Romans 16 The Grace of our Lord Jesus be With You

 

Romans 16

The Grace of our Lord Jesus be With You

Grace is to be a two-way street

How sad it is when favor is only traveling one way

When the Giver of grace receives no appreciation

But that is not the case of the Roman believers

They looked on the Lord Jesus Christ with great favor

You see them smiling in the presence and work of the Lord

There is a battle with the devil

 Sometimes you go to bed discouraged with the evil around you

But when you know you have done all to stand

In right relationship with God and others, you can rest in peace, because

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Romans 16:20

Because God’s grace is with our spirit

Things on the outside doesn’t stop the joy on the inside

Grace is like the sun, it is always shining

Night may come upon us and clouds may try to separate us

From its refreshing light, but the sun is still there

Repentance will break through the clouds

Patience will get us through the night

Knowing God’s Grace is upon us gives us peace in all circumstances

I hope you are enjoying the Grace of God

And your desire is to see

All your friends and family also walk in the fullness of His Grace

 

 

The Grace of our Lord Jesus be With You

 

Grace is one of those common

words in the Christian faith.

 

I grew up in the church where

grace was defined as unmerited favor.

 

That God’s grace…

 

His favor for you and everyone else who-

ever lived has God’s grace on their lives.

 

When you look at the cross and

see Christ’s love for the world played out

by taking on our sin in a sacrificial death…

 

 You have to say that is unmerited grace.

 

So, what does that mean?

 

Are we all now saved and we can continue

to sin because grace abounds?

 

God forbid.

 

God has revealed an amazing grace…

 

That opens the door to everyone.

 

But just because the door is open

does not mean you and I live

in His favor or grace.

 

God does not look favorably on disobedience.

 

Because of His grace…

 

 He is merciful.

 

It is grace and mercy that gives

us the opportunity to repent.

 

It is our repentance and doing His will

that causes grace to grow in our lives.

 

The grace of the cross opens the door

for more grace as we enter into His presences

through acts of obedience.

 

So, what does it mean when we

read at least six times in the Bible…

       

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

 

These are words of desire.

 

 You can’t help but to see Paul wanting

something for the believers to have…

 

Something, obtainable.

 

Meaning the grace of Jesus

is not something everyone has.

 

Paul’s desire is the greatest desire

you and I can want for someone…

 

Wanting them to experience

God’s full satisfaction…

 

God’s delight with them.

 

So how do we get God’s

satisfaction and delight?

 

If we back up a few verses in Romans 16…

 

 I think Paul already sees they are living

in a way that pleases God

and causes His grace to grow in their lives.

 

Everyone has heard about your obedience,

so I am full of joy over you;

 but I want you to be wise about what is good,

and innocent about what is evil.

Romans 16:19

 

Obedience…

 

 Wise in doing good and innocent in what is evil.

 

These three things increase God’s grace in our lives.

 

In  2 Corinthians 13:14,

Paul adds to his desire for believer…

 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

 and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

 

Grace, Love, and Fellowship

 

In Galatians 6:18 and Philippians 4:23, Paul says… 

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

 

There is a wonderful feeling inside of us

when we know we have been pleasing to God.

 

You see grace is a two-way street.

 

How sad it is when favor is only traveling one way.

 

 When the Giver of grace receives no appreciation.

 

But that is not the case of the Roman believers…

 

They looked on the Lord Jesus Christ with great favor.

 

You see them smiling in the

presence and work of the Lord.

 

There is a battle with the devil.

 

 Sometimes you go to bed discouraged

with the evil around you…

 

 But when you know you have done all to

stand in right relationship with God and others…

 

 You can rest in peace, because….

 

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Romans 16:20

 

Because God’s grace is with our spirit…

 

 Things on the outside doesn’t stop the joy on the inside.

 

Grace is like the sun, it is always shining.

 

Night may come upon us and

clouds may try to separate us

from its refreshing light…

 

 But the sun is still there.

 

Repentance will break through the clouds.

 

And patience will get us through the night.

And knowing God’s grace is upon us

gives us peace in all circumstances.

 

I hope you are enjoying the grace of God.

 

And your desire is to see all your friends and family

also walk in the fullness of His grace.

