Active Faith

The Roman Christians are at the center of all things political and religious. They are surrounded by sinners and persecution. But they are saints!

Paul longed to visit them and experience what he had only heard about, namely, that their faith was being spoken about throughout the world.

Paul tells them:

Verse 8: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

In the Roman Empire, news spread fast about the faith of the Roman Christians.

What would be said about us individually if it were to be known throughout the entire world? What about just in California? Or what about just in San Bernardino? Or what about just down the Street?

Notice that what is spoken about: their ?faith.? Nothing is said about the beauty of their meeting place or the cars they drive. People are not speaking about how successful they are or how fast the Church is growing.

We do not really know how or when this church started, but it just grew from the faith of those in Jerusalem. Some Romans no doubt heard the good news and got saved and took that message to Rome.

The faith that was spoken about was a living and active faith. Surely their faith was seen in the works that were done in Christ Jesus.

Just as the Bible says: ?Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.?

Theirs was not a dead faith!

Paul goes on to say in verses 9 and 10:

Verse 9: For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,

Verse 10: making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.

Paul, when he heard about the faith of the Roman Christians, first of all thanked God. Secondly, he constantly prayed for them. And third, requested of God that he might be allowed to minister to them.

True faith, when it is seen and heard, causes us to be thankful to God first of all.

When we began to thank God for people, we also pray for them. There is little doubt that we should pray for the lost and for the corruption of this country. But let us not forget the power in praying for each other.

Paul wanted to see first hand that which he had only heard about.

Active Fellowship ? 11 ? 12

In verse 11 and 12 tells us why he wanted to go to them. Paul wanted to fellowship with the Roman Christians because he desired to establish them.

These Christians had the Spirit working among them and had experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so Paul is not here referring to the spiritual gifts, but more broadly in reference to the spiritual aspect of fellowship.

He tells them:

Verse 11: For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established?

Verse 12: that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

They both had faith, the Romans and Paul.

When people encourage each with their faith in Christ they are encouraged and impart to each other spiritual gifts. When our faith is growing and we share with each other in fellowship, we are established firmly in the grace of Christ.

Fellowship is not only social, but also spiritual.

Fellowship is not only at Church, but everywhere two or more of us meet.

In Ephesians 5:18 - 19 the Bible says: ?And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,??

Also in Colossians 3:16 the Bible says: ?Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.?

Quote from Charles Spurgeon:

Paul wanted his faith to establish theirs, and their faith to establish his. Christians grow rich by and exchange of spiritual commodities; and I am afraid some Christians are very poor because they do not engage in the spiritual bartering with one another. You know how it was in the old time, "They that feared the Lord spake often one to another." Shall I tell you how it is now? They that fear not the Lord speak often one against another. That is a very sad difference. Oh, for more Christian communion; for when we blend our "mutual faith:, we are "comforted together"; each believer grows stronger as he cheers his brother in the Lord!

If we are growing in our faith we will have ?Abundant Fruit? in our lives. The Bible speaks of fruit as the result of our work in the Lord. If our Faith is active and our fellowship is active, then we will have abundant ?fruit? and abundant ?power.?

Abundant Fruit ? 13 ? 15

Paul had decided long ago not to build upon another man?s work, namely the work that was done by the Apostles in Jerusalem and the surrounding regions. He went from gentile town to gentile town, reasoning with the Jews and proclaiming the truth to the gentiles. Paul saw the fruit of his labor all throughout the Roman Empire, but he had yet to go to Rome.

Perhaps some were wondering if Paul was going to come to Rome. But God had different plans for Paul. Instead of Paul going to Rome on his own dime, God was going to have Satan transport him to Rome under the protection of the government. Instead of Paul going straight to the Roman Church, we was led to the Roman Court of Caesar himself.

Paul says in verses 13 through 15:

Verse 13: Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.

Verse 14: I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

Verse 15: So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

The faith of the Romans had spread throughout the Roman empire and it got to Paul?s ears. He longed to see them, and perhaps he also heard that they wanted him to come to their Church.

How wonderful it is to be wanted at a Church. How exciting it must have been for Paul that the Roman Christians wanted him to visit them. But Paul was hindered from coming and wanted them to know that.

But he also wanted them to understand that it was not just for a social call that he was planning to come, but for ministry.

And how does that fruit come about? It comes only through the preaching of the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ.

Paul had an impressive pedigree, Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, trained under the best Rabbis, and yet none of that mattered to him now.

As Paul told the Corinthians:

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ? 1 Cor. 2:2

Abundant Power ? 16 ? 17

God?s power is demonstrated through the simple proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are several ways to do church or conduct ministry, but there is only one way to bring about salvation: the gospel of Christ.

Paul says in verses 16 and 17:

Verse 16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Verse 17: For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Why did Paul tell the Romans that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Perhaps people wondered why his message was so simple and only focused on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The other teachers in Rome cited scholars and philosophers, but Paul quoted the Old Testament.

The Jewish teachers cited case law and the rabbinical teachings, but Paul cited the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Can we be Active and Abundant in our Church?

Can we be Active and Abundant in our personal lives?

If are not active and abundant in our personal lives, we will not be able to encourage or establish each other.

I need you and you need me in order to grow.

How can we do that?

1. We need to thank God for each other.

The Bible says in Colossians 3:15: ?And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.?

2. We need to be around each other and encourage each other.

The Bible says in Hebrews 10:24 ? 25: And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

3. We need to teach and preach the simplicity of the gospel.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:21 ? 24: ?For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.?

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Published on: 2006-01-01 (1807 reads)