the circumstances of His birth, or the insults to which He submitted, but at the Cross upon which He hung. He sought the good of others at the Cross. The Cross represented an awful curse, for the OT said, “Cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree.” Yet Jesus, who by His own admission could have appealed to His Father and His Father would have put at His disposal more than twelve legions of angels to rescue Him, nevertheless went willingly to that Cross. He had come to seek and to save that which was lost, He knew that the wrath of God toward sin must be satisfied, and He knew that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. So He sought to please or to benefit us, rather than Himself by offering His own life as a sacrifice for sin.
May I ask a simple question at this point? “Where would you be if Christ had decided to please Himself?” I’ll tell you where you’d be—the same place I’d be—lost in sins and bound for eternal separation from God. But praise God, He didn’t please Himself. Instead, He decided to please His Father and to do all He could to benefit us. He died in our place. He bore the curse for us. And we can enjoy salvation and a personal relationship with almighty God as His children as we turn in faith to Christ and trust in Him alone for salvation. Acts 4:12 reads, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Yes, Jesus is the preeminent example of one who sought the good of others rather than His own good. But before we move on to our second major proposition, I want us to briefly notice verse 4, which seems to be triggered by the quotation of verse 3. That quotation, as we noted, comes from the Psalms, and it is possible that one of Paul’s listeners objected, “Why do you appeal to the dusty, thousand-year-old writings of King David to prove your point?” Well, there’s a good reason, “for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” The Scriptures are ancient documents with a modern message. They never go out of date. The stories of Noah and Moses and Joshua and Job, as well as those of James and John and Mary and Martha, are the stories of you and me.
As we study the Scriptures, we find encouragement to be obedient because they are so true to life. If there were very many Enochs or Josephs or Daniels in the Bible, I wouldn’t find much encouragement, because they lived lives of impeccable integrity and faithfulness—in fact, no specific sins are recorded for any of those three men of God. But there are vastly more characters like Lot and Samson and David and Peter, and in their lives I find encouragement because they blew it big time, yet God didn’t give up on them, and eventually they served God with distinction.
In the Scriptures we also find hope, verse 4 tells us—hope for the future, hope for eternity. It is so easy to despair of people or of circumstances. Sometimes it is even easy to despair of oneself. But in reality there are no hopeless situations—only people who have grown hopeless about them. The Scriptures were written that we might have encouragement and hope as we seek to follow the example of Christ in pleasing others rather than ourselves.
Then beginning in verse 5 we come to the second major exhortation in our text:
We are to imitate Christ in accepting one another. (5-12)
Look at verse 5 again,
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you.
Whereas the instruction to please others rather than ourselves is addressed specifically to the “strong” believer, …
This is what God expects of all believers, “strong” and “weak” alike. (7) No qualifications are offered to this exhortation.
Accepting one another results in unity in the Church. Unity is a subject very close to the heart of God, but it is so often lacking when Christians gather. It certainly is impossible to enjoy unity when believers are picking at one another over “things that don’t matter.” Someone sent me a little story this week from Max Lucado’s book, A Gentle Thunder. It goes like this (with a few revisions by yours truly):
Some time ago I came upon a fellow on a trip who was carrying a Bible.
“Are you a believer?” I asked him.
“Yes,” he said excitedly.
I’ve learned you can’t be too careful.
“Do you believe in the Virgin birth?” I asked.
“I do.”
“The deity of Christ?”
“No doubt.”
Could it be that I was face to face with a Christian brother? Perhaps. Nonetheless, I continued my checklist.
“Return of Christ?”
“Imminent,” was his response.
“The Bible?”
“Inspired,” was his immediate answer.
I was getting excited. “Conservative or liberal?”
He was getting interested too. “Conservative.”
My heart began to beat faster. “Denomination?”
“Southern Congregationalist Holy Son of God Dispensationalist Triune Convention,” he said.
That was my denomination!
“Which branch?” I asked.
“Premillennial, Post-trib, Noncharismatic, King James only, One-cup
communion.”
My eyes misted. I had only one other question. “Is your pulpit wooden or
fiberglass?”
“Fiberglass,” he responded.
I recoiled in horror. “Die, Heretic!” I said as I walked away.
Now I know that’s an exaggeration, but perhaps not much. In contrast to such division God wants unity in His Church. Verse 5 is really half prayer and half exhortation, which I believe is appropriate because unity is a gift from God, but He will not force it on His people. So Paul both prays for it and exhorts his readers to achieve it. In other words, unity is a gift from God, but unity is achieved only as we follow Christ. “May God give you a spirit of unity as you follow Christ Jesus.”
I, for one, am glad it is not our responsibility to create unity, only to maintain the unity that the Holy Spirit creates in the Church. In Eph. 4 we are admonished to be eager to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” That tells me that whenever there is a lack of unity in the Body it is because someone has violated and destroyed the work of the Holy Spirit. Someone is rejecting the gift that God wants to give the Church. Someone is refusing to follow Christ.