 

So, for you I pray…

 

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

 

  

Scripture Reading

 

Romans 16:20 NIV

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

 

Romans 15:33
The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

1 Corinthians 16:23
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Galatians 6:18
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Philippians 4:23
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Romans 12 Grace to Speak to Others

 

Romans 12

Grace to Speak to Others

Be very careful and read slowly Romans 12:3

If you are like me, you never gave any thought to the first 13 words

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:

Your grace is God’s favor to help others

Remember Jesus’ words

The greatest among you will be your servant. Matthew 23:11

You like Paul have the grace of God to speak to others

Know that grace is distributed for you in a particular area

Never is your grace to speak to others the right to look down, but to lift others up

So, the grace you have is not to make you proud and conceited

Be willing to associate with those who

You think might be of lower position than you

Who knows there may be a day you may need the grace and faith they possess  

 

 

Grace to Speak to Others

 

Be very careful and read slowly Romans 12:3.

 

If you are like me…

 

You never gave any thought to the first 13 words.

 

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you

 

Paul recognizes there are limits

on what he says to others.

 

The limitations are bound by

God’s grace on Him to speak.

 

He does not see the grace to give

someone else a piece of his mind.

 

He does not feel the liberty to

freely give his own opinion.

 

Paul recognizes God has given

him favor to speak to others.

 

That grace or favor is measurable.

 

You and I may not have the same measure

to speak to others as some do.

 

Those of us who love to talk…

 

 Should consider that there may be others with

more grace from God to speak than we do.

 

You may be the quiet type…

 

 But the grace on you may mean you should speak.

 

There is a pressure on Pastors to speak

thinking we should always have an answer.

 

But there have been many times

I have tried to share with others and

some unexpected person shared a few

words and I was profoundly amazed.

 

The words following Paul’s grace to speak

are addressed to the listeners…

 

 But highlight the operation of grace to the one speaking.

 

I think Paul realized as he said…

 

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,

but rather think of yourself with sober judgment,

in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you    

 

He had taken inventory of himself

before writing these words.

 

God’s grace to speak starts with our humility.

 

No matter what level of maturity

or knowledge you have…

 

 Be careful of how you think of yourself.

 

It is a good thing to take a sobering look at yourself

 before you speak to others.

 

In that sobering look…

 

 You may find you have been guilty of the things

you want or need to share with others.

 

That judgment of yourself may be

the very thing that others need to see.

 

To see you understand the difficulties because

you have been there and seen God’s grace help you.

 

When we get real with others,

we get down under them as a servant not as a lord.

 

 Paul recognized we are all at a different place in our faith.

 

We should never lord over someone else’s faith.

 

Romans 14 is a beautiful picture of people

with weak faith and mature faith…

 

And how we are not to judge and become

a stumbling block to the faith of others.

 

2 Corinthians 1:24 and 1 Peter 5:3 tell us…

 

Not to lord over the faith of others.

 

We should also recognize there are differences in our faith

because of God’s placement, callings and function.

 

If your calling and grace is to be a teacher

you will see detail that others don’t see.

 

It is not your job to criticize,

but to help point out the details.

 

If your calling is to heal the sick,

it is because you have experienced and

have understanding of God’s Word relating to healing.

 

It is not your job to rebuke those who are sick and fearful

but to sympathize with them and help the sick

see God’s provision of healing.

 

Paul understood the grace of

God on him to speak to others.

 

He saw that no matter where he was at in his faith

it was proportionary to God’s distribution.

 

We are different by God’s design.

 

There is a grace on you to do certain things,

it is God’s distribution of faith.

 

God does not want us to think we can do it all…

 

He wants us to be specialized in what we do.

 

You will find faith to do these things.

   

Like doctors, a dentist has faith

to help you with your teeth

where an Oncologist will have

faith to help you with cancer.

 

Paul says…

 

Live in harmony with one another.

Do not be proud,

but be willing to associate with people of low position^]

Do not be conceited.  

Romans 12:16

 

Know the grace that is on you…

 

Focus on serving according to that grace.

Grow in your faith in God.

 

Also realize your faith or confidence

is to grow in the area and

place God has for you to serve.

 

All of us have meet people

who make you feel they are better

than you because of their title.

 

This is sad in the world,

as well, as in the Body of Christ.

 

Your grace is God’s favor to help others.

 

Remember Jesus’ words…

 

The greatest among you will be your servant.

Matthew 23:11

 

You, like Paul, have the

grace of God to speak to others.

 

Know that grace is distributed

for you in a particular area.

 

Never is your grace to speak to others,

the right to look down, but to lift others up.

 

So, the grace you have is not

to make you proud and conceited.

 

Be willing to associate with those who you think

might be of lower position than you.

 

Who knows there may be a day you may

need the grace and faith they possess.

   

 

 Scripture Reading

 

Romans 12:3-8

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.