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In Romans Chapters 16 we have been reading about people - we have this list of names of people - and how Paul appreciated people who had served Jesus Christ - how he noticed what they had done - and sometimes the degree of intensity and hardship and suffering which their faithfulness had brought upon them. Blessing and hardship and suffering.

People who had served him - people who had helped others - people who had been in prison alongside Paul verse 7 - someone he had brought to faith in Christ - people who had come to faith in Jesus Christ even before he did – verse 7 .

He noticed important details about individual disciples.

Paul was a man who was grateful for what people did with the gifts which they had received from God.

Mary working to the point of exhaustion – verse 6 .

Here is the love of Jesus Christ being expressed in a most beautiful way - and it is intermingled with the central truths of The Christian Faith - these things were not separated - Paul did not divide things into compartments in the same way as we tend to do.

He knew that if he ever managed to arrive in Rome there would be many friends waiting to welcome him.

After all he has written it is as though - when he comes to verse 17 here - he remembers something important which he hasn’t said - and which so needs to be said to the believers in Rome. And he sounds this warning.

There are some people who when they get in among you divide and disturb. They are offensive - they cause offence - and sometimes they cause dissension and division - and that can be very painful and upsetting.

Paul says - Take a note of them - note who they are - and avoid them. Don’t turn them out - don’t turn on them - just turn away. Excellent advice! Don’t get too involved - and don’t waste your time and energy on what is unprofitable. Just turn away - give such the silent treatment. Normally you know that no matter what you might do or say you will get nowhere with certain people.

Paul speaks about those who will deceive and divide - you will know who they are because they will seek to teach other than what you have been taught by the apostles.

This is why it is so important to know what you should believe - who you should believe - and what and who you should avoid when it comes to believing things. It is not always easy - but it is part of our spiritual responsibility as mature disciples of Jesus.

This is one of the rewards of making a systematic study of The Word of God - you end up covering all sorts of topics and subjects at times - and - people know if certain topics are avoided and skipped over and missed out.

When you consider some of the topics we have covered over these past weeks and months - none of that would have been achieved if we had just taken verses here and there and jumped all over the place - or even worse - given opinions on certain serious issues and vital matters of the faith.

Sometimes we have to face up to the harder and more difficult passages with which we are confronted in The Bible. And yet at the same time it is good to remember certain appropriate verses - where Paul says - “I am not ashamed of The Gospel”. We may need that at certain seasons as a constant reminder.

People who seek to cause dissension and division are NOT serving our Lord Jesus Christ. They are concerned about serving their own selfish interests. And note how they do it - by smooth words and flattery. Don’t be so naive as to be taken in.

Now these people in Rome were grounded in Christ. Their faith was founded upon solid rock. They had good teaching. They were being encouraged to face up to some very real problems and to accept receive and welcome one another - yet Paul was aware that it was possible for them to be attacked and flattered - taken in and divided.

We can easily be deceived by such flatterers - who come up to us and say - “You are special - if you just do this - and do that - you will be really blessed.” And before you know it something makes you question The Word of God.

Again, this is where being rooted and grounded in The Word of God is so vital - if a person is not sure what to hear and what to believe - and what to reject and avoid - it can be very easy to be led astray. This is why we need a spirit of discernment - you just know something is not quite right - that it is wrong.

Verse 19 – Everyone has heard about your OBEDIENCE. Obedience to whom? These Roman disciples had been obedient to men of God who had preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ and taught them the implications in a day when there was no written authoritative Word.

These believers were not obeying a physical Jesus. They were obeying the pastors and elders and teachers whom the Risen Jesus had sent. At least today we have the Bible to check what is being preached and taught.

This is an area of The Christian Life, which can cause so much tension and trouble.

I want you to be wise about things that are good - and I want you to be innocent about things that are evil. As far as good things go - know all you can. As far as sin goes, leave it well alone and have nothing to do with it - don’t be curious - don’t want to see what certain things are like - don’t want an experience of what God says in His Word is not good for you.

It is wise not to be too wide in your tastes - and it is also wise not to be too tolerant.

Yes - Paul does give a rather stern warning - perhaps this is why some people didn’t like Paul. Because he was a man of God who was prepared to say “NO”.

God will deal with these problems you have shortly - but look at how he says it!

GRACE be with you.

There are further greetings - from Timothy - his beloved young colleague in The Gospel - converted - trained - set apart for ministry. These people had been with Paul.

Verse 22 – Tertius inserts a brief private personal greeting - and this becomes part of The Word of God. What a task he had - writing all this down as Paul spoke it out. What a responsibility.

Verse 23 . Gaius. Erastus. An official in the city - sends you greetings.

It is as if Paul doesn’t want to close - he points to God - what God can do - what had been hidden is now revealed. And the purpose - this is all given so that people might believe and obey Him. It is not for anything else.

Verse 27 – We gather to give glory to God - that is one very important reason for our meeting together to Worship. Yes, other things happen when we come together in times of Praise and Worship - but one important aspect is that we as servants of Jesus Christ give glory to God.

“Lord God Almighty – our loving heavenly Father – we worship You and praise You and give thanks – help us when we come together to focus upon what is important – to bow our hearts in Your presence – to hear the Word of God read and preached and taught – so that we might be fed and instructed and inspired – and reassured that we are forgiven – hear us when we pray – in Jesus Name. Amen.”

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

The Saints Who Slept