The Devotional - R052

The Devotional

Comment:

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor (grace) rather than silver and gold. Someone will say; “Hey! I know where those words come from, Proverbs 22:1!” It is admirable that we know where to find skill in living from the Holy Bible, but it is not so admirable if we just know the truth without giving much thought to applying obedience to living in God’s Will. The apostle Peter has something to add in this thought, 1 Peter 3:13-17. And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. Sometimes out of fear we intentionally ruin our good name.

Challenge: Romans 15:14-21

The apostle Paul is winding down his letter to the Romans, but this does not mean that the last two chapters of this epistle have little to offer. We should be all the more willing to search out the scripture, remembering that it is God the Holy Spirit who is directing the mind of Paul to record the Truth of God’s Will to his readers. Primarily the apostle’s words are directed at the Jewish remnant located in Rome, but there are Gentiles who are reading this epistle also.

Having confidence in one’s reader’s means that Paul is always willing to feed the flock of God in all matters pertaining to life and godliness. Paul states clearly that the brethren are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and able to admonish one another in the grace of God. He says that he was confident of this of them before writing. Now he says that he has written to them more boldly on points of doctrine in order to remind the church in Rome to be steadfast and always abounding in the will of the LORD.

Most always when we see the word “offering” we think of material offerings consisting gold and silver; like the offering that Paul collected from the Gentiles to give to the church in Jerusalem, see Acts 20 and other epistles of Paul. In Romans 15:16 we see something different, not an offering consisting of things, but an offering consisting of Gentile believers. To clearly see this we must look at the Prophet Isaiah, in his book Isaiah 66:19-20.

I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the Lord, "as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.

So the apostle Paul has made it a goal to preach the gospel of God to bring the Gentile nations to God, to make them “obedient” to the calling of God to Righteousness and Holiness, which is the goal of the Romans Epistle. To the power of the Holy Spirit showing by signs and wonders that God’s message is good news. We should always make it our aim, as the apostle did and that is to present the gospel to those who are ignorant of the truth. Why? Because those who are ignorant of the message, they shall see and those who have not heard will understand. 

Again Isaiah 52:13-15 is the heart of Paul’s message. Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; so shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.