In the first study with the title "Being of One Accord", I had pointed out the various scriptures in the New Testament in which the Greek word homothumadon, "being of one accord" or "being likeminded", is used. From these passages it became clear that the early church in the beginning was very much of one mind in accordance with the will and plan of God and how subsequently many evidences of God's great grace were seen in a very dynamic church life. Later however, as some remarks by the apostle Paul in his last epistles show, the church deviated unfortunately from this likemindedness and being of one accord, and more and more envy, jealousy, hatred and other such undesirable characteristics became evident which finally led to divisions within the church and which finally caused its ruin.
God's will for us as Christians is that which was lived and manifested in the early days by the believers in the church and that which we can read in the book of Acts as well as a remarkable section in the epistle of Paul to the believers at Rome.
Romans 15 shows some of the life-style which God expects of us as His children. He has saved us by grace and has shown us great mercy when He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world and gave him so that all who believe in him may not perish but have everlasting life as children of God (cp. John 3:16,17). God has called us to be His children, and we are to walk worthy of this calling (cp. Ephesians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:11).
Part of this calling is that we have been set by God as members to be parts of one body, and He has done so as it pleased Him (cp. 1 Corinthians 12:18). We all have part in and have a function in this one body, and we are members one of another and thus connected. An essential part of a successful walk in the church of the body is that the different members have care for one another and work together in unity and with one mind. The opposite, to "bite and devour" one another, only leads to "being consumed of one another" (cp. Galatians 5:15).
How the members of the one body are to live and care for one another is set forth for us by the apostle Paul in Romans 15.
Romans 15:1–3:
We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
At first the word of God is addressing those "that are strong", who are those who have perhaps been Christians already for some time, who already have a bit more knowledge of God in their lives and who have brought forth a bit more fruit of the spirit in their lives – than is perhaps the case with a Christian who just recently has come to the faith in Christ. The walk of a strong one is supposed to show forth what God expects of His children. Now, what is included in such a walk?
First thing mentioned: We are to bear the infirmities of the weak! And yet, how often is this not done within the church and instead those who are strong even make jokes about the infirmities of the weak, or are using such to (albeit only seemingly, but not really) gain an advantage over them. This is not how it ought to be in the church. The strong are to bear the infirmities of the weak, they are to take on such "burdens" and in that manner help those who are weak.
If we are conducting ourselves in that manner, we will have little problem to want to please ourselves. Since our eyes will be focused on the others we are in a position to please our neighbour for good to edification! A real important part of a proper walk as a Christian is that we do not concentrate in an egotistical manner on ourselves, that we do not live to please ourselves. The opposite should be seen in our lives. We should live to please our neighbour, we should live to bring good and edification to him.
In that we are to follow the example set for us by our lord Jesus Christ who lived this way. He took that upon himself which we actually had deserved and which we should have taken upon ourselves, and he finally gave his life so that we could have life through him
Jesus found his fulfillment in living for God and for others. So it will be in our lives as well. If we only look on ourselves, if we live only to please ourselves, to satisfy our needs, we will never be really satisfied and fulfilled in our lives. But if we live to please God by following the example of our lord Jesus Christ and as we help others, as we are interested in the well-being of others, our lives will begin to shine and we will begin to radiate more and more as we reflect the divine glory.
Jesus Christ is our example in all things. When we feel humbled, we should think of how he was humbled! When we want to give up and throw down everything, we should think of him and how he became obedient and never gave up. The reproaches which he endured did not come on him because he had deserved to be treated that way. No, he endured them because he loved God and wanted to please God. Christ subdued any feelings of self-importance, of self- preservation, righteousness or unrighteousness, personal rights, personal desires or personal comfort, and instead took our reproach upon himself. Since he has done that for us, who are we to then not follow his example and to live in a manner which would be pleasing to God and serve to bring praise and honour to God?
Romans 15:4:
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
The necessary hope for a life as a disciple and follower of Christ we can have through the patience and comfort which the Scripture gives us. In the Scriptures God has revealed Himself, in it He has given us examples of men who lived according to His will. The Scriptures proclaim what is necessary for a life in godliness. The Scriptures help us to have patience and to have comfort or encouragement, which makes possible for our hearts to have hope.
