Weekly Devotional - March 22nd

Now I urge you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and stumblings contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own stomach, and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. For the report of your obedience has reached to all. Therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you,

and Quartus, the brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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 which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the

commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the Gentiles, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the

glory forever. Amen.

Romans 16:17-27

In the concluding thoughts of Paul's letter to the Romans, he offers both a warning and an encouragement. He cautions Christians to be vigilant, urging them to “watch out for those who create divisions and set up obstacles. Pay particular attention to those who teach something different.” Paul is not addressing secondary issues that often divide Christian churches today, such as baptism methods or interpretations of the end times. Instead, he speaks to the core message of the gospel: Christians are justified before God by His grace, through faith in Christ, and by nothing else.

At the same time, he provides a powerful promise of hope and encouragement: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” This assurance reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles; there is always hope. Through Christ, God guarantees victory over evil and anything that seeks to divide us.

Paul concludes by directing our attention to God's glory. Everything revealed and accomplished is intended to honor God through Jesus Christ. As believers, we are called to be obedient out of faith and gratitude, placing our trust solely in what Christ has accomplished for our justification rather than relying on our own efforts.