Romans 15:1-7
~20 min read
TRANSCRIPT
Let us now open our Bibles to Romans, chapter 15. Romans, chapter 15, the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans in chapter 15, and we shall consider these seven verses.
Please allow me to read first, Romans 15:1–7: "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God." Amen. The Lord add His blessings upon the reading of His holy and precious Word.
Longing for ‘likes’—this is very familiar for our young people. Probably, for those who are of my age, we may not be able to think as they think, because we grew up in our teens or early 20s without any phones—I don't know if you were so advanced here in Singapore that you already have those—and no internet. In those days, if you were in a different place or abroad, you’d find a telephone box and buy a card or whatever to call back home. In those days, people were busy with TVs and newspapers, less access to internet as we have today.
According to one of the surveys from the PEW Survey.com (2015 survey by the Pew Research Center), it says that today, especially the young people—the teens in their 20s and even early 30s—are surfing the internet daily. In first-world countries where the internet is always available, it is reported that 92% of this group of people are on their phones, either on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, X (or Twitter), and others. This has been the trend for young people. That is why there is a problem, a public health awareness movement, a concern even in America today because of social media.
You would expect the Surgeon General of America to be fighting an infectious disease or some other public health concern from other countries that may enter into their territory. But today, the focus is on fighting social media. Loneliness, depression, anxieties among young people leading to suicides, so much so that he advised Congress to issue warnings, just like the ones on tobacco and cigarette boxes. You may be aware of the Surgeon General’s warning: ‘Smoking is dangerous to your health.’ He proposed that similar warnings must be on every social media platform. How this will be done is uncertain. Perhaps, every time you open your social media, a warning will pop up: ‘A warning from Surgeon General: This is dangerous to your mental health.’
This is a real problem—a big problem, not only in America but also in Singapore and even other countries. Even in third-world countries, where they cannot afford phones or internet, young people are still into this addiction to social media. Because of this, people, especially the younger ones, are distancing themselves from the church. They are no longer involved in the ministries of the church or active in daily and weekly worship. They do not even come to worship the Lord on the Lord's Day. This is alarming and has been raised by many churches, even here in Singapore.
Some evangelical churches suggest letting the young people do all the (worship) preparations—the PA system, things of the pulpit, and others—so they could be involved (in church ministries). Some have said this successfully brought young people back, yet from Monday to Saturday, they are still addicted to social media. Though active in serving on the Lord's Day, they lack time to communicate with the Lord. There is no point in their lives where they have quiet time reading God's Word, gathering together to meditate on God’s Word, or praying together. These are no longer seen among the young people in many churches. It may not be as great a problem in our church, but we are led toward such a condition. This will eventually affect our young people and the future of our church.
What must we do as a church? What must we do as believers? Are we not concerned for our young people or even for ourselves? Do we share the self-centered, narcissistic attitude of most young people today—longing for ‘likes’? There was a time when Twitter, as I read, allowed buying ‘likes’. I don’t know how it was done, but it was said that you could buy ‘likes’ to increase your followings or product sales. Thankfully, this has been discouraged. The goal and aim of many young people are acceptance and affirmation through ‘likes’, comments, and subscriptions.
But what about us as believers? Are we longing for ‘likes’ from the world, or are we longing for God to like us, love us, or be pleased with us? I pray that through this passage in Romans 15, we may draw closer to the Lord and be delivered from the imitation and menace of social media.
Paul wrote this epistle when he was about to return to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey. He had not been to Rome, yet he wrote this epistle because he heard about the Christians in Rome. Some may have become believers during Pentecost or through Judean soldiers who evangelised before returning to Rome. Others could have been converts during the great persecution that scattered believers from Jerusalem. Paul was concerned for the Christians in Rome because it was the Empire's centre, a melting pot of religions, philosophies, and false teachings. He knew the Christians would not be exempt from these temptations.
In Romans 1–11, Paul systematically explains salvation—both for Gentiles and Jews. From chapter 12, he focuses on application. This is Paul’s pattern: doctrine first, then practice; theology first, then methodology. Here in chapter 12, believers are called to live transformed lives, renewing their minds to prove the perfect will of God. Chapter 13 exhorts submission to government despite persecution. By Romans 15, Paul seeks to strengthen the believers through unity in Christ, urging them to glorify God and support one another.
I pray that the principles from these verses will help us address the dangers of social media addiction for ourselves and our young people. May we live transformed lives that glorify God and draw us closer to Him.
I. Bear The Infirmities Of The Weak
First, the Apostle Paul here reminds us that we have an obligation, a duty towards one another, especially for those who are strong Christians, to bear the infirmities of the weak. So, that is the principle we have—the first one: that we ought to bear the infirmities of the weak. "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves" (Romans 15:1).