Unity glorifies God. Three times this message is conveyed to us in this short passage. In verse 6 we read, “so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then in verse 7 we read, “in order to bring praise to God.” And finally, at the end of verse 8, “so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy.” Have you ever tried to worship when you were unhappy with the people with whom you were worshiping? It’s impossible to sing, isn’t it, or to give yourself in praise when you’re out of synch with those around you?
Even if you could fake it and act like you were worshiping, how much glory does God receive when Christians are fighting with one another? None, that’s how much. Every time a church splits because of disagreement, and every time one group of Christians takes another group to court, the cause of Christ is set back in that community for years. Unbelievers will remember that long after every good thing that church has done is forgotten. We should accept one another so God can be glorified.
Now beginning in verse 8 we see once again that
Jesus Christ is the preeminent example of one who accepted others, because He accepted Gentiles into His spiritual family. (8-12) Listen carefully to verses 8-12:
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing hymns to your name.”
Again it says,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
and sing praises to him all you peoples.”
And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
the Gentiles will hope in him.”
Here we have 4 OT quotations, all of which refer to the fact that when Jesus Christ came into the world, Gentiles were granted equal spiritual opportunities with the Jews. This had not been true before. God had intended that the Jews be missionaries to the nations; in fact, God had promised to Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. But the Jews became very self-focused. They viewed salvation as their personal possession and looked forward to Messiah as a deliverer from the Gentiles, not a Savior for the Gentiles.
We have time to look at just one of these OT quotes, the one in verse 12 which comes from Isaiah 11:10. Jesse, of course, was the father of David, and Jesus was of the house and lineage of David. Therefore, he was referred to in prophecy as the Root of Jesse. It is He in whom all peoples, Jew and Gentile alike, can have hope. He is the Savior of mankind.
Picture for yourself the nativity scene, if you will. Surrounding this Jewish baby are shepherds, from the lowest rung on society’s ladder. Over there stand magi (ignore for the moment the fact that they probably came to visit sometime after Jesus’ birth) who are Gentiles—racially unclean. Over here are animals demonstrating that this Child is Lord of all creation. You see, the story of Christmas is that Jesus Christ has come to give hope to all men without distinction, though, of course, not to all without exception, for many have not believed. Jesus’ concern for Gentiles continued also during His ministry as He reached out frequently to non-Jewish people in need. And when He was completing His ministry, He instructed His disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
Friends, that is cause for Gentiles like you and me to glorify God for His mercy. In the words of Eph. 2, we were “Gentiles by birth, separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” What a turnaround, and all because Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
In essence we are being asked in this passage, if Christ, being a Jew, accepted even despised Gentiles into His Church, then ought we not accept all other Christians, whether they be “strong” or “weak,” white or black, rich or poor, or different from us in any other way? Since the Lord healed the breach between Jew and Gentile by limiting his own liberty, we ought also to be willing to limit ours for the sake of unity in the Body. Friends, the example of Christ is an awesome argument against all discrimination and prejudice and disputes over “things that don’t matter” in the Church of Jesus Christ.
This morning we have been confronted very directly by two themes not often considered Christmas themes, but they are. Seeking to please others rather than ourselves and accepting others—no matter how different—are both actions eminently modeled by Jesus Christ, from the very moment of His conception until the very moment of His death.
We close this morning with what I have referred to as …
The Christmas Benediction
Here’s how the Apostle closes this passage, verse 13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Do you see the great themes of Christmas there? First, joy. Real joy is impossible on the merely human level. We can have happiness, even an occasional period of ecstasy, but joy is something that comes only from the Lord. Joy is unrelated to circumstances or other people. It is a fruit of the Spirit. Those who are looking for excitement or happiness at Christmas will generally feel a tremendous letdown when the last of the presents is opened or at least when the Christmas tree is taken down. But those who have found joy will hardly skip a beat.
Second, he prays for peace. Peace is on everyone’s lips these days. Every major religious and political leader is talking peace—peace in Haiti, peace in Bosnia, peace in the Middle East. But notice how peace, as well as joy, comes—it is in believing. “May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in him.”
Finally, there is hope. It comes from the God who is characterized as “the God of hope.” As a matter of fact, our future is just as bright as the promises of God. Hope is just wishful thinking or presumption unless it is generated by the Holy Spirit, but here we are told that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
To those who know Christ personally, I ask this question in conclusion: Have you considered a Christmas present to God this year? How about seeking to please others for their good and for their edification, rather than just pleasing yourself? And how about making a renewed effort to accept your brothers and sisters in Christ—no matter how different they may be from you?
To those who may not know where you stand with God this Christmas, how about experiencing real joy, peace and hope for the first time in your life by placing your faith and trust in the Son of God? Tell God that you know you’re a hopeless sinner. Thank Him for sending His Son to die for you. And then receive His Son as your Savior by faith.
DATE: December 17, 1995
Tags:
Incarnation
Strong Christians
Weak Christians
Acceptance
[i] Ray C. Stedman, Expository Studies in Romans 9-16, From Guilt to Glory, Vol. II, 161.
[ii] Hume, Basil Cardinal, The Mystery of the Incarnation.