The apostle Paul, beginning in Romans 1:18 began to explain the reason that the gospel must be preached if men are to be saved. This is a courtroom scene where the charges are made and then the evidence to prove those charges is given. From Romans 1:18-3:20, both the Gentiles and the Jews are charged as being sinners and therefore this is a case against the whole world so that the whole world may become accountable to God (see Romans 3:19).
The truth of the guilt of the whole world is of utmost importance in establishing the truth of justification by faith and therefore the truth of the guilt of the individual is of utmost importance if he or she is to receive justification by faith. You see, the guilt of the whole world (which means every individual in it) creates a dilemma – how can a Holy God forgive sinners and still uphold His law? Put another way – how can a Holy God of pure and undefiled justice, which demands that the penalty for breaking the law be upheld, forgive sinners and still be just and not a liar?
There is only one answer that will properly resolve the dilemma of how a Holy God can forgive sinners and still remain just in the process – Penal Substitution. Penal Substitution simply means that the penalty for violating the law is paid by a willing and able substitute in order to pardon and forgive the guilty party. This is the heart of the gospel; this is the only way that a Holy God can forgive and remain true to Himself; and this is the reason that Jesus Christ is the only way for men to be saved.
As long as we believe that God can save and is saving some other way besides through the gospel of Jesus Christ then we do not have to be concerned about missions and evangelism. But as soon as we believe God’s truth that He cannot and will not save any other way then missions and evangelism of the genuine biblical sort are absolutely necessary.
Since it is true that God cannot and will not save any other way, the Holy Spirit made it plain that all men are guilty before God and that no one will be saved apart from hearing the gospel and believing the gospel. God wants us to know that the whole world is guilty before Him; that He cannot save apart from faith in Jesus Christ who paid the sinner’s penalty; and therefore we are under obligation to all men to eagerly preach to them the gospel (Romans 1:14-17).
Our text reveals that the heathen are without excuse; that they are guilty before God; and that they are in need of the gospel if God is going to forgive them.
First we see the charge that the heathen are under sin and that they are not truth seekers but are truth suppressors (Romans 1:18). This verse teaches us that not only do men love sin but that they also will not on their own turn from sin. Instead, this verse charges that they suppress the truth – they do not seek the truth, they do not want the truth, but they actually suppress or hold down the truth.
This charge is a serious charge – it indicates that men don’t love what God reveals about Himself and therefore they don’t love the true God. Do you see a problem in that? Well if they don’t love Him they won’t obey Him and neither will they glorify Him nor will they worship and serve Him. This is the essence of sin so therefore the charge that men suppress the truth is a charge that men are by nature and by choice sinners.
Next we begin to examine the evidence that the heathen are truth suppressors and not truth seekers (19-25). Here we see that although men come up with may different forms of religion, it is because they are suppressing truth and not seeking truth. They are fashioning a god of their own making to their own liking. Judging by appearance we would conclude that all the various religions of the world prove that men are seeking God and seeking truth. However the evidence actually points in the other direction – that men are suppressing truth – for if all men everywhere were seeking truth and receiving the truth that God is revealing then all religions everywhere would be based on the same truth. So to say that all the religions of the world prove that men are seeking God then the truth that God has revealed concerning this not only from nature but also from His Word would have to be suppressed (Romans 3:11).
God has given revelation of Himself to all men through two primary avenues:
The inner revelation of conscience (19) – the law of God and His moral code is written on the heart of all men everywhere (Romans 2:14-15).
The outer revelation of creation (20) – reveals the truth of God’s invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature.
With the combined witnesses of conscience and creation, every man is without excuse because every fact shall be established on the basis of two or more witnesses.
Suppressing the truth always leads to idolatry (21-25)
Showing posts with label missions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label missions. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Church Praised for its Faith (part 2)
In Romans 1:1-7, Paul shared with the saints at Rome his call which involved his credentials as an apostle and the content of his message. In Romans 1:8-15, Paul shared with the saints at Rome his concern. Paul was doing all this in essence to show the saints at Rome who he was before he showed them his theology. As we study this section dealing with Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome we will see four aspects of that concern.
