Church: A Place for Encouragement and Hope (Romans 15)

I love the last chapters of the book of Romans since these chapters offer to us a glimpse of the kind of person apostle Paul was. Frequently, I imagine Paul as a really approachable, humble and friendly person. Someone that is always looking for opportunities to present the Gospel of Jesus in a relational way. The last chapters of Romans teach us that the Gospel is 100% relational. It is something that we ought not to only enjoy but share with others.

In the first 13 verses of Romans 15 Paul continues explaining how Christians should treat each other. In these verses, Paul explains to us the importance of helping each other bearing our burdens, the vitality of a church where we seek in every moment the opportunity to build each other up. The key to this, explains Paul, is Christ himself. He gave us the model that we should follow, never pleasing himself but looking to please always the Father and those He gave Him.

I believe this kind of behavior is something rare in today’s society where it seems that everyone is submerged into an individualistic and self-centered lifestyle. But we the Church are just different. I believe that in this time and season the most relevant and significant mark of the church would be not its prosperity, or facility, or cultural popularity but the unity and sense of community of those who form it. The Church is a body, not an institution, a people and not a business modeled structure. The Church is the place where God decided to put us.

As we read Romans we realize the importance of the Church. And we are called to be an active part of it loving and sharing our lives with others. Romans 15 shows us that it is in his Church where Jesus poured out the encouragement and endurance we need to have hope and be resilient against the constants attacks of this world and the enemy. Take a moment to thank God for his Church and rejoice with other believers in what God is doing and will do with us.