Read: Romans 16:17-23
17 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. 18 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. 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. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.
What do you call it when you want to physically turn your brain off at the end of the day? Because if you have to decide one more thing, solve one more problem, make one more spreadsheet, break up one more fight, or pick one more toothpaste out of the hundreds of options in front of you, you are convinced your brain will literally shut down or blow up. Whatever that is called is what I have. Do you feel the same way?
For this reason, when I read a passage that starts with “I appeal to you, to watch out,” I often find myself reacting with a heart that asks the Lord to please not add to my to-do list. So how do I change my heart from saying, “I can’t add one more thing to be aware of, one more thing I have to make decisions about, or one more thing that will wear me out mentally and emotionally,” to “Lord I trust you to give me the strength to do what you ask and to even find joy in the work”?
The truth is that Paul is calling us to a task of active observation and awareness of the world around us. This activity can cause stress, discouragement, heartache, and/or confusion as you try to understand why someone you know is seeking to harm the body of Christ and using the Scriptures for their personal gain. It leads me to wonder what Paul observed around him that prompted him to write the things he has over the last few chapters. There is comfort in knowing what I may face isn’t new to the life of a believer.
But back to my question: How do I not feel beaten down by the need to be alert and to watch out? How do I not become cynical and think people aren’t to be trusted? Surely this isn’t the life of a believer that Christ died for. Surely this isn’t the hope that Paul talks about earlier in his letter, and it certainly can’t be the solution when we are also told to outdo one another with brotherly love.
The life, mind, and heart of a believer can seem overly complicated, especially if you run down rabbit trails of questions like me. But at its core, it is simple. I think that is what Paul is leading us towards in verse 19: “But everyone knows you are obedient to the Lord. Be wise in doing right, and stay innocent of doing wrong” (my paraphrase of the NLT version). When we hold tight to the goodness of the teachings of the Lord, we remain obedient to His words, and we find that He gives us the wisdom to do what is right. However, to know this, we must know the truth of the Gospel, listen to correct teaching of the word, be in community with other believers who will challenge us and spur us on in righteousness, and pray sincerely that the Lord will lead and direct us.
These are wonderful undertakings, but that doesn’t make the work easy. We will get discouraged; we will be hurt when others try to lead us astray; we will have to fight against our own selfish desires when we want something contrary to what Christ commands. Yet, in those moments we hold tight to hope—the light that can get us through. We can stand in the comfort of knowing we are loved by the Savior. We can take strength in knowing He will show us the truth. We can allow Him to rework our hearts and transform our lives knowing that He is the only one we can trust to do such a thing.
It is easy to be led astray, to hear what tickles the ear and pleases the ego, and to ignore the rancid smell coming from false teachings. But what will it cost you? Is the cost worth it? Let me answer that for you—it is not.
It is worth stating that we aren’t talking about the things that divide us on smaller issues of doctrine where multiple views can be held, can be biblically supported, and can be seen throughout church history. We are talking about the teachings that lead away from Christ, away from the unity of the church, away from the truth of the Trinity, away from the teaching that Christ was the eternally begotten Son of God, and away from the confessions of sinful hearts.
We sisters and brothers in Christ must learn to be aware and to love, keep watch, and help the lost. We must correct and show grace. For we are called to be like Christ, to love the Lord with all that we are, and to love our neighbors.
Lord teach us to watch, and teach us to trust you as we do so.
