Paul is about to lay down the pen to the most famous of letters ever written.

His powerful, God-inspired words will forever influence the theology of human hearts. His hard words have inspired and challenged the church for thousands of years.

Through Paul, God has clearly explained the only way dead men miraculously find eternal life through His Son, the perfect Lamb, and how to live as more than conquerors with minds renewed daily by the truth.

As Paul is ending his famous letter, he takes time to send final greetings to those, he often calls “beloved”, those who labor with him for the Lord. He calls out many women in that list and it will be, a woman, named Phoebe, who will be chosen to carry the letter to the church in Rome.

But he isn’t quite ready to lay down the pen and hand her the letter that is the book of Romans.

He has one more important warning.

I wonder did God have Paul place these words where he did, right there at the end, so we wouldn’t miss them?

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” (Rom 16:17-18)

In our world today, we quickly condemn those, who speak truth, calling them unloving and judgmental, while we flock to those who seek to deceive us.

Paul tells us they deceive with their “smooth talk and flattery”. (v 18)

Paul is warning us, that those people, those speakers, those preachers, our “friends”, who never speak hard truth aren’t for us or for God. They are for themselves, and they deceive the hearts of the naive.

In essence, he is telling us those who truly love us will tell us the truth.

They will call good things “good” and bad things “bad” in our lives because they love God and they love us.

Those who won’t tell us the truth will deceive us into to thinking they love us when, really, they only love themselves.

Paul says “avoid them.” (v 17).

For us today, this means things like: Don’t read their books or follow them on social media. Don’t go to them for your counsel.

Avoid them.

And don’t push away those who speak truth based on God’s Word.

Our easily-offended, politically-correct, world sure does.

And because of that, many are deceived just like Paul said they would be.

They are not “wise to what is good or innocent as to what is evil” (v. 19)

Oh friend, we don’t need smooth talk and flattery. We need truth! Seek out those who will speak biblical truth into your life and lovingly speak it into theirs.

And as you do, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (v 20).

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Rom 16:25-27)

What a letter! What a God!!

readRomans

speaktruth

kimjaggers.com

(This is from my study of Romans several years ago. I’m praying about which book of the Bible to study next. I covet your prayers)