The word ‘ought’ here conveys the idea that we have a duty, an obligation. It is not that we must because we are Christians; it is not that we should because we are believers, but we are given such an obligation. We are indebted to do this, and that is to bear, to carry—not only to carry but to lift up—those who are weak in their infirmities. Where they have some hesitation, where there are doubts, or where there are things that prevent them from doing the will of God in their lives, we have to be there to help them. We have to be there to assure them that indeed the Spirit of God, the grace of God upon us, will enable us to fulfil what God has for us according to His word.
Most people today are just concerned with their own lives. We are just pleasing ourselves. We think of what we can do for ourselves, planning how to live for our own families, organising vacations, and arranging holidays. We rarely think of those who need us in the church, in the community, and in our fellowship groups.
Are we involved in bearing the infirmities of the weak? Those who are struggling, those who still have questions about the faith, those who have problems—are we there to help them? Are we there to explain to them, guide them, encourage them, exhort them, and show them the word of God? We must direct them to the assurance found in the promises of God’s word, not in our own promises, but God’s promises.
We all know that many of us have graduated or finished certificates in religious knowledge or biblical knowledge from FEBC. Some have even graduated with a diploma, and others, particularly full-time workers, have completed a bachelor’s degree. But all these achievements mean nothing and are useless if we do not give and impart this knowledge to those who are in need. We ought to.
The higher and greater our knowledge and understanding, the stronger and more mature we are in the faith, the more responsibility we have to extend to our brethren who are in need. We must be there for them. We must bear their infirmities. We must help them go through the difficulties of life. We must see them through, especially the young people today, who are bombarded with lies and deceptions from social media.
They are there because they are longing for love, affection, affirmation, and acceptance from these platforms. This longing shows that even within their families, they have not received these things. How can they look for such acceptance on social media if they were truly affirmed, welcomed, received, loved, and liked by their own siblings and parents? It is because of a lack of concern.
Now, we pray for us in this church—for our own children and young people—that we will be there for them. There are many instances where we are just concerned with ministries, missions work, and other activities, forgetting our own young people. That was the rebuke I received from this meditation on the word of God.
II. Build Them Up For Their Good
The second principle that we can derive is found in verse two: "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification" (Romans 15:2). Paul used here a hortatory way of exhorting and commanding. This is the idea where he says, ‘I have decided to do it; come and let us do it together.’ He was not simply telling others what to do, as preachers sometimes do when we easily say, ‘You do this, you do that; you have to do this, you have to do that.’ Paul says, ‘I have decided to do it; let us do it. Let every one of us, including me.’
Even though he may have been busy with the things around him—going from one place to another, undertaking his second missionary journey, his third missionary journey—that should not be an excuse for not addressing the needs of those with infirmities, those who are weak, and those who require his presence, time, fellowship, and prayers.
"Let every one of us please his neighbour" (Romans 15:2a) The word ‘neighbour’ here describes those who are near to us—not just the next door or the next house, but also our siblings, the members of the church, and those in the fellowship who are close to us. "Let every one of us please"—and the idea of ‘please’ here is to give them the time and attention that they need. We know that these near kin, our neighbours, always have needs. Paul says we are not there to condone their sins. We are not there to tell them, ‘Okay, continue with your social media interactions, continue to do this, continue to do that. If you're happy with it, follow your heart.’ That is not what Paul is telling us.
He says, if we please our neighbour, we must do it to build them up. And that is the second principle we must understand—not only that we bear their infirmities, but we also build them up. Building them up here is for their good—not to build them up in self-esteem, or to trust in their own strength, wisdom, and knowledge. It is to build them up for their good so that they will acknowledge that what is good always comes from the Word of God. What will build them up is always from the Word of God, so they may be strengthened and founded in it.
I pray that we are reminded of what the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7. As He concluded His Sermon on the Mount, He admonished us in Matthew 7:24–27: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
We must build them up upon a rock. And what is this rock? This rock is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ and His word. What He says, we must follow. What He tells us, we must obey. We must be mindful that as we build up our young people, even our friends in fellowship meetings and our brethren in the church, we must build them up for their good. Building them up means grounding them upon the rock—the Word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what Paul wants us to do.
We should not just please ourselves, building ourselves up as towers of knowledge so that people look up to us as great theologians, following us because of our reasoning, logic, and eloquence in explaining things. If we are unable to apply and use God’s word to build up other lives, we are useless. We are unprofitable servants. We are unfruitful in our Christian life. So, let us bear the infirmities of others and build them up in Christ and His word, so that they will grow, be strengthened, and in turn, become a source of strength to others—to build others up. Paul says we must teach others, and we must teach those who will be able to teach others also.
III. Be Like Christ
Another principle that we can see here is in verse three: "For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me" (Romans 15:3). The Lord Jesus Christ is our perfect example. The third principle is that we must look up to and be like Christ. We must be like Him.