We have already considered the first aspect of Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome which was Paul praised the saints at Rome (1:8). Now we turn our attention to the other three aspects of Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome:
Next, Paul prayed for the saints at Rome (1:9-10). The saints at Rome did not know about Paul’s prayer support for them but the Lord knew about it and honored it. One of the burdens of Paul’s prayer was that God would allow him to visit Rome and minister to the churches there. He would have visited them sooner but his ministry work and God’s will kept him busy (Romans 15:15-33).
Paul wrote the letter to the Romans while he was in Corinth. Paul was about to leave Corinth for Jerusalem to deliver the special offering received from the Gentile churches for the poor Jewish saints. He hoped that he would be able to travel from Jerusalem to Rome, and then on to Spain; and he was hoping for a prosperous journey. However, we know that Paul had a very perilous journey and that he went to Rome as a prisoner after being arrested in the temple based on false accusations from the Jewish authorities. Paul eventually had to appeal to Caesar in order to not be handed over to the Jews who wanted to kill him. On his way to Rome as a prisoner, Paul was even shipwrecked. Some three years after writing to the Romans and wanting to visit them, Paul finally arrived – in chains.
Paul had total and unreserved commitment to be used by God however it pleased God – “For God, whom I serve in my spirit.” True service is worship in which believers present their bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is their spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1). True worship is service to God in the Spirit of God and putting no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). It is this that caused the apostle to pray unceasingly for the saints in Rome.
Paul’s primary service to God was the preaching of the gospel of His Son. But he went on to explain that service to God included deep, personal concern for everyone who believed the gospel, whether they heard it from him or someone else. Paul was not concerned for the saints in Rome because they were his converts, but because they were his brothers and sisters who had the same spiritual Father through trusting in the same Lord and Savior that had saved both him and them.
Perhaps because most of the saints in Rome did not personally know Paul, so he called the Lord as a witness to his sincere love and concern for them. He knew that God who knows the motive and sincerity of each heart would testify as to how unceasingly he made mention of them always in his prayers. Paul was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the saints in Rome and the glory of God through the churches there. As we read Paul’s letters to the churches we always see his prayers for the saints in each place. Witnessing, serving, and praying go hand in hand. We dare not attempt to witness and serve without also praying. Knowing the difficulties that Christians must endure for their faith we must always be praying for all the saints everywhere. Also, knowing the danger that unbelievers are under the wrath of God we are to pray for all men (1 Timothy 2:1).
Paul not only prayed for the spiritual well-being of the saints at Rome, he also prayed that he could be an instrument in the hands of God to go to them and strengthen them in their faith. As we pray for God to reach and strengthen others, we must be willing to be the answer to that prayer.
Paul had been making request for a long time that he could visit the saints at Rome and minister to them and be ministered to by them. Paul’s eagerness to serve God was always directed by his willingness to obey God and be in His will. Paul sought the advancement of God’s glory and kingdom through God’s own will, not his own.
Next we see Paul’s passion for the saints at Rome (1:11-12). Paul wanted to visit the saints at Rome in order to serve them lovingly in God’s name. He did not want to go as a tourist and visit the wonders of Rome – he wanted to go to give himself in the Lord’s service to the people; not to entertain and indulge himself. Paul was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the Christians in Rome and therefore he wanted to go and impart some spiritual gift to them. He wasn’t speaking of giving them a spiritual gift that only the Holy Spirit can do – but he was speaking of exercising his gifts so that they might be established.
Paul made it clear though that they would not be the only beneficiaries of his faith but that he also would be encouraged and would benefit from their faith. The great apostle knew that he would be strengthened and encouraged from inexperienced beginners. After all, every genuine convert has been gifted by the Holy Spirit and can contribute in some way to the spiritual progress of others. Pity the person who cannot learn from others because he no longer has a teachable and humble spirit.
Finally we see Paul’s plan for the saints at Rome (1:13-15). Paul wanted to make it clear to the Roman Christians that he had often planned to come to them (but had been prevented so far). As far as his own plans were concerned he would have come to them much sooner and would not have been prevented. However, God is sovereign and all-knowing and Paul was submitted to God’s will and not his own. Sometimes Paul was hindered because of the work of Satan – “But we brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while – in person, not in spirit – were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you – I, Paul, more than once – and yet Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18). But in this case it was Paul’s work for the Lord and the work of the Lord that kept him from coming as soon as he would have liked (Romans 15:15-33).
