Romans 15:16-17 NLT I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God.
Romans 15:18-20 NIV I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent abut what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Romans 16:25-26 NLT Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him.
The Apostle Paul had invested his life in Gentile believers.
He had suffered greatly so that the message of the Good News would be preached among them. He came to them in the power of the Holy Spirit with mighty signs and wonders and fully preached the gospel of Christ. These things were done so that their faith and obedience to the Gospel of Christ would not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Romans 15:17 NLT So it is right for me to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God.
He looked around the church and counted the victories that had been won.
He was able to count the victories since great signs and wonders happened in their lives and in the church.
We should keep record of the victories that have been won. We need to tell others what God has done. We should give God all the glory for every miracle. We should give God all the praise for every healing and deliverance.
Twenty-one times in the last chapter of Romans he tells them to greet and salute those he knew.
- Many of the believers in Rome had been won by Paul.
- One was the first convert in Asia.
- Some were relatives or dear friends.
- Some had suffered in prison with him.
- Some fellow workers in Christ labored with Paul and had started a church in their home.
- Some were tested and approved in Christ before the Apostles.
- They had labored much in the Lord and had helped him through his sufferings.
It is a good thing to see what God has done in believer’s lives.
Paul rejoiced in the Lord for their spiritual growth and maturity.
Their maturity was evident by the things they were doing in Christ. Their spiritual fruit was evident to all in the region. The whole Christian Church was talking about their faithfulness and obedience.
Paul could see Christ Jesus in them.
This should be the goal of every believer. This was reason for Paul to rejoice.
Can other believers see Christ in you?
The testimony that you share is important, but it is wonderful when other people recognize the power of God on your life. They did wonderful things because God was helping them. This relationship with Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit should be evident in everyone who believes.
John 15:5 NKJV “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
What is Jesus saying?
Jesus Christ did not say: “Without Me you cannot do very much.” He said: “You can do nothing without Me.”
This is why Paul was so excited about these believers.
He could see Christ’s resurrection power working in the church. They were demonstrating the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The power of Christ that heals, delivers, and redeems was working in them. What they had seen in Paul’s ministry was being carried on in their obedience to the faith. Paul was excited.
In John 17, Jesus is praying for all those who will believe in Him.
John 17:21 NIV That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
This was the purpose behind Paul’s preaching and ministry among the Gentiles. He repeated this same message to them. They needed to demonstrate a unified message and goal. They needed to remove all division and strife. They needed to work together in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our unity, love and power in the Holy Spirit lets the world know that we are the body of Christ.
Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35).
This was the purpose for Paul’s preaching and writing. This is the purpose of the Holy Spirit. We can see the evidence of this in the signs, wonders, and miracles of the Holy Spirit among them. They were of one purpose and the Holy Spirit was working among them.
God wants to unify us into one body and one ministry that will accomplish His goal.
The same mind and Spirit that was in Christ Jesus was working throughout the church. Paul was excited to see that his ministry was not in vain.
Do you see what God has planned in your life and how you fit into the body of Christ?
He has a purpose for you being who and where you are. He wants to draw the character of Christ on and in you so that you bear His power and nature to the world. He wants you to be His witnesses.
Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:9 NKJV Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
Jeremiah 1:17 NKJV Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them.
Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Do you recognize God’s plan for your life?
God wants to use you in the body of Christ, His church. He wants to use you where you are. Some individuals within the body of Christ do not know the value that God has placed on them.
You need to know that God has put His name on you. Everyone that takes the name of Jesus should be used by Him.
Colossians 3:17 NIV And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:17 NLT And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
This is the whole idea behind obedience to the faith.
It is not what we know that is important, although we must know the word of truth. What we do with what we know is important. When our faith is rooted and grounded in the Gospel of Truth and our lives are empowered with the Holy Spirit, our obedience will be evidenced with His power and presence.
Paul was saying these people were acting on what they knew.
They walked in obedience to the faith. They were not just hearers of the Gospel of Truth, they were doers. When you start acting on the Word of God, the Lord has promised His help. All human effort is not enough. God must help us. He has promised the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this.
The transformation in human lives can only be accomplished by the supernatural power of God
The power of the Holy Spirit produced the signs and wonders in their lives. The Holy Spirit was working with their obedience. God never promised to bless eloquence, logic, charm or human attainment.
The Lord promised to prosper His Word and confirm it with signs following, and we should expect no less in our lives.
Mark 16:20 NKJV And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
God was working in them. This was typical of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has been sent alongside to help us.
Romans 15:30 NKJV Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
Look at that phrase “strive together with me in prayer.”
It means to “help me by striving.” The word agonize comes from the same root word in the Greek.
We must learn how to “strive together in prayer.”
This could be called intercessory prayer. We must learn how to bear one another’s burdens. We must learn how to agonize in prayer to God.
Everyone does not know how to pray this way.
Paul knew these Roman Christians were able to agonize in prayer. He knew the quality of their faith and the power of the Spirit was in them. He witnessed the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Christ was shining through them. The Holy Spirit was working within them.
Some spiritual giants were in the church.
He greeted them by name. He told us very little about each of them. He was excited about them.
Take note of those around you who are doing something for God, and let them know you appreciate what they do.
Pray for them. Encourage them to keep on doing something for God. We need to remember those who have prayed for us. We need to remember the good things people have done.
Romans 16:19 NIV Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you”
I am full of joy over you.
This is a good thing. We need to rejoice about what God is doing in other’s lives. That church had a good report and everyone heard about it.
