Title: Passion for the Gospel
Contents
Commentary on the Roman West River (2009. 7.26)
Passion for the Gospel
Romans 1:8-17
Everyone! Today I want to share with you what has changed you and me. We want to share what we wanted to convey so much to the fact that many people go to the mission field and because of that, our ancestors of faith were immortal, pierced to death, and burned to death.
Let me share what the Apostle Paul was so proud of, the power that changed thousands, billions, and tens of billions of people. It had a stronger explosive power than dynamite. It changed the things that couldn't be fixed with anything, neither medicines nor money. That is the gospel.
Paul said he was thankful for the Romans. Because their faith was preached throughout the world. The Romans, still a small group, changed Rome, saying that all roads lead to Rome. They had different quality of life. The Roman church members had the power that Greek philosophy could not change. The power to change the world! That is the power of the gospel.
What will the world say when they see us? “What’s the difference between you and me who don’t believe?” he says. Being the same as the world cannot change. You have to be different from the world to make a difference. What we believe and say must not be worldly. People are not shocked by how big the church is. If the church is large, people will swear that traffic is blocked and that it is inconvenient. People are not surprised by the size of the church, but by the way they live and the impact they have on the world. Where two or three people who have real faith gather, there is emotion, miracles, and grace. No matter how many people gather, if only fakes are gathered, only the sound is noisy and there is no change. Paul had not been to Rome yet, but he had heard of it. The Roman Church was small, but its influence was megatons. Many of the Roman churches were of slave origin, and they influenced the upper classes of Rome.
First, do you have a strong desire to share the gospel?
See verse 8. “First of all, I thank my God for all of you through Jesus Christ, because your faith is preached in the whole world.”
Paul eagerly longed to go to Rome somehow in the will of God. Everyone! If you love it, you will miss it.
Why was Paul so eager to go? See 11 and 12!
“I long to see you, that some spiritual gift may be imparted to you, so that you may be strengthened, that I may find comfort in one another through you and my faith among you.”
The reason Paul was so eager to go to Rome was because he wanted to encourage them by giving them spiritual gifts.
Paul wanted to share the grace. When we receive grace, we cannot keep it alone. Grace is what I want to give. No matter how much faith you have, if you are alone, you will be weak. Bonfires must be gathered to burn. Faith grows by encouraging it with faith. In order to make our faith unwavering and strong, we need to encourage each other by sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit and fellowshipping with each other. Humans are creatures that need comfort. No one is strong enough to be comforted. We need to go together and empower each other.
Verse 13 explains why Paul was so eager to go to Rome. Paul also wanted to bear fruit among them. Nowadays, most people who go to Rome or Europe are sightseeing or studying abroad. Among the young men, I saw a young man who was working to go backpacking in Europe. But Paul did not intend to go to Rome to study, to tour, or to make money from business. He said that he was going to bear the fruit of the gospel.
But the road was blocked. You must have had the feeling of being stuck when you desperately want something. Everyone! Don't give up just because you're stuck. Professor Randy Posey, who died of pancreatic cancer, said: “To have an obstacle in front of you is to cast whether you really want it,” he said.
Second, is there a sense of debtor to the gospel?
Have you ever been in debt? A person who has been in debt always has a heavy heart. You are always under pressure because you have to pay off your debts. They are not proud of their creditors and cannot be free. In the heart of the apostle Paul, there was a sense of debt of the gospel.
See verses 14 and 15! “I am indebted to both Greeks and barbarians, both the wise and the foolish; therefore, whenever possible, I want to preach the gospel to you who are also in Rome.”
The Apostle Paul was once an intellectual among intellectuals, a legalist, and a zealot who kept his eyes on those who believed in Jesus, followed them and put them in prison. He was a Jewish extremist. Then he met Jesus. And his life changed. It was a 180 degree change from a Christian persecutor to a Christian preacher.
So, the burden of the gospel arose.
One thing to think about in verse 15 is that the gospel is not only needed by people in the world who do not know God, but it is absolutely necessary for those who already know and believe in God. Paul's heart was, "I want to explain the gospel of the cross again to you who are in Rome."
Why do old believers, not new believers, need to hear the gospel? Is the person in question in the church a new believer? There are a lot of used ones. The longer you believe, the fainter the gospel becomes. Gradually, he gets used to the church life, and his face becomes thick and shiny with the legal life of faith. We fall into Mennerism without realizing it. They do not feel sin as a sin and become moderately critical and judgmental people. I believed in Jesus and received salvation, but it has been a long time since I lost the joy and emotion of salvation. So it becomes superficial. So I'm deceived. I believe in Jesus and feel worthy to teach. What do you teach when there is no fruit? So we need to hear the gospel again. You have to go back to the first one.
Third, do you believe that the gospel is the power to save those who believe?
Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and then to the Greek.”
Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. Because the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The gospel is power. It is not the power of man, but the power of God. It is the power of God that brings salvation to those who believe in it. That's why I said I'm proud of this gospel.
Everyone! What is salvation? Salvation is not something that is earned through my efforts. Salvation is a gift from God. are you saved? This makes people anxious. Why? How anxious would you be if you were saved by giving alms, doing good deeds, going to church diligently, and donating diligently? How many people would think that's enough? Salvation obtained through human effort is not salvation. Salvation is passive. Salvation is receiving. Salvation is not earned.
Verse 16 says that the gospel has revealed the righteousness of God. The power to bring people to the righteousness of God is contained in the gospel. So, if anyone believes in Jesus, a sinner is made righteous and is saved. The righteousness of God is revealed through the blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross.
In the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed and it is said, “It leads from faith to faith.” If you look at the English Bible, you will find two English prepositions: FROM and TO. From refers to the source of faith and to refers to the direction of faith. It has the power of salvation and leads to the righteousness of God.
But the righteous shall live by faith. This is the key. If you believe in Jesus, all things will happen. The saying that you will be blessed if you believe in Jesus is not the central truth of Christianity. Christianity is not so cheap on the market. “If you believe in Jesus, you will be healed” No. It may not be. Will you be successful if you believe in Jesus? It may fail. It is not “believe in Jesus and you will become rich”. If you truly believe in Jesus, you can actually be poor. If you truly believe in Jesus, you may be persecuted and cast out.
Everyone, if you believe in Jesus, you will be blessed. However, that blessing is a blessing from heaven and is not talking about earthly things. Some people believe in Jesus and are happy. I believe in Jesus, my husband's business is going well, my children are going to the university they want, and everything is going well. But they are happy only for themselves, they do not care about other people, and they do not even think about evangelism or missionary work. If you don't feel any burden on the gospel, is that really a blessing?
Recently, I evangelized a noble-looking person, and when I got married, my mother-in-law told me to do whatever I want to believe in Jesus because my daughter is now the daughter of in-laws. However, the daughter-in-law of the bride-in-law allowed the marriage on condition that she believed in Buddhism because she is now part of her family. They gave up their Christian faith in order to get married. The soul is held hostage because of marriage.
Everyone! Salvation comes by faith. Do not forget this belief. You have to take this belief with you when you get married, when you go to the military, and when you go to work. Many Christians today are depraved. Because they have departed from this belief. Because they are selling their souls to miscellaneous goods, successism and worldly goods. Believe the gospel. Celebrate not your own righteousness, but God's righteousness as revealed in the gospel. Live by faith!