Paul planned to obtain some fruit while in Rome visiting the saints there. Paul wanted both the fruit that comes from maturing those who already saved and the fruit that comes from leading others to Christ. Paul wanted to be used to help the Roman church grow through new converts and to grow in sanctification.
Paul had an obligation to minister in Rome as the apostle to the Gentiles. He was under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians. The Greeks considered every non-Greek a barbarian. The Greeks considered themselves wise because they were steeped in centuries of philosophy and they considered everyone else foolish. But Paul felt an obligation to all men, just as we need to feel a burden for the whole world.
Paul was eager to visit Rome that he might minister to the believers there and evangelize the lost there. It was not the eagerness of a sightseer, but the eagerness of a soul-winner. Paul was eager to preach the gospel in Rome. He knew that Rome was a dangerous place and that Christians there had already experienced persecution. He knew that the false apostles would be spreading their destructive heresies there. He knew that the capitol city of the empire was steeped in immorality and paganism, including emperor worship. He knew that he would be despised by many and that they would probably seek to harm him. Yet he was boldly eager to go there for His Lord’s sake and for the sake of the Lord’s people.
We have already considered the first aspect of Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome which was Paul praised the saints at Rome (1:8). Now we turn our attention to the other three aspects of Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome:
Next, Paul prayed for the saints at Rome (1:9-10). The saints at Rome did not know about Paul’s prayer support for them but the Lord knew about it and honored it. One of the burdens of Paul’s prayer was that God would allow him to visit Rome and minister to the churches there. He would have visited them sooner but his ministry work and God’s will kept him busy (Romans 15:15-33).
Paul wrote the letter to the Romans while he was in Corinth. Paul was about to leave Corinth for Jerusalem to deliver the special offering received from the Gentile churches for the poor Jewish saints. He hoped that he would be able to travel from Jerusalem to Rome, and then on to Spain; and he was hoping for a prosperous journey. However, we know that Paul had a very perilous journey and that he went to Rome as a prisoner after being arrested in the temple based on false accusations from the Jewish authorities. Paul eventually had to appeal to Caesar in order to not be handed over to the Jews who wanted to kill him. On his way to Rome as a prisoner, Paul was even shipwrecked. Some three years after writing to the Romans and wanting to visit them, Paul finally arrived – in chains.
Paul had total and unreserved commitment to be used by God however it pleased God – “For God, whom I serve in my spirit.” True service is worship in which believers present their bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is their spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1). True worship is service to God in the Spirit of God and putting no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). It is this that caused the apostle to pray unceasingly for the saints in Rome.
Paul’s primary service to God was the preaching of the gospel of His Son. But he went on to explain that service to God included deep, personal concern for everyone who believed the gospel, whether they heard it from him or someone else. Paul was not concerned for the saints in Rome because they were his converts, but because they were his brothers and sisters who had the same spiritual Father through trusting in the same Lord and Savior that had saved both him and them.
Perhaps because most of the saints in Rome did not personally know Paul, so he called the Lord as a witness to his sincere love and concern for them. He knew that God who knows the motive and sincerity of each heart would testify as to how unceasingly he made mention of them always in his prayers. Paul was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the saints in Rome and the glory of God through the churches there. As we read Paul’s letters to the churches we always see his prayers for the saints in each place. Witnessing, serving, and praying go hand in hand. We dare not attempt to witness and serve without also praying. Knowing the difficulties that Christians must endure for their faith we must always be praying for all the saints everywhere. Also, knowing the danger that unbelievers are under the wrath of God we are to pray for all men (1 Timothy 2:1).
Paul not only prayed for the spiritual well-being of the saints at Rome, he also prayed that he could be an instrument in the hands of God to go to them and strengthen them in their faith. As we pray for God to reach and strengthen others, we must be willing to be the answer to that prayer.
Paul had been making request for a long time that he could visit the saints at Rome and minister to them and be ministered to by them. Paul’s eagerness to serve God was always directed by his willingness to obey God and be in His will. Paul sought the advancement of God’s glory and kingdom through God’s own will, not his own.