Paul says here that Christ did not please Himself. In fact, all the reproaches, all the insults, all the pains, and all the revilings that we deserved, He received them for us. He became sin for us—not that He became a sinner, but He became a sin offering, by which every ounce of punishment that we deserved to receive was laid upon Him. Now that we claim to be Christians, followers of Christ, and children of God, we must live a Christlike life. We must be like Christ. Therefore, we must also be ready to take the reproaches, to receive these reproaches even unto ourselves when they are directed at others.
It is often a tendency for us to leave a church, a fellowship, or a friendship when it is attacked. We do not want to be part of those who are ridiculed and reviled. But the Lord Jesus Christ did not leave us. We, who are unworthy of any favour and deserving only of condemnation to Hell and the eternal lake of fire, were not abandoned by Him. He continued to be with us and even suffered for us. If we say we are Christians, we must also do the same for others—especially for the brethren and for the young people who are to be the next leaders and the next generation of our churches, if the Lord tarries. We must not only be concerned about our own interests. The Lord Jesus Christ showed us the perfect example of how He Himself received the reproaches of those who opposed Him.
You will remember in Acts 9, when the Lord Jesus Christ confronted Saul (who later became Paul), He said: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:4). Saul was persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ by persecuting the believers. The Lord said to Saul, ‘You are persecuting Me because you are persecuting My followers. I receive their pain. I experience the revilings. I experience all those sufferings that they endure because you inflict harm upon them.’ We also, as believers, must be ready to take upon ourselves the reproaches of those among us. We must be ready to stand with them, kneel down and pray with them, cry and weep with them, and even rejoice with them when there are victories to the glory of God.
We are a people who must be ready to be Christlike, willing to do that which Christ did for us, so that we can encourage others and bring them to the knowledge of salvation in Christ. For those who are still weak, we must help them mature in the faith and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, we must bear the infirmities of others. We must build them up for their good. And we must be Christlike in dealing with them. We must be ready to suffer as they suffer. We must be ready to be inflicted with pain, to be ridiculed, and to be reviled on their behalf, just as Christ also did for us.
IV. Believe In The Word Of God
Now here in verse four is another principle that we must learn. Paul says here: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4).
He tells us to bear infirmities. He has told us to join with him in building up one another in the faith, and he encourages us to be like Christ in bearing the reproaches of others, especially those brethren among us. But he says that, in order for us to continue doing this, we need God's Word. We need the promises of God and the assurance that "whatsoever things were written aforetime"—even in the Old Testament—"were written for our learning". It is for us to know, to learn, to understand, and to apply in our lives.
Through patience and comfort from His Word, we are enabled to persevere. The word ‘patience’ here refers to enduring and remaining steadfast even under great burdens. The word ‘comfort’ reflects the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who comes alongside believers to strengthen and encourage them. Where do we get this patience and comfort? From the Scriptures. Without the Word of God, without the Scriptures, we cannot bear the infirmities of others, build them up, or follow Christ’s example. We cannot continue to do these things without His Word.
The fourth principle, therefore, is very important: we must believe in the Word of God, the Scriptures. Without it, we have no source to supply the needs of the weak, to encourage the troubled, or to provide for those in distress. The Word of God is for our learning. This is why we should not neglect the study of God’s Word. We are blessed with many opportunities—weekly fellowship meetings, combined meetings, workshops—all designed not just for gathering and socialising, but for learning His Word.
Yet, many are hesitant to attend these gatherings because of past conflicts. They say, ‘I’d rather stay at home; that’s enough for me.’ But Proverbs reminds us: "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17). We must be with one another, learning together, studying God’s Word. It was not written merely for us to own a Bible or to have a record of God’s dealings—it is for our learning.
What must we learn? To continue enduring. That is the idea of patience: to persevere, to be comforted, to be strengthened, and to be exhorted to continue in the work of the Lord because we have hope. This hope is found in His Word. "That we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4). As we look around, we seem to be living in a very hopeless world—a world full of darkness, wars, and hatred. But we have hope, and that hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, as revealed in His Word. If we do not partake of these promises, we lose patience to continue. Without the comfort of the Scriptures, we lose hope. When we lack hope in Christ, we cling to other sources.
Some find affirmation in social media, relying on ‘likes’ and comments to feel validated. But true hope is in the Word of God and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only then can we bear the infirmities of others, build them up for their good, and follow Christ's example. We must believe in the Scriptures, which reveal who Christ is and lead us to Him as our Saviour and Lord.
A few days ago, in our church history course, we were reminded of what happened before the Reformation. This month, October, is Reformation Month. I pray that we do not forget this. We owe much to the reformers, who restored the Bible to its inspired and preserved state.
