As Paul wraps up this letter to the Romans, he must know that these may be the last words he delivers to the Roman church. Paul knows that the road ahead of the church will be rocky, as he has experienced himself. We know something about navigating rocky terrain, metaphorically in our church and physically on our freeways. Driving up and down the freeway these days is particularly perilous because of the extensive road work, and someone is always in a hurry. When an accident occurs, or someone loses something from their vehicle, it compounds the problem, leading to further problems because of additional obstacles. The best thing we can do is drive so that we do not add to the problem at the least, but if possible, we should help contribute to a solution to easier driving.

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 16:17–20.

Always be on the lookout for those seeking to drive a wedge between followers of Christ between each other. As followers of Christ, it is imperative that we strive to live at peace with one another, and any wedge between us does not come from God. Disagreements will undoubtedly arise between Christians; however, we must always approach such divisions humbly and not allow them to become obstacles to fellowship. Should anyone, through their actions or words, break with fellowship over such disagreements, we break down the pure meaning of the cross, where Christ brought us back into fellowship. 

Always serve Christ in all you do, and avoid selfish ambitions. As followers of Christ, we will have to make some hard decisions about what we need to put our support behind, and when doing that, we need to ask if this is in line with what Christ calls us. Many things appeal to us because they will benefit us personally; however, as Christians, we need to think about the greater impact of what we do because many things look good at the outset, only to lead to situations where our selfishness emerges. When we follow Christ, we must learn to put aside what might be best for ourselves, as Paul exemplified. As Acts came to a conclusion, we learned of Paul repeatedly choosing captivity to share the Gospel. He went to Jerusalem, even though he knew they would arrest him. He appealed to Ceasar when he could have asked for his freedom. He could have escaped captivity but stayed as a testament to Christ. Thus, Paul showed us that the ministry of Christ is paramount.

Always strive after obedience and goodness in our lives. No matter what happens to us, there is always an opportunity to be good and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into people who honor God by how we live. We will find the temptation to spend more time reflecting and calling out people for their errors and misgivings. Still, in this closing note, Paul invites us not to waste our time on such reflections but rather put our efforts into cleaning up our lives rather than worrying about someone else’s issues. The ultimate influence that we will have in leading people to Christ is reflected in the type of people we are because our obedience to God and our good deeds will speak louder than any words we use. Don’t waste our time using our words to persuade people to faith; rather, be good and bless people with our lives.

While Paul has detailed a lengthy systematic theology for the Roman church and, ultimately, us, his most important message was left for us to concentrate on living at peace with one another and focus on being good people striving to serve Christ. The same rules will follow us in anything we do; if we strive to live well with one another and follow the rules we need to follow, we will be far more persuasive than yelling at everyone for not doing the same with us.  When we are not adversely affected by road rage, we are better drivers and can concentrate on how we can better facilitate driving in hazardous conditions. Even if something happens and we end up in a wreck or face damage, how we handle it should reflect the God we serve. Our ultimate mission in this world is to share Christ’s message of Grace with all humankind, and we can only do that when our focus is on the work of the cross and not on ourselves. Ultimately, God will take care of everything, for the crushing blow to Satan won’t come from violence and might but rather from peace because, ultimately, the power of the cross comes from making peace with the world. Therefore, watch out for your words and actions. They need to reflect the peace of God’s work on the cross, not the violence of Rome’s work on the cross.

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Published by JRMITCH85

I am often asked what describes you, which is a hard answer because sometimes I move in a thousand different directions. Some call me an engineer, others call me pastor, a few call me captain, some call me friend, others call me dad, and one calls me sweetheart. All of these things are descriptors and are accurate, but they don't fully capture me. My favorite place is in the mountains, enjoying the beauty of nature and God's creation, running and hiking around with my family and friends, and taking photos to cement the memories. However, the people that know me the best know that my favorite thing to do is come up with crazy adventures that push the limits of what our minds and bodies can do. My faith in God is important to me and drives me to look at creation the way I do. Because of my faith, I look at these adventures and running races from Half Marathons all the way to 24 hour races, as well as several Obstacle Course Races, as an opportunity to push the body God gave me as an act of worship. Hopefully, someday soon, I look toward running longer races and bigger adventures. My hope is that humanity can understand that the wild is a gift, and we need to care for it and quit destroying it by the way we live.

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