Next we see Paul’s passion for the saints at Rome (1:11-12). Paul wanted to visit the saints at Rome in order to serve them lovingly in God’s name. He did not want to go as a tourist and visit the wonders of Rome – he wanted to go to give himself in the Lord’s service to the people; not to entertain and indulge himself. Paul was concerned for the spiritual well-being of the Christians in Rome and therefore he wanted to go and impart some spiritual gift to them. He wasn’t speaking of giving them a spiritual gift that only the Holy Spirit can do – but he was speaking of exercising his gifts so that they might be established.
Paul made it clear though that they would not be the only beneficiaries of his faith but that he also would be encouraged and would benefit from their faith. The great apostle knew that he would be strengthened and encouraged from inexperienced beginners. After all, every genuine convert has been gifted by the Holy Spirit and can contribute in some way to the spiritual progress of others. Pity the person who cannot learn from others because he no longer has a teachable and humble spirit.
Finally we see Paul’s plan for the saints at Rome (1:13-15). Paul wanted to make it clear to the Roman Christians that he had often planned to come to them (but had been prevented so far). As far as his own plans were concerned he would have come to them much sooner and would not have been prevented. However, God is sovereign and all-knowing and Paul was submitted to God’s will and not his own. Sometimes Paul was hindered because of the work of Satan – “But we brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while – in person, not in spirit – were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you – I, Paul, more than once – and yet Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18). But in this case it was Paul’s work for the Lord and the work of the Lord that kept him from coming as soon as he would have liked (Romans 15:15-33).
Paul planned to obtain some fruit while in Rome visiting the saints there. Paul wanted both the fruit that comes from maturing those who already saved and the fruit that comes from leading others to Christ. Paul wanted to be used to help the Roman church grow through new converts and to grow in sanctification.
Paul had an obligation to minister in Rome as the apostle to the Gentiles. He was under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians. The Greeks considered every non-Greek a barbarian. The Greeks considered themselves wise because they were steeped in centuries of philosophy and they considered everyone else foolish. But Paul felt an obligation to all men, just as we need to feel a burden for the whole world.
Paul was eager to visit Rome that he might minister to the believers there and evangelize the lost there. It was not the eagerness of a sightseer, but the eagerness of a soul-winner. Paul was eager to preach the gospel in Rome. He knew that Rome was a dangerous place and that Christians there had already experienced persecution. He knew that the false apostles would be spreading their destructive heresies there. He knew that the capitol city of the empire was steeped in immorality and paganism, including emperor worship. He knew that he would be despised by many and that they would probably seek to harm him. Yet he was boldly eager to go there for His Lord’s sake and for the sake of the Lord’s people.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Credentials for a Minister's Mission
When the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans he had never been to Rome yet although it was his desire to visit them and preach the gospel in Rome (Romans 1:8-15). Paul also wanted the Christians at Rome to support him on a planned missionary journey to Spain (Romans 15:23-24) and therefore at the beginning of his letter to the Romans he set forth the credentials for a minister's mission to show that he was indeed qualified as the apostle to the Gentiles. Here we see three necessary credentials for the minister's mission.
I. Paul was a bond-servant of Jesus Christ (1:1a).
His position as a bond-servant:
The modesty of the position of bond-servant.
Paul was subservient and insignificant but His Master was everything! In 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul referred to himself as a galley slave who was an under-rower, referring to the lowest level of rowers in the large galley of a Roman ship. The position of bond-servant expresses modesty because the bond-servant does not lord it over those allotted to his charge, but proves to be an example of a faithful and loyal servant of his Lord to the flock.
The majesty of the position of bond-servant.
Paul was not belittling his position – there is no greater position than to be a bond-servant of Christ Jesus. Servants of the Lord do not exalt themselves – they exalt their Master and they do His will from the heart because He is worthy! The position of bond-servant expresses majesty because the bond-servant glories in his being a servant of the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Jesus Himself expressed the truth that with modesty comes majesty – “He who humbles himself will be exalted,” and the opposite is also true – “He who exalts himself will be humbled.” And the Lord said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27).
His practice – as a bond-servant.
