Scriptures
Scripture Lesson Text: Romans 1: 8-17
Related Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-4; 1 Corinthians 1: 18-24; Galatians 3: 10-14
By Sister Deborah Hillman
We begin this week’s lesson with the Apostle Paul writing a letter to the Christian believers in Rome, thanking them for being witnesses of the Gospel in spite of the looming harm that could besiege them. Their belief in the Gospel message encourages Paul to impart spiritual gifts establishing the word of God, as well as the acceptance of the church in Rome.
In the Related Scriptures, 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-4 speaks of another letter written by Paul, Silas and Timothy to the church in Thessalonica, thanking them for their faith, belief and trust in the word of God. The hope is of salvation made possible through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was grateful for the Thessalonians because of the work of the Holy Spirit that produced changes in their lives. 1 Corinthians 1: 18-24 tells us that those who are called by God through salvation believe, trust and have faith in God through his word. These verses speak to the power of