"Say hello to Paul for me!" We send greetings like this through others to express love and to maintain a relationship. This is exactly what Paul does at the end of his letter to the Romans. But Paul's list of greetings teaches us more than polite conversation. There’s a strong sense of partnership and a deep bond of love. He warns them of those who would cause division and subvert sound doctrine.

We tell ourselves we are committed to loving them because Jesus tells us to, but we excuse ourselves for not enjoying or caring for them. But in Paul's closing comments in Romans, we see the gospel transform believers’ relationships. Paul cares deeply for these believers, whom he's never met! Love for Jesus and the transformation of the gospel grows us supernaturally to love other believers.

We ask questions to catch up with friends. We want to know what they’re excited about. As Paul begins to close the book of Romans, he returns to "conversational" matters. But when Paul shares what he's excited about, it all revolves around what Jesus is doing through the spread of the gospel. This is Paul's passion, and it's clear that he believes it should be every Christian's passion too.

"Church would be great if it weren't for the people!" Hopefully, you can laugh at a cynical comment like this, but it may be the way you've felt before. While a church family can be a blessing, it can be a source of strife. Because we are all works-in-progress, we have rough edges that can hurt others. How can we find unity in the body of Christ? The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches the best way.