Title: Paul's earnest heart
Exposition to Romans 5>
Paul's heart
(Text: Romans 1:8-13)
Introduction: Paul deeply longed for the saints in Rome. To those who were still religiously young and doctrinal, Paul wanted to be able to share the revelation of the gospel that he had received. So I hoped to reap a lot of fruit from them. However, contrary to his earnest expectations, the road to Rome did not open easily for Paul. Even at the moment of writing this letter, Paul wanted to run to Rome, but God prevented him from writing this letter, so it is rather God's mysterious will.
1. Paul's Thanksgiving
Paul sometimes heard the news of the Roman Church. Each time Paul overflowed with gratitude in his heart. The reason is that the faith of the Roman Church members is being spread all over the world.
(2) Paul was thankful for everyone in Rome. The gratitude that Paul was thankful for was wide. It was not a gratitude limited to himself or his family, but a gratitude for others. Those who have received much grace through Jesus Christ extend their gratitude to others. The gratitude of the servants of God, who are living the mission of evangelism like Paul, is full of the joy of such gratitude.
(3) Paul's thanksgiving was for their faith. “I give thanks to my God, for your faith is preached in the whole world,” he said. The fact that the saints have faith is truly something to be thankful for for God's servants. Faith grows and bears fruit. “This gospel has already come to you, and from the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God, it is growing and bearing fruit as among you and in the whole world” (Colossians 1:8). Our faith should grow and bear fruit so that when we pray to God from all our brothers and sisters in Christ, we can give thanks for our faith. When God's servant prays for you, you must not lament sadly as you think of your ungrowing faith.
2. Paul's Witnesses
Paul raised God as a witness of his prayers for the Romans and his earnest longing for them. “The God whom I serve with my heart is my witness,” he says.
(1) Paul said that God, whom he serves with the heart, is his witness. In serving God, Paul expresses the scope and attitude of serving God as “the God whom I serve with my heart in the gospel of his Son.” The meaning of the word in the gospel that Paul spoke of here refers to salvation through the Son, mercy, love, and infinite forgiveness. And Paul served not by works of the law in order to obtain righteousness as in the past, but with his heart. The spirit is ‘pneuma’, which refers to his soul. To serve with the spirit means to serve with the heart, and it means faith without lies and an attitude of sincere service.
(2) In his prayers, Paul said that he was referring to the saints of the Roman Church without ceasing. When Paul said “speaking of you,” he meant making up your memories. It will be the most beautiful memory for God's servants to take the saint's name out of his memory when they pray. You are usually kind, but if you do not remember when you pray, you are not a person who is loved by God.
3. Reasons for longing for the members of the Roman Church
Paul wanted to go to the church in Rome because he longed to see them, but Paul gives several reasons for this.
(1) He said that it was because he wanted to share a spiritual gift. Grace 'charism' and gift 'charisma' are called similar words, but their meaning is to give and receive each other. Grace is a free gift we receive through His Son, but a gift is our loyalty and devotion to God in return for grace. The Roman church members bore little fruit compared to their faith. This broke Paul's heart. When he went to Rome, Paul thought that he would learn this well and make them bear more fruit.
(2) Paul said that this kind of thinking was to gain mutual comfort. If Paul could go to Rome and share spiritual gifts with them, strengthen their faith, and bear fruit as among the Gentiles, this would be a relief for Paul. This will result in not only Paul being comforted, but themselves being comforted by Paul. Therefore, Paul is comforted by the Romans, and the Romans are comforted by Paul, so that each other can be comforted.
(3) Paul asked to know about his many attempts to go to Rome. Paul's longing for the Roman church members made him want to go to Rome to meet them. However, he confesses that such a road is still blocked. The word blocked here refers to a condition that Paul wanted, but blocked by God.
Conclusion: Paul took God as his witness and began his gospel ministry and prayer life. We should not take men as our witnesses, but God who searches our hearts and rules our lives as our witnesses. The reason that Paul was able to overcome without losing heart in the midst of many hardships, persecutions, and tribulations was because he took God as his witness and did the Lord's work.