Gospel Truth
Opening Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You did not leave me ignorant about Yourself. You gave me the wonderful gift of Your Word.
Read Romans 15:14-22
[14] I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. [15] Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me [16] to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. [17] Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. [18] 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- [19] by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. [20] It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. [21] Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” [22] This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What does Paul say has been his abiding ambition (20)?Today’s passage sees Paul describe his calling clearly and powerfully (15,16). How would you answer if someone asked you to describe what God has called you to do? If the first verses are the “why” and “what,” Paul goes on to unpack the “how” (17-20). I find it fascinating that this intellectual giant of a man thought he had nothing to say (18). Paul knew that even “world-class” wisdom achieves nothing of eternal significance (compare John 15:5). His opinion wasn’t important. Paul spoke of and wrote about only what flowed from the Gospel (19) with signs to demonstrate God’s power. How might our lives and churches be transformed if we fully grasped this truth? Over time, we can take the Gospel for granted and view it as something that mainly people outside the church need to hear. But even the most mature Christian among us needs to hear the Gospel again and again. It will always contain something fresh to apply to our sinful, legalistic lives. Paul never got over the grace that Jesus showed him. Neither should we.
Apply
Explain the Gospel out loud to yourself. What particularly stands out to you about it? Does it excite you?
Closing prayer
Loving Lord, Your world truly needs You. I see this every day. I long to be Your faithful disciple.
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