Paul’s primary practice was to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul gave himself wholeheartedly in love to the Lord who saved him from sin and the wrath of God – (Exodus 21:5-6) – Paul enslaved himself to Christ, to be His servant and obey His will because of Christ’s love for Him (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). A man’s enslavement to Christ as one of Christ’s servants is always based on the man’s grateful and adoring heart for Christ’s goodness and greatness as revealed in His willing sacrifice of Himself as an atoning substitute for our sins. We love Him because He first loved us! This is why we sing songs like – “Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me? Amazing love, I know it’s true, and it’s my joy to honor You in all I do.”
It is because of the love for us that the Lord demonstrated in giving Himself up for us that we serve Him with gladness by faith and not by flesh – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
But not only do we love the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him from a heart of gratitude because of His love for us; we also love God the Father and serve Him from the same heart of gratitude because of His love for us. Not only did the Lord Jesus love us and give Himself up for us but we also read and know that God the Father loved us and sent His Son so that He could pardon us on the only legal and righteous basis that would satisfy His own holy nature – penal substitution.
This is why we sing songs like, “How deep the Father’s love for us! How vast beyond all measure! That He would give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure. How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away, as wounds which mar the chosen One, bring many sons to glory. Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders, ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished. I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no powr's, no wisdom, but I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom."
You see, Paul’s practice as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus; giving himself wholeheartedly in love to the Lord and His service; where Paul was now willingly obeying the first and greatest commandment; to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind; was based on his Lord’s loving him first.
Paul’s secondary practice as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus was to serve men.
Paul’s love for God which was primary, issued in his love for men and their salvation, which is secondary. Jesus put it this way when He was tested by a Pharisee with the question of which is the greatest commandment in the Law: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ‘This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it,’ “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ‘On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Paul put it this way in Romans 1:14-15, “I am under obligation [literally a debtor] both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach to gospel to you also who are in Rome.” As a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, Paul was also to be a bond-servant of men in order that he might preach the gospel to them.
Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”
And again listen to these words, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). As we love and serve God because He first loved us we will also love and serve men because of our love for God. Any love and service to man that does not flow from genuine love for God is nothing short of religious humanism; is a work of the flesh and not of faith; and is an attempt to be justified by works of the law rather than the loving and loyal obedience of faith.
II. Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ (1:1b)
His authority - as an apostle
The word apostle means “one who is sent by authority with a commission.” It was applied in that day to the representatives of the emperor or the emissaries of a king. As an apostle of the King of kings Paul’s message from the King was one of all authority. When Paul spoke people had better listen because he wasn’t speaking on his own initiative and own authority but was speaking on behalf of the Lord Himself.
His authorization as an apostle
Paul was called by the Lord to be an apostle. Paul’s position as an apostle was not of his own doing. Paul did not volunteer for that office, he did not campaign for that office, and he was not elected to that office by fellow believers. Paul was divinely called by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Paul didn’t choose Jesus, Jesus chose him (see Galatians 1:1).
There is great and grave danger to enter the ministry without a divine call and divine authorization. Woe to those who would dare take upon themselves the pastoral office without a divine call. There are many people preaching and teaching and presuming to prophesy in the name of Christ whom Christ clearly has neither sent nor has He called them. “I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:21). For the false prophets and false teachers who claim to be called and claim to be sent the Bible says, “Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:3).
When the Lord calls and authorizes a man for the ministry, the man is called and authorized to speak only that which His Lord has spoken and revealed to them through His Word. Even the apostle Paul said that the gospel that He preached was the same gospel that was promised beforehand by the Lord’s prophets in the holy Scriptures (see verse 2). False prophets speak as from the world and the world listens to them. True prophets speak God’s Word and those who know God listen to them (1 John 4:1-6).
III. Paul was set apart for God’s gospel (1:1c)
Set apart means separated unto and in this context it means that every part of Paul’s life was dedicated for the sole purpose of God’s use in spreading the gospel. As a bond-servant, Paul was the Lord’s for whatever service He required; and as an apostle, Paul was divinely authorized and divinely sent to proclaim the gospel of God. As Christians we should also be set apart for the Master’s use – “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
Paul was singularly set apart by God to be the apostle to the Gentiles. He said to the Galatians, “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16).
It is when God calls us through His grace and we view the mercies of God that we give ourselves willingly for His service and discover that one task to which God has set us apart.
The gospel is God’s gospel; it doesn’t originate with man and isn’t an afterthought with God. It was God’s gospel to which Paul was separated and this along with being a bond-servant and being authorized by God gave Paul the necessary credentials to be a minister of Christ Jesus.
