Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleGlorify God by Oneness
Bible TextRomans 15:5-7
Synopsis Rather than focus on differences, glorify God with one mouth being of one mind—because the way we glorify God is by our oneness. Listen
Date23-Feb-2020
Series Romans 2018
Article Type Sermon Notes
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Glorify God by Oneness (32 kbps)
Audio CD Quality Listen: Glorify God by Oneness (128 kbps)
Length 42 min.
 
Series: Romans 
Title: Glorify God by Oneness 
Text: Rom 15: 5-6 
Date: February 23, 2020 
Place: SGBC, NJ 
  
Our text today gives us God’s name—Romans 15: 5: Now the God of patience and consolation…
 
Then we are told God’s grant—Romans 15: 5…grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 
 
Then we see God’s purpose—Romans 15: 6: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  
Then we hear God’s admonition—Romans 15: 7: Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
  
Divisions: I. GOD’S NAME II. GOD’S GRANT III. GOD’S PURPOSE IV. GOD’S ADMONITION 
  
Proposition: Rather than focus on differences, glorify God with one mouth being of one mind—because the way we glorify God is by our oneness. 
  
Title: Glorify God by Oneness 
  
GOD’S NAME


Romans 15: 5: Now the God of patience and consolation…
  
The God of our salvation is the God of patience.  Spiritual patience comes from the God of patience.  God effectually teaches us patience and works it in us by his grace as a fruit of the Spirit of God.  Patience is produced only in chosen, redeemed, heaven-born sinners.  It is worked in us by God’s grace, by his Gospel, and by his Providence. — “Tribulation worketh patience.”
  
What are some attributes of God that glorify his patience?  
  
God’s omniscience glorifies his patience.  We only know part of men’s thoughts.  We can be patient because we do not know that in the heart men hate us.  But God knows our hearts entirely.  Yet God is patient, longsuffering, forbearing. 
  
God’s power glorifies his patience.  We have to patiently wait because our limited power makes it so we cannot do otherwise.  God has all power to do as he pleases with his own.  Yet, God is still pleased to be patient with his people. 
  
God’s righteousness glorifies his patience.  We would be unjust not to be patient with one another sinners because we are sinners, too.  Yet, God is righteous.  It would be just for God to cease being patient with us.  Yet, in Christ, for Christ’s sake, because God is righteous, he is patient with us.  
  
We could go on and on.  God is everything we are not.  And his very character glorifies his patience.  In fact, God’s grace is such that each of his attributes glorify every other attribute. 
  
Also, the God of our salvation is the God of comfort or consolation.  Spiritual comfort comes only from the God our Father who is the God of consolation.  Our Lord Jesus Christ, his dear Son, is himself “the consolation of Israel”, our Comfort.  God the Holy Spirit is “the Comforter” sent down from heaven to comfort chosen, redeemed sinners. 
  
Brethren, would you grow in patience?  Would you be comforted?  Then flee to the God of patience and comfort.   That is his name, the God of patience and consolation. 
 
GOD’S GRANT

Romans 15: 5: The God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 
  
If are patient and comforting and likeminded toward one another it is because “the God of patience and consolation grant you to be.”  This is true of everything we have received. 
 
James 1: 17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 
 
Sinful flesh cannot produce godly patience nor godly consolation nor godly like mindedness.  Only the God of patience and comfort can grant the gifts of righteousness.  He only does so to those who are his chosen people. 
  
How does God grant patient forbearance and longsuffering?  He does it by the Spirit of God teaching his child how patiently forbearing and longsuffering God has been to us. 
  
Every elect child of God is seen in the prodigal son.  We took everything our Father gave us and lived for ourselves.  But the prodigal’s father watched and waited for his son.  God our Father watched over us and waited for the appointed hour to bring us to ourselves to see our sin then draw us to him.  By patient forbearance and longsuffering God preserved us while we were only God-hating rebels against him 
  
Jude 1:1: Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 
  
Does it seem Jude got it out of order?  You would think it would read sanctified, called and preserved.  No, God the Father sanctified his people when he chose us in Christ.  Then all the days of our rebellion, he patiently, forbearingly preserved us in Jesus Christ.  Then at last, he called us. 
  
Believer think of how much God was offended by our sin and vileness before him while we were dead in sins.  We were “children of wrath even as others.”  In God’s nose, we were a sulfurous stinking abomination.  We actively transgressed against God in Adam.  We willfully sinned against him all the days we walked in ignorance.  Yet God was patient, longsuffering and forbearing with us.  He protected and preserved us every step of the way.  That gives more light to Psalm 37. 
  
Psalm 37: 23: The steps of a good man [good in Christ alone] are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24: Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. 
  
Not only before, but after God called us, he continues to be patient and forbearing with us for Christ’s sake.  We still harden our hearts against him every time we do what we know his word forbids.  We knowingly, willingly sin against him every day.  Yet, God continues to patiently forbear with his chosen children 
  
It was God’s patient forbearance by which our sins were remitted.  He waited patiently until his Son came and put away all the sins of his elect.  Instead of pouring out wrath upon his people, God patiently waited, then God poured out wrath on him in our place.  What was that?  It is called the forbearance of God.

