[:en]Paul called himself a servant of God to be completely dependent and obedient to Him. He called Jesus as the descendant of David, the Son of God, the promised Messiah and the resurrected Lord. Through Christ, we receive grace with the responsibility to share the gospel with others. Those who become Christians by faith belong to Jesus Christ and are called saints.
Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome (vs. 8-17)
Paul showed his love for the Roman Christians by expressing God’s love and praying for them. He was thankful for the strong faith of Roman Christians which was known all over the world. He longed to see them so that he could encourage them and help them truly understand the meaning of Good News about Jesus. After his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, he dedicated his life to proclaim Christ’s salvation to people across all cultural, social, racial and economic class both to the Jews and to the Gentiles.
Paul said: “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes in first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles (v. 16) By faith, God declares us to be right with Him so that we are saved and can have eternal life.
God’s Wrath Against Mankind (vs. 18-32)
God cannot tolerate sin because He is morally perfect. He wants to remove the sin and restore the sinner if the sinner accepts the truth. If people suppress God’s truth and live their own lives, they will have to endure the consequences.
God reveals His divine nature and personal qualities through creation. The fall of Adam resulted in a divine curse upon the whole natural order. People see themselves as center of the universe and turn to idolatry. They invent “gods” to project their own selfish ideas. Their gods may be wooden figures, or goals to pursue, or power to possess. They become idolaters worshiping created things instead of God, the creator.
The progression of evil and the downward fall into wickedness are as follows: greed, hatred, envy, strife, murder, fighting, deception, and malicious behavior. They become gossipers, slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant, boastful, disobedient, senseless, faithless, heartless and ruthless. Because people reject Him, He allows them to live as they choose and permits them to experience the natural consequence of their sins.
Homosexual was widespread in Paul’s day. Homosexuals believe that their desires are normal and that they have right to express them. But God does not encourage us to fulfill all our desires. Those desires that violate His laws must be controlled.
THINGS TO PONDER:
- Christians have borh privilege and responsibility. We have the privilege of being called and saved by grace. Our responsibility is to share with others what God has done for us.
- Paul showed his concern for the Roman Christians through love and prayers. Do you love your Christian brothers and sisters and pray for them?
- The faith of the Roman Christians had been known all over the world. How is your faith in God?
- Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. How about you?
- If people suppress God’s truth and live their own way, they are to endure the consequences.
- God has revealed His divine nature and personal qualities through creation. General revelation shows us that He is a God of power and wisdom, a God of order and beauty, and a God who controls supernatural forces. Special revelations are manifested by His Word and the coming of Jesus. His amazing love has prompted Him to give up His life so that those who come to believe in Him may have eternal life.
- Idolatry begins when people considers anything more important than God. Do you have any priority greater than God? Does God take first place in your life? Do you worship God or the idols of your own making?
- God allows people to choose Him or reject Him. He does not force us into believing in Him. But if we reject Him, we will surely become slaves to sin.
- Homosexuality is considered as acceptable practice by many in our world today, even by some churches. But homosexuality is strictly forbidden in Scripture. (Lev. 18:22) Those who are involved in homosexual behavior must seek help from a trustworthy Christian counselor. They must surrender themselves to God and ask Him to show them the way out of sin and into the light of His freedom and His love.
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