Before the 1500s, the world was in spiritual darkness. The Word of God was inaccessible to the common man, written in Latin and kept from private individuals. There were papal bulls declaring that no private person could interpret the Bible. People were blind and in darkness. Bishops themselves, placed in office through simony, could not understand the Scriptures.
Yet, God raised a movement to illuminate the minds of people. The Scholastic movement, followed by the Renaissance, promoted reason and science. Sadly, this has led to modern-day evangelicals embracing science as equal to Scripture, even in interpreting God's Word. Today, many reject the first eleven chapters of Genesis and the miracles of the Bible. This departure is tragic. History shows that one of the first denominations to deny the inerrancy of Scripture and the miracles of Christ was the Presbyterian Church in America.
We thank God for separating us from this error and establishing the Bible Presbyterian Church. I pray our denomination will not fall into similar deception by elevating science over Scripture. We must believe in the Word of God and maintain a high view of its authority. Only then can we have hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us bear the infirmities of others, build them up for their good, be like Christ, and believe in the Scriptures—the Bible, the Word of God.
V. Bring Glory To God
And then Paul continued to describe us here in verses 5 and 6: "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)
What is the purpose of all these things? That we be united, knit together, and love one another as one family. The purpose is that we may, with one mind and one mouth, glorify God. Glorifying God and bringing glory to Him is the chief end of man. This was even the cry of the Reformation: Soli Deo Gloria—to bring glory to God alone. All these principles will bring glory to the Lord, and God will be pleased with us. We will give Him all the praise and adoration.
The God of patience and consolation—the God of endurance and comfort—has given us His Word, full of patience and comfort. This is the God who causes us to persevere and who preserves us until the end. This is the God we should glorify. Let us be encouraged, exhorted, and uplifted in every work we do, even though we are sometimes weighed down by the problems and distresses of those around us. Trust in God, and glorify Him in our lives.
The only way to glorify Him is to be likeminded toward one another according to Christ Jesus. We must have the mind of Christ. Christ Himself came down from heaven to live on this earth, not for Himself but to suffer for us. This was a great sacrifice. Even though He endured excruciating pain on the cross, He did so because He saw the joy set before Him—the joy that all who believe and trust in Jesus Christ shall be with Him. That glorified the Father, and that same mind must also be in us.
We should not be self-seeking or pitying ourselves, saying, ‘Oh, how pitiful am I! I’m the only one bearing this burden.’ Even when others abuse us or add to our burdens, remember what the Lord has done for us. He willingly gave Himself, even His life, for you and me. How can we count what others take from us when we have taken so much from God—His time, His mercy, and even His life? Because of our sins, He suffered and died on the cross. Let us bring glory to the Lord. When we follow these principles, we will truly bring Him glory and exaltation. These were not written because Paul foresaw social media; of course not. But the Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures, knew that we need to be grounded and built up in the faith.
Before the Reformation, there was a man who was a forerunner of the movement, even earlier than John Wycliffe and Jan Hus. He was not a monk, priest, or bishop but a simple merchant burdened by the Lord. Peter Waldo, a Frenchman, saw the ignorance of God’s Word in his community and hungered to know the Scriptures. He sold his possessions and used his resources to translate the Latin Vulgate Bible into the vernacular. This act brought light to the people. They finally understood the promises of God. These followers were known as the Waldensians, or the ‘Poor Men of Lyons.’ They peddled the Bible, teaching wherever they went. Despite heavy persecution—being thrown off cliffs, drowned, hanged, or executed—they continued steadfastly, knowing that Christ bore reproaches for them.
Today, we are robbed of our time and privileges to study God’s Word because of social media. Many young people suffer from anxiety and depression, seeking affirmation and acceptance through platforms that can never fill the void in their hearts. It is only God’s Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, who can provide true hope and peace. We see the tragic results of this emptiness in suicides among students and even professors.
I find myself guilty of being distracted by other ministries and neglecting the young people around me. But God reminded me of this duty when a young man expressed his desire to serve the Lord. This encouraged me to continue reaching out to our youth, who may appear happy but often hide empty hearts. We who are strong must bear the infirmities of the weak and build them up in the faith. Let us strive to glorify God and seek His approval above all else. Let us not see others' burdens as additional weights but as joys, even as Christ bore ours. May the Lord help and bless us as we fulfil this calling. Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven, may You lay upon our hearts the burden for one another—not only for young people but also for adults who need to be attended to. How often, because of our own personal desires, ambitions, and even ministries, we forget those who are in need—crying and weeping inside. We do not know their struggles, but they need one another, and they need us.
We pray, Father, that You will help us to see this and to be part of how You will work in their lives, that they may bring glory unto Thy holy name. Be with us, Lord, as we live another week. Protect us and keep us away from all temptations, falsehoods, conspiracy theories, and distractions in social media. Help us to focus on what is true in Thy Word. Help us to be part of building others’ lives in Thy Word and for Thy glory and honour. We pray and ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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