Romans 3: 25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 
  
Brethren, as the apostle Peter said, we must “account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation” (2 Peter 3:15).   Brethren, before the law, Christ has put away all our sins.  But all the sins of our flesh are still open and naked before our heavenly Father?  Yet, he bears with each and every infirmity, heals our backslidings, forgives our iniquities, patiently hears our cries, relieves our burdens, and carries us.  God shall not destroy this word until his longsuffering has saved each and every elect, redeemed sinner. 
  
It is by making us to know God’s patience toward us, the Spirit of God creates the fruit of patience and longsuffering and forbearance in the heart of his saints.  He continually teaches us his patience toward us.  Then he sends a trial.  At first, we are overcome by our flesh.  Therefore, we are impatient with a brother or sister in Christ.  Then the Spirit of God reminds us of the patience of our God toward us.  God speaks in our heart, saying, 
  
Isaiah 46: 3: Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: 4 :And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you
  
So he brings us to say, “If God has been—and still is—so patient and forbearing with me—how can I not be so with my brethren?”  Believer, is God patient with you? Is God longsuffering to you?  Then how we ought to imitate his patience toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, toward unbelievers and rebels, and even toward our enemies.   (2 Cor 4:16; 1 Ti 6:11; 1 Thess 5:14; 1 Ti 3:1-3; 2 Ti 2:24-26).). 
  
Likewise, the God of consolation gives us likemindedness by making us comforters, by coming in the Holy Spirit and giving us comfort.  Comfort begins in us by the Holy Spirit convicting us in our hearts.  Have you noticed that in John 16? 
  
John 16: 7: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8: And when he is come, [how will he begin to comfort] he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9: Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10: Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 
  
The Spirit of God teaches us our sins then comforts by showing us how Christ put them all away.  He makes us know we are all unrighteousness then comforts by showing us Christ is our Righteousness.  The Holy Spirit shows us we must stand before the judgment seat of God then comforts us that our judgment has been settled in Christ on the cross. 
  
The Spirit of God must continue to do this for a believer all our days.  Often, we start thinking too highly of ourselves.  We begin to think of how much we have done for a brother and how little a brother has done for us.  It may be true.  But it is always our sinful flesh overcoming us when we begin to think like that.   We feel sorry for ourselves.  Then we become impatient.  Then rather than comfort, we want to hurt.  We have to be reminded that we are nothing but sinners.  The worst of sinners.  We have to be reminded that Christ is our Righteousness and our only Judge.  He is my brother’s judge, not I.  Then God must comfort us by turning us to Christ our Consolation.   We will not know why God is the God of all comfort and we will not know how to comfort our hurting brethren except God does this work in our hearts and in providence. 
  
It is through this work that God makes us likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.  He makes us likeminded that we are nothing and Christ is all.  Likeminded in patience, longsuffering, and forgiveness toward one another.  Likeminded in being a  source of comfort to one another.
  
Notice, this likemindedness is according to Christ Jesus.  It means at least three things. 
  
One, Christ is the reason God grants patience and comfort and likemindedness to his people.  According to the blood of Christ, God can grant gifts to his people justly, making his mercy abound. 
  
Two, Christ is also our perfection of patience, comfort and like mindedness.  God’s saints are complete in Christ.  We are not looking for acceptance by our patience or ability to comfort. The GodMan is he alone whose patience and comfort and likemindedness was perfect.  Christ is the believer’s Righteousness in all things. 
  
Three, Christ is our example of patience, comfort and likemindedness.  We have no better example to follow than Christ who said that he came to do, not his own will, but the will of his Father that sent Him (Joh_6:38).  There is no better example to follow in all things.  We must behold 
  
Brethren, everything is right when it is according to Christ.  Let us be patient and comfort one another and be likeminded according to Christ Jesus. Everything in life or death shall be well with my soul when it is according to Christ.
  
GOD’S PURPOSE
 
Romans 15: 6: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  
This is God’s purpose: that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is glorified when we are one in faith in his dear Son.  He is glorified when we are united in his Son.  God is glorified when we seek to help and comfort one another, in patience and love and mercy.  God our Father is glorified because he worked it in us and we give him all the glory.  And the Father is glorified because it glorifies his Son.
  
Believer, that should be reason and constraint for us be of one mind with our brethren.  God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ sent his only Son into this divided world and through Christ’s precious blood he has made all God’s elect one in him.  In the end, in Christ, all God’s elect shall be one—"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things [his people] in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” (Eph 1:10)  Seeing that we are inseparably one in Christ, let us be one toward one another.  Life is too short to be otherwise! 
 
GOD’S ADMONITION
 
Romans 15: 7: Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
  
What a way to give this admonition!  How did Christ receive us?  When we were weak and guilty.  He received us freely and heartily.  Christ received us into fellowship with him, as joint heirs with him. 
  
That is how we should receive one another.  We should patiently, forbear, overlooking all weaknesses and infirmities and differences of opinion.  We should receive one another freely with our whole heart.  We should receive one another into fellowship, as heirs together of the grace of God. 
  
Remember the context.  These brethren differed as to meats and days.  Paul said receive one another as Christ received you, without doubting, and be silent on those things wherein you differ—with one mind and one mouth glorify God instead. 
  
Brethren let us not speak on things wherein we differ.  Doing so we will dishonor God by division.   Instead, speak on things wherein we agree which are the necessary things that glorify our triune God in Christ for our salvation.  That promotes peace and unity in Christ.  Doing so we “Glorify God by Oneness.” 
  
Amen!