I. Paul was a bond-servant of Jesus Christ (1:1a).
His position as a bond-servant:
The modesty of the position of bond-servant.
Paul was subservient and insignificant but His Master was everything! In 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul referred to himself as a galley slave who was an under-rower, referring to the lowest level of rowers in the large galley of a Roman ship. The position of bond-servant expresses modesty because the bond-servant does not lord it over those allotted to his charge, but proves to be an example of a faithful and loyal servant of his Lord to the flock.
The majesty of the position of bond-servant.
Paul was not belittling his position – there is no greater position than to be a bond-servant of Christ Jesus. Servants of the Lord do not exalt themselves – they exalt their Master and they do His will from the heart because He is worthy! The position of bond-servant expresses majesty because the bond-servant glories in his being a servant of the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Jesus Himself expressed the truth that with modesty comes majesty – “He who humbles himself will be exalted,” and the opposite is also true – “He who exalts himself will be humbled.” And the Lord said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27).
His practice – as a bond-servant.
Paul’s primary practice was to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul gave himself wholeheartedly in love to the Lord who saved him from sin and the wrath of God – (Exodus 21:5-6) – Paul enslaved himself to Christ, to be His servant and obey His will because of Christ’s love for Him (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). A man’s enslavement to Christ as one of Christ’s servants is always based on the man’s grateful and adoring heart for Christ’s goodness and greatness as revealed in His willing sacrifice of Himself as an atoning substitute for our sins. We love Him because He first loved us! This is why we sing songs like – “Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me? Amazing love, I know it’s true, and it’s my joy to honor You in all I do.”
It is because of the love for us that the Lord demonstrated in giving Himself up for us that we serve Him with gladness by faith and not by flesh – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
But not only do we love the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him from a heart of gratitude because of His love for us; we also love God the Father and serve Him from the same heart of gratitude because of His love for us. Not only did the Lord Jesus love us and give Himself up for us but we also read and know that God the Father loved us and sent His Son so that He could pardon us on the only legal and righteous basis that would satisfy His own holy nature – penal substitution.
This is why we sing songs like, “How deep the Father’s love for us! How vast beyond all measure! That He would give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure. How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away, as wounds which mar the chosen One, bring many sons to glory. Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders, ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished. I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no powr's, no wisdom, but I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom."
You see, Paul’s practice as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus; giving himself wholeheartedly in love to the Lord and His service; where Paul was now willingly obeying the first and greatest commandment; to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind; was based on his Lord’s loving him first.
Paul’s secondary practice as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus was to serve men.
Paul’s love for God which was primary, issued in his love for men and their salvation, which is secondary. Jesus put it this way when He was tested by a Pharisee with the question of which is the greatest commandment in the Law: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ‘This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it,’ “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ‘On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Paul put it this way in Romans 1:14-15, “I am under obligation [literally a debtor] both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach to gospel to you also who are in Rome.” As a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, Paul was also to be a bond-servant of men in order that he might preach the gospel to them.
Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”
And again listen to these words, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). As we love and serve God because He first loved us we will also love and serve men because of our love for God. Any love and service to man that does not flow from genuine love for God is nothing short of religious humanism; is a work of the flesh and not of faith; and is an attempt to be justified by works of the law rather than the loving and loyal obedience of faith.
II. Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ (1:1b)
His authority - as an apostle
The word apostle means “one who is sent by authority with a commission.” It was applied in that day to the representatives of the emperor or the emissaries of a king. As an apostle of the King of kings Paul’s message from the King was one of all authority. When Paul spoke people had better listen because he wasn’t speaking on his own initiative and own authority but was speaking on behalf of the Lord Himself.
His authorization as an apostle
Paul was called by the Lord to be an apostle. Paul’s position as an apostle was not of his own doing. Paul did not volunteer for that office, he did not campaign for that office, and he was not elected to that office by fellow believers. Paul was divinely called by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Paul didn’t choose Jesus, Jesus chose him (see Galatians 1:1).
There is great and grave danger to enter the ministry without a divine call and divine authorization. Woe to those who would dare take upon themselves the pastoral office without a divine call. There are many people preaching and teaching and presuming to prophesy in the name of Christ whom Christ clearly has neither sent nor has He called them. “I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:21). For the false prophets and false teachers who claim to be called and claim to be sent the Bible says, “Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:3).
