Romans 1:8-13

Since tonight’s Community Group discussion will center on this text, I thought I should look at it more carefully. Pastor Daniel’s introduction included this statement: Paul’s opening words in Romans give us an opportunity to reflect and ask, “Has the gospel changed us so that we think and act like that?” (A quote from Ligon Duncan).

 

First of all, Paul states how thankful he is to God for the Roman church. How often are we thankful – genuinely thankful for our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we look at them as family? Do we even think of them as friends? Even if we do, how often do we tell people that we are thankful for them? Paul is not only thankful for the Roman church, but he tells them. This is a wonderful example for us. Often we are “too busy” or too lazy to take the effort to tell people that we think they are gifts from God to us. And not only does Paul tell them that he is, in fact, thankful for them; he also tells them why: their faith was being reported all over the world. That is a significant claim, a significant reason to be thankful. First, because they had faith. God had brought them into the same relationship with Himself that Paul had with God, a relationship of faith in Jesus Christ who died to save men from sin. Second, because their relationship of faith was being reported widely. Their faith was resulting in testimonies about God and His relationship with some men in Rome all over the place; how could such a widely-spread report help but encourage men in other regions to trust in the same Jesus Christ and know God? So Paul has some very legitimate reasons to be thankful. What if we don’t think of other believers as such lofty witnesses, though? Should we still thank God for them? Of course! How? Well, just the knowledge that others are believers is a reason to give thanks, because God has redeemed others and brought them into the family of faith, so we can thank God for His goodness and love in their lives as well as for their faith. Also, we know that Christ will complete the work He has begun in even the weakest of us, so even if there is not much to say about the reach of their testimonies, we can give thanks to God for them knowing that their ultimate transformations will prove God to be the all-sufficient God He claims to be!

 

Secondly, Paul notes that his heart is in line with their hearts. Their faith is being reported all over the world, and his whole heart is devoted to preaching the gospel of Jesus so that many will put their faith in Jesus. What is it about faith that makes Paul so excited? Well, it’s not just about optimism. Christians have a reason to be optimistic, but in today’s world a lot of people just “believe” that everything will end up all right. They put their best face forward and choose to hope that life will get better. They have a kind of a faith – in progress, in humanity, in things working toward the best possible outcome, or at least in things not getting worse than they already are. They cling to these beliefs, which produces optimism. But what happens when progress makes life more difficult, when computers crash and car’s won’t start, when electricity goes out and planes can’t fly? What happens when humanity lets you down, attacks you, turns away from your needs, abandons you? What happens when the “best possible outcome” just seems lousy, when things do get worse? What is left to hope in? What is left to believe in? Christians can stand firm in all these circumstances because of Jesus. Jesus does not change. Jesus tells us that we will face troubles in this world, but that He has overcome the world. We will overcome, too. Not through easy paths of optimism, progress, and human goodness – these will all fail! But in spite of the failures around us, and even in spite of our own failures, whether they are sinful failures or just our lack of ability to accomplish all we would like to accomplish – in spite of all these failures, Jesus stands firm and our trust in Him is well-placed. He will restore us and the world around us so that life will one day be glorious! It is imperative that we, the church, demonstrate this kind of faith to the world!

 

Paul continues by talking about how he is looking forward to spiritual community with the Roman believers. He prays for the opportunity to visit them. He longs to see them to impart to them some spiritual gift to make them strong. He longs that he and the Romans might be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. How often, as Christians, do we feel empty and beat-up and yet refuse to seek out other believers for mutual encouragement? How often, when all seems well, do we assume we don’t need this spiritual encouragement? Yet Paul looks forward both to bringing the Roman believers a spiritual gift and to receiving spiritual gifts from them; he longs for the opportunity to give and gain spiritual wealth, spiritual blessings. Encouragement. Reminders of the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection (sound teaching). Generosity. Service. Evidences that God is at work among the Roman believers and in Paul’s own life. These evidences and mutual blessings are designed to strengthen the church so that each member is encouraged in faith – encouraged to continue putting hope and trust in Jesus Christ, the One who paid for our sins.

 

Lastly, Paul hopes to have a harvest among the Romans just as he has had among the other Gentiles. What would that harvest look like inside the church? Encouragement, stronger faith, stronger understanding of God’s Word, zeal for testifying to unbelievers, pure living, discernment, and more! What would it look like outside the church, among those who do not yet believe in Jesus Christ? The good news would be spread more widely, so that more people heard it, so that more people were challenged to examine it and find out its truth, so that more people would put their own faith in Jesus Christ and turn away from sensuous living and false gods, false faiths, false everything! May we all have such harvest mindsets. May we all seek a harvest of righteousness among those who believe, a harvest of faith among those who have not yet put their faith in the Redeemer Jesus Christ!

 

Father, thank You for encouraging my faith today. May these words encourage others to walk more closely with You. May we realize that there are many things we could be doing to build up Your church, to encourage greater faith in other believers and to draw unbelievers to faith in Jesus Christ. Thank You, also, that the church is built on the worthiness of Jesus Christ rather than on our own efforts, and on the spiritual gifts You send by Your Holy Spirit rather than on our own human talents. May each action we take and each word we speak serve to build up Your church as we thank You for each other and bless each other with spiritual truths.