I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to
WEEK 48
REJOICING TO HAVE A PIECE OF
GOD'S ACTION
ROMANS 15:15-33
I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.
For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation; but as it is written, "They who had no news of him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand."
For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and
to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.
Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
OUR FATHER, we are reminded often in Your Word
that although the great work of redemption
is a sovereign work done by Your will and power, not by the will and power of man, still You have graciously determined
to use human instruments in carrying out
Your redemptive work. We see that plainly in the life of Your faithful servant Paul,
in all the ways he set his life apart to be used, all the plans he made, all the letters he wrote, all the truths he expounded, all the places he visited,
all the people he influenced, and his tremendous sense of vision, hope,
and anticipation for the future. Here was a man who rejoiced at the privilege
of fitting into Your plans and was obviously thrilled
to have a piece of the divine action! Once redeemed, Paul had no interest whatsoever
in trying to make You fit
into his own feeble plans, ideas, or aspirations.
We see in Paul's example the mind of Christ in action. Your own precious Son, co-equal and co-eternal with You,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking a position of abject slavery as a true man, subject to all the same infirmities that trouble us. Then He further humbled Himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.1
Give us a similar perspective on life and ministry. May we be humble, self-sacrificial, faithful servants
to the needs of others rather than merely seekers of selfinterest.
We confess, dear Lord, that we have failed miserably
to follow the example Christ set for us. We give in too easily to temptation. We think too highly of ourselves. We sacrifice too little for others. We invest too much time in trivial and worldly pursuits. Move our hearts to devote more time to worship and prayer. Purge our minds not only from evil thoughts and sinful desires,
but also from worthless and inconsequential matters. May all our resources be devoted to Your honor
and the pursuit of Your kingdom. Let nothing hinder our worship and service
for our Savior's sake.
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord! You have put gladness in our hearts.2
You have graced us with a peace
that passes human understanding.3
You make us sing for joy. You shelter us beneath Your wings. You surround us with favor and blessing.4
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!5
We present our hearts, our minds,
our tongues, our hands and feet— our every faculty— to You as a living sacrifice of praise. We know, dear Lord, that even if we were able perfectly to devote
every ounce of our energy, every molecule of our flesh, every moment of our time, every thought of our hearts, and every breath of our remaining lives to You in praise, it would not be sufficient to express even the tiniest fraction
of Your glory. That's why we look forward to an eternity of praising You
in the perfect bliss of heaven.
In the meantime, enlarge our capacity for praise. Open our eyes to behold Your glory more clearly
than we see it now. Open our hearts to love You more earnestly
than we love anything in this world. Open our tongues to praise You more fittingly
than we can through these poor words.
We ask these things in the blessed name of Your Son,
our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Philippians 2:6-8
2. Psalm 4:6-7 3. Philippians 4:7 4. Psalm 5:11-12 5. Psalm 8:9