When the Lord calls and authorizes a man for the ministry, the man is called and authorized to speak only that which His Lord has spoken and revealed to them through His Word. Even the apostle Paul said that the gospel that He preached was the same gospel that was promised beforehand by the Lord’s prophets in the holy Scriptures (see verse 2). False prophets speak as from the world and the world listens to them. True prophets speak God’s Word and those who know God listen to them (1 John 4:1-6).
III. Paul was set apart for God’s gospel (1:1c)
Set apart means separated unto and in this context it means that every part of Paul’s life was dedicated for the sole purpose of God’s use in spreading the gospel. As a bond-servant, Paul was the Lord’s for whatever service He required; and as an apostle, Paul was divinely authorized and divinely sent to proclaim the gospel of God. As Christians we should also be set apart for the Master’s use – “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
Paul was singularly set apart by God to be the apostle to the Gentiles. He said to the Galatians, “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16).
It is when God calls us through His grace and we view the mercies of God that we give ourselves willingly for His service and discover that one task to which God has set us apart.
The gospel is God’s gospel; it doesn’t originate with man and isn’t an afterthought with God. It was God’s gospel to which Paul was separated and this along with being a bond-servant and being authorized by God gave Paul the necessary credentials to be a minister of Christ Jesus.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Methods Do Matter!
Since the primary goal of missions is the glory of God, missions have to be done according to God’s ways (methods) and God’s will (motives). Missions have to be from Him and through Him so that the glory goes to Him.
We are being told today that methods don’t matter as long as they produce results. Many are buying into and being taken captive by this philosophy. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).
If methods don’t matter then there would have been nothing wrong with Jesus yielding to the temptations of the devil to turn stones into bread, to jump from the pinnacle of the temple, or to bow down to Satan in order to receive the kingdoms of the world. Temptations are nothing short of the devil’s methods for accomplishing the will of God. A temptation is the offer of a method to arrive at God’s will your own way rather than God’s way – it is the method of leaning on your own understanding rather than trusting the Lord with all your heart; it is the method of quick results (shortcuts) and are unlawful. That is why Jesus is going to say to many who think they are saved and are not, “Depart from Me you workers of lawlessness/iniquity.”
We are told in 1 Corinthians 3:10 that each man must be careful how he builds. "How" would definitely be methodology. The Bible tells us that there are no shortcuts to doing the will of God. Anyone who takes a shortcut to doing God's will has succumbed to the temptations of the devil and sinned against God. Believing that methods don't matter as long as they are working is a deadly and deluding practice of judging by appearance and is nothing short of philosophical pragmatism.
Theology determines methodology. You’ll hear people who are held captive by philosophy and who differ in methodology from those who are captive by Christ and His glory say, “Our theology is the same but our methodology differs.” That is not true! The man who has a theology of missions knows that the primary goal of missions is the glory of God and he will not use unauthorized and unworthy methods (shortcuts) that rob God of His glory. On the other hand the man who has a philosophy of missions will use unauthorized and unworthy methods (shortcuts) in order to get “quick results” and thereby rob God of His glory.
This principle is clearly demonstrated in Acts 16:16-18. Paul and his companions were confronted with the temptation to allow a slave-girl with a spirit of divination help them get quick results. Allowing this popular slave-girl on the missionary team would have increased Paul's popularity, influence, and ability to get decisions. Paul wouldn't have to have such a hard ministry from now on - he could just become all things to all men the devil's way! But immediately there would have been no power because there would have been declaration with no illumination; there would have been head knowledge without heart knowledge; and there would have been professions of faith without possession of faith.
If methods don't matter then Paul could have used this girl that was energized by the devil! But he didn't because methods do matter!
Vance Havner once said, "They tell us now even in some evangelical circles that we ought to hobnob with Sodom and get chummy with Gomorrah in order to convert them. And the argument is not older than that the end justifies the means forgetting that the means determines the end. A few years of unworthy means and you've already spoiled the objective before you get to it. And these dear people are not turning the light on in Sodom, they're just getting used to the dark."
Listen to him say it here
Methods Do Matter: Audio
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