Collaboration

Paul concludes the book of Romans by thanking his friends, but when you look closely and study it enough, you realize that these people he thanks are the ones he collaborated with, the ones he worked and served with.

Each of us are impacted differently by the ones we know, the ones we work with and the ones we love. Every single person has a different purpose in your life, to support, to encourage, they have a place in your life. At the same time, not everyone in your life is the perfect happy person you may want them to be. You will meet people who are not for you, deceivers, betrayers, and backstabbers, and God will prune these people from you, but you yourself have to be willing to give them up. There are those who will place obstacles for you, that may cause you to stumble, and we must be on watch for these types of people (v.17).

Again, being reminded and thankful of the people we have in our lives, especially in a community of believers, always brings us back to the idea of fellowship. The fact that all the people that were listed were people he worked with says that there is much more to fellowship than just the simple hug and chat one may have every week or so. Fellowship can truly grow, and bonds can be strengthened through ministry and through service, just as Paul has hinted at through the entire book, by evangelism and edification. At the same time, those who are bringing you down and are stumbling blocks in your life could easily be the reason for a broken fellowship. When there is conflict, and Christ isn't the centre of both parties.

Now that the entire book of Romans has been gone through, and we've seen the reason we need salvation, we know how to get it, we know the cost that comes with it; the discipleship and commitment, and finally now all the many practical applications Paul has spoken about, the question is asked, will you obey? You have heard it, but will you listen?

on a side note, if anyone was curious, THIS was my supplementary text.

verse of the day: Romans 16:19-20

¹⁹ For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. ²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.