The Scriptures give us patience and comfort because it is the inspired Word of God, and because God is the God of patience and comfort.
Romans 15:5:
Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
God is also the God of hope, and He is called this in the Scriptures as well.
Romans 15:13:
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
These two verses declare that it is God who gives the church that the believers can be and may be likeminded toward another. He grants the church patience and comfort and hope via the Scriptures. He fills the believers with joy and peace in believing via the power of the gift of His holy spirit.
The measure for faith and of being likeminded toward one another in our lives as Christians is Jesus Christ. Just as the verses in the beginning of this chapter already showed, so do these verses continue: Jesus Christ is our example, his mind and thinking is the measure for becoming likeminded among the believers in the church.
Likemindedness among each other is not achieved by having the same knowledge or the same understanding – such a situation where we all would have the same knowledge and the same understanding will not happen until the return of Christ when we all will know in the same way. But until then our knowledge and our understanding will always be different and remain different! How then can likemindedness be manifested among us?
Verse 5 contains the answer to this question: By God giving us to be likeminded toward one another. How does this happen? By us being obedient to what is requested of us here and by bearing the infirmities of the weak. By us following the example of Christ and not living to please ourselves but rather to please God, by us endeavoring to live to please our neighbour. By us receiving patience and comfort and hope from the Scriptures.
To be likeminded toward one another does obviously not mean that all must absolutely believe and think the very same thing as we each do. To be likeminded means rather that we all are of one mind regarding the goal and aim and purpose we have – which is in our case nothing else but to PRAISE GOD AND GLORIFY HIM IN ALL THINGS!"
Romans 15:6:
That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here we are told the great purpose for being likeminded toward one another: We are to glorify God with one mouth! Our lives are to be to the glory of God. We are to live to please HIM, we are not anymore our own and we are to praise Him with our bodies (cp. Romans 6:10,11; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20).
The early church did live like that in the beginning and they were pursuing this and followed Christ's example with one mind. However, later on they deviated from this way of life, and divisions resulted and finally nothing much remained and the church was basically in ruin. We should take to heart what we read here in Romans 15 and we should endeavour to not look on ourselves in an egotistical manner which will only produce more envy and strife amongst each other and which will definitely not serve to further unity and praising God.
Some valuable further instructions is given to us in the next verses which continue to encourage us to praise God with one mind.
Romans 15:7:
Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
We are to receive others with open arms, we are to welcome each other in kindness as is expressed by the word "receive". And such receiving is to be to the glory of God! To THE GLORY OF GOD!
Next time we are tempted to perhaps deny another, or to talk bad about another, or to divide and separate ourselves from other believers, we ought to stop for a moment and seriously consider that by doing so we would be going against God's main purpose which would be: To praise God with one mouth! Instead of separating from each other we really ought to do our utmost to receive one another to the glory of God! Christ received us when we certainly were not very lovable, and yet he did it to the glory of God!
Romans 15:8 and 9:
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
Jesus Christ was a minister to the Jews (the circumcision), but he also achieved that now the Gentiles might glorify God, they are to glorify Him for His great mercy which God has extended to them. The Gentiles as well can now become members of this one body of the church and have part or share and glorify and praise God together with Israel.
Romans 15:10 and 11:
And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
We should really be likeminded among each other in order to glorify God with one mouth. We are to receive one another to the glory of God. Jesus Christ made it possible for the Gentiles to glorify God, and God wants that all people laud Him and glorify and praise Him!
What might be emphasized here in these verses? What appears to be the main concern or the main point?
Do we want to live in our church as the early church did in the beginning and be likeminded, be of one mind, be of one accord and care for one another so that we all may glorify God with one mouth? Or do we want to give in to egotistical desires and live as the church lived toward the later part of the first century and have many divisions, much envy and jealousy and strife and hatred?
Our answer to these questions is related to the emphasis we each give to praising and glorifying God in our lives. Are we interested in glorifying God and in praising Him? If so, we will live so He can give us to be likeminded among each other so that we then can glorify and praise Him with one mouth!