Romans 15:5-6 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement allow you to live in harmony with one another, according to the command of Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
We've just gone through a number of verses from Romans 12 about the characteristics of Christian living, a lot of it revolved around "harmony" (12:16). For today's verse we'll skip ahead to chapter 15 as Paul once again touches on this subject of harmony.
Reading the passage from The Message gives a good picture of what this "harmony" looks like. It is far more that "just getting along". It is being involved, deeply involved in one another's lives. There is deep concern, sympathy and understanding. Their is encouragement and comfort. It is "wading in" to the waters and helping out, not standing on the sidelines or the riverbank as it were. If we as a church would live more like this we would show a united mind and voice to the community and glorify God.
In closing his second letter to the church in Corinth Paul writes to them and to us with these thoughts in mind: "Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV
May that be our goal today to "aim for restoration".
Romans 15:3-6
The Message (MSG)
3-6 That's exactly what Jesus did.He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
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