“5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.”
Carrying over his thoughts from verse 4, Paul tells us that the endurance and encouragement that comes from the Scriptures, that which we are to pass on to our fellow Christians, ultimately comes from God and was obtained for us by Christ Jesus. Because of what Jesus has accomplished in His life, death, and resurrection, all who repent of their sins and believe in Him, confessing, “Jesus is Lord”, can live in harmony with one another. What could better bring Christians together in harmony than having in common their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ?
This is not the first time Paul calls upon his Roman readers to live in harmony.
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.” — Romans 12:16
Why has God created a system where the strong serve the weak? What is our motivation for sharing our time, talents, and resources with our fellow believers? Why does God desire us to have unity and live in harmony with one another? “…so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.” (v. 6) It is so that God will receive His glory! God is glorified when His redeemed creation, with unity and harmony, declares back to Him the glories of His grace and mercy. Simply put, the end goal and purpose of Christians living together in harmony is that it glorifies God.