ROMANS 16:19

“For the report of your obedience has reached everyone; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil.”

There are things that just have to happen in a certain order. If you put one thing out of place, the end result will not be what you want. For instance, if you want to properly restore a piece of furniture you have to first strip off the old finish, sand it, tighten any loose areas, apply the stain, lightly sand it, apply the clear coat, finely sand again and apply a second coat. At least, that’s the way my dad taught me. I wanted the end product quicker, but that would have not ended with a nice finish.

Why am I talking about furniture? Well, that’s just an illustration of the importance of proper steps. In today’s verse, Paul lays out some steps for us to follow. Do you see them? Obedience leads to wisdom which leads to discernment. You will never be “wise in what is good” or “innocent in what is evil” if you are not first of all obedient to the Lord. Let’s take a closer look at these.

APPLICATION

How obedient are you? The Greek word used here is hupakoé which comes “from hypó, (beneath) akoúō, (to hear) i.e. obedience – literally, ‘submission to what is heard’ (WS, 695), i.e. obedience as the response to someone speaking.” (HELPS Word-studies). The word is used 15 times in the New Testament, 7 of those times in Romans. I have always said it is the “hearing with the intent to obey.” Unlike my old dog, Reese, who would perk up his ears when I called his name (he heard me) but then he would continue to lay on the floor (not obeying). Is that you? Do you hear the Lord but refuse to do what He says?

If you are obedient, Paul says you can expect wisdom and discernment. To be truly wise you must know the source of wisdom. We will see in a few verses where Paul calls the Father “the only wise God.” We see this same word used in James 3:13. “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” What a great verse!

The word “innocent” is akeraios which means “pure, not mixed.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). This word is only used two other times in the New Testament. One of them is in Matthew 10:16 where Jesus is addressing his 12 disciples before sending them out. “‘Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.’” The other time we see this word used is in Philippians 2:15 but let me give you the full context beginning in verse 14. “14 Do all things without complaining or arguments; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”   

Obedience leads to wisdom which leads to discernment. You can’t skip steps. It has to begin with obedience. Will you obey the Lord today in whatever He says? Before you say yes, count the cost. Following Jesus will cost you something.

Lord, today I choose to obey You and to do whatever You ask of me. I want to grow more wise and more discerning.

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