PURPOSED AND OBLIGATED

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.”

^“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.”

Romans 1:11-15

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Paul was committed to the work that Jesus had called him to do. He knew the work of carrying the Gospel to others was not optional because Jesus demanded all His followers do this:

“…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

In other words, all those who professed their belief in Jesus as Savior were purposed and obligated to do as Jesus commanded.

This was the message Paul wanted his readers in Rome to know in these verses of his letter. He longed to see the Romans so to pass on to them a spiritual gift that could and would make them strong. This gift of course was grounded in the Holy Spirit, the unifying and bonding Spirit shared by all Jesus believers. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul knew the Romans could find themselves “mutually encouraged” by each other’s faith because they would all be one in Christ.

And so this is what drove Paul to want to get to Rome but note that this wouldn’t happen according to his timeline. In fact, we read where he had planned to go there many times but was prevented to do so. Nonetheless, Paul’s eagerness to get to Rome eventually wasn’t dampened. He was excited about being able to fulfill his obligation to bring the Gospel to everyone, to the “Greeks and non-Greeks” and the “wise and the foolish”.

But Paul’s excitement was more than just about meeting an obligation. For he had seen the outcome of bringing the good news of salvation through Jesus to others and how this initiated a harvest of new believers to build the church wherever he went. Indeed, the Christian church was in its fledgling stage during first century AD and Paul was one of the primary apostles responsible for planting those churches.

How many churches was Paul responsible for as he carried out the purposes Jesus had for him?

We need only look to our Bibles and the New Testament to see the litany of letters attributed to Paul as he addressed the churches he had helped institute through the lead of Christ.

Friends, this is what happens when we realize and commit ourselves to the obligations and purposes that Christ has called us to. We see first-hand how His Gospel work continues through our labors in His name, witnessing with excitement the same kind of harvest Paul experienced more than 2,000 years ago.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com