Romans 15:7-13: "God's Plan of Redemption"

This section will close the main theological section of Romans. In it Paul will conclude his section on the unity of the church. He points out another motivation for the unity in which we should seek, that is the rejoicing together of the saints in God's sovereign plan of redemption. Paul begins, "accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God". Interestingly, if you look back to the previous 2 verses, Paul had mentioned that we should accept one another as Christ has accepted us, and to lift up with one voice glory to God. "This verse summarizes the previous two", MacArthur points out. If I think back through my life and think of all the things I have done in disobedience to God, of the infinite amount of times I have done the wrong thing, and yet, by the blood of Christ, am fully accepted and loved by God, what more should motivate me than that to accept others. When Christians gather together there should be a sense of unity merely on the basis that all of us have come together for one common bond and that is to praise and thank God for saving and redeeming us from what we were. This is at the heart of our fellowshipping together. How sad must God be when there is arguing, favoritism, and even prejudice occurring within the church? We must constantly be mindful of the fact that God has accepted us despite knowing every sin we have ever committed. Is there anything a brother or sister has done that is worse? Therefore, we must go out of our way to accept them regardless of what they have done to us. However, it goes far beyond merely accepting them, rather, it "carries the meaning of receiving something or someone to oneself with special concern", says MacArthur. It is with this care and concern, based on the love of Christ shown to us, that we work together as the body of Christ. We can also grab from this section that God is glorified in His divine plan of redemption. As Paul will show us later in this section, God had a perfect plan of redemption for both Jew and Gentile and "Christ also accepted us to the glory of God". God was glorified in His accepting sinful humans. MacArthur writes, "Therefore,, when we follow our Lord's example in receiving each other in love and without judgment or condescension, we do so as He did, to the glory of God".

Paul will now back up his main point with biblical illustrations. He begins, "For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers". Again, using Christ as the example, Paul wants to show us that it has been His plan from the beginning to include both Jews and Gentiles in unity. MacArthur writes, "God the Son became incarnate as a Jew to fulfill and to verify God's Word. Although He came to bring a new covenant, He did not come 'to abolish the Law or the Prophets . . . but to fulfill' them (Matt. 5:17). He fulfilled the law by keeping it perfectly. He fulfilled the law in every other possible way, and Paul's point here is that Christ came to verify the whole revealed truth of God. He came to save sinful man and to bring glory to His Father by fulfilling His Father's promises in both 'the Law [and] the Prophets'". So Paul has established that God fulfilled the promises He made to the Jews to bring about salvation to them, he now moves to the Gentiles. "and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy". Therefore, to the Jews He brought about salvation through His promises and fulfillment of truth, He then turned to the Gentiles and poured out His mercy and grace to show them salvation as well. Paul quotes David in Psalm 18:49, "as it is written, 'Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Thy name'". Paul is showing that the Gentiles salvation was not an afterthought and they should glory in the salvation which they have received in the New Covenant just as David had written about. Paul brings up another quote from the Old Testament from Duet. 32:43, "again he says, 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people". Both Jew and Gentile alike has been brought together for the common bond of the gospel. We can see this in God's perfect divine plan from the very beginning fleshing itself out through the scriptures. Paul again quotes from the OT from Ps. 117:1, "Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him" and again from Isa 11:10, "There shall come the root of Jesse, and He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles hope". MacArthur writes, "The Messiah, who comes from the root of Jesse, the father of David, not only will rule over His ancient people Israel but also over the Gentiles, and in Him shall the Gentiles hope, just as the Jews". Looking back at the main purpose of this section which is unity among the brethren because of God's plan of redemption for us all. We can look back and see the hand of God on all redemptive history as He reached out to the Jews and called them that they might in turn reach out to the Gentiles, and the Gentiles in turn be grateful for the Jews as God used them to bring them into the kingdom. Understanding God's perfect plan of redemption helps us to understand that we had no inherent goodness or special quality that made us deserve it and therefore, we should rejoice along side our brothers and sisters for the mercy God has shown to all of us, rather, than causing factions and acting superior to one another.

Lastly, Paul closes off this section with a prayer for all God's children, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". Paul always brings everything back full circle. He began this section on living in unity through the power of the Holy Spirit and rejoicing in all that has been provided for us in Christ. He closes this section with a petition for the unified body of Christ to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and rejoice in the hope we have. In doing so, it should make it natural that we would all get along together.