December 14th, 2008 by admin

Listen to this passage                           Read This Passage

Romans 1:8-15

Paul is longing to come to Rome… but has been “prevented” (vs. 13). What is preventing him is unclear, but that doesn’t stop him from praying, and asking God that he might succeed in coming to the believers in Rome.

Paul opens his heart, and expresses deep emotion, and longing for the believers in Rome.

One thing is clear from this passage, Paul really believes in fellowship.

He makes it clear that his desire is to come to Rome to be “mutually encouraged”, (vs. 12). He understands and examples that the fellowship of believers is something that is encouraging. In many of Paul’s letters he tells of the necessity of fellowship. He certainly desires that.

Another interesting part of this passage is an additional reason Paul wants to come to Rome.

He states that he wants to preach the gospel to them (vs.15), (both those living in Rome, and the believers there).

His reason?

He wants to reap a harvest of believers there. Paul understands that whether believers or not, wise or foolish, the gospel that he says he is “obliged” to preach, reaps a harvest for Christ… and for this cause Paul and every believer is obliged to share this gospel. Paul is eager to do it, (vs. 15).

Today in many churches in our American culture we are eager for fellowship. We are eager for being with each other. We are eager for encouragement, and the Lord knows we need that.

One thing many churches are not eager to do these days is preach the gospel.

We should always be eager to preach, like Paul, to the wise and foolish, to believers and non-believers, because this gospel reaps a harvest. Maybe we aren’t eager to preach the gospel, but we seem eager to harvest for Jesus. Perhaps our Christian culture in America should challenge the notion that we can reap a harvest without sowing the seed of the gospel. Paul makes no bones about it. He is eager to sow the seed of the gospel, because He wants a harvest.

How about you?

Have you ever led someone to Christ? How often do you share the gospel?

Would you like to lead more people to Christ?

December 13th, 2008 by admin

Listen to this passage                    Read This Passage

Romans 1:1-7

 Paul’s introduction to the letter of Romans starts with some pretty intense doctrine. He has visited these churches before, (the church in Rome), so he knows of them… but for those believers today, who think being a Christian isn’t as much about doctrine as it is about relationships… well, Paul sets that line of thinking straight right away in his letter to the Romans…

In Roman’s 1:1-7… he makes several claims:

Claim #1 

Paul states that He is an apostle(vs. 1)… which means “messenger sent by God“, and that his commission brings about obedience. (vs. 5)

This obedience is specifically… faith. Not just knowledge, or a set of rules, but believing from the heart, mind and soul. This believing is a result of God’s grace, and God’s gospel (vs. 2)

Its important to note here that Paul is making a claim that it is God’s grace working through Paul, who is comissioned by God to bring about not just mental assent, or knowledge… but obedience of faith.

 I am repeating that because in these latter days we have a misunderstanding…

Some think that knowing the right stuff is obedience… 

Some think that following the right rules is obedience…

Here, Paul is calling obedience.. “faith“… and not only that but he is calling that obedience faith in the gospel, (the good news), that comes from God…

This implies correct teaching. It implies not just a head knowledge but a genuine heartfelt believing.

So for those who claim to believe, but won’t affirm Paul’s doctrine…  they are deceived…

For those who claim to believe, but don’t know what they believe… they are deceived…  because obedience of faith comes through God’s gospel… (vs. 2)

That leaves Paul’s 2nd claim:

The proper doctrine of the gospel of grace that comes from God

Paul says the gospel that comes from God begins with this:

That the scriptures foretold thousands of years ago that Jesus Christ, who according to his humanity, is a descendant of David, but was proclaimed to be the “Messiah”, the savior, the son of God, by the spirit of power who raised Him from the dead…

Now this isn’t a story, a fable, or a myth…  to be a Christian, you must not only know, but believe with all your heart that a man was literally raised from the dead.

Now that is a bold claim.

We see stuff like that in stories, or movies…  but this actually happened. A man dead three days, rose again.

Paul says that those who are called by God through this message, and are obedient in believing through this message belong to Christ Jesus. (vs. 6)

That truly is good news, which Paul helps us to understand more as we continue to study this letter.