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Good morning, Saints,
Greetings, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Today’s devotion aims to encourage our faith by taking a deeper look into the Apostle Paul’s admirable qualities through an introductory section in Romans, chapter one, written for you above. The title of the devotion, Eager, reflects Paul’s longing, excitement, and love for those who love the Lord in Rome and for those who don’t yet know the Lord at the time. Paul’s “eagerness” is a quality to behold and model and an aim for the Crean Lutheran High School community, whose mission is Proclaiming Jesus Christ Through Excellence in Education. Let’s take a peek at this seemingly obscure introduction in Romans 1 as Paul shares his eagerness to go to Rome.
Paul’s love of God and love of people is evident in his warm greeting, which is inclusive and encouraging, reminding all readers that they are important and loved by God, “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:” Paul is also reminding his readers that they have a call, a call to be saints. This reminder is used often by Paul to remind Christians that it is God who is doing the calling, and the name saints (those who are set apart from the world - 1 Thessalonians 4:7) is a privilege and carries a responsibility. Paul often reminds us in his writings that this is an important opportunity, distinction, and responsibility for all people, “To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” 2 Thessalonians 2:14. For more examples of Paul reminding us about what it means to be a saint and help a saint, see Romans 12:13, 15:25-26; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 16:1, and Ephesians 4:12, to name only a few.
Paul then continues his opening greeting, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This greeting is a trademark and purposeful opening for Paul that can be observed in nearly all of his writings while greeting the early church in Rome, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Corinth, Galatia, Colossae, and Philippi, offering its readers, to this day still, both grace and peace while giving credit to the source of both. What a warm and inviting greeting! But not just that. According to some scholars, Paul establishes an order of importance and uses salutations that would be noted by Greeks and Romans (“grace – charis”) and by Jewish and Hebrew readers (“peace – shalom”). Paul states first God’s greatest gift, “grace” through Jesus Christ, and then “peace” as the fruit of grace. In other words, there is no peace without grace, and grace can only be obtained freely as the gift of God paid for by Christ. Whole devotions and even books are dedicated to this topic if you wish to read more, like those written by the prolific author, theologian, and pastor Charles Swindoll, Growing Deep in the Christian Life and The Grace of God. Let’s move on, shall we?
Paul’s next order of business is to model how grateful he is to the Lord for reports he has heard by lifting up thanksgiving to God for the growing faith in and around the Roman Empire, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you — that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. Paul emphasizes that he is grateful and eager to join them in proclaiming the gospel and to see how he might add to their faith effort and mutually encourage each other’s faith. You get the idea that Paul is jumping out of his skin to be able to join in the excitement of faith building in and around Rome, and in a most humble way, admits his faith, too, may need encouragement and strengthening. We can all learn a lesson: if Paul’s faith needs others, so must ours!
Paul had the opportunity to preach to Jews, Hebrews, Greeks, and other Gentile groups in many areas but not yet to any of these groups in Rome. Upon doing so with others, he longed for the opportunity to see the fruit of the Holy Spirit as the gospel is shared in Rome. Appealing to all and leaving out none, he wanted to make sure the Roman Christians were aware of his unfulfilled intentions to date, “I do not want you to be unaware, brothers (and sisters), that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” His message and eagerness could be seen by all.
Paul’s writings and ministry are admirable and show his love for God and his love of people. In the Great Lives Series, Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit, Charles Swindoll makes a point about Paul’s authentic ministry, which I think is important. He says Paul’s ministry efforts were “saturated with the Word of God,” pointing out that Acts 13 and Acts 14 discuss the importance of God’s Word fifteen separate times. Like Paul’s ministry, Swindoll believed that our work must also be saturated with the Word of God. Swindoll also believed Paul’s messages emphasized the gospel to the lost and grace to the saved. To the lost, Paul presented the Gospel, “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39). Paul also included large doses of grace for the saved. As the lost don’t understand the Gospel, the saved rarely fully comprehend grace, “...urging them to continue in the grace of God.” (Acts 13:43), and “So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands,” Acts 14:3, and, “ from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled,” to name only a few. Saturated with the Word of God, emphasizing the gospel to the lost and grace to the saved are all elements of authentic Christian leadership by Paul.
Paul’s deep desire to go to Rome and share the gospel is admirable, “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome,” and reflects Jesus command to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” given in Matthew 28:19-20. Like Paul, we must be eager to go and make disciples of all nations. Yes, especially eager to go to Rome! Amen.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen. Have a peaceful weekend.
In Christ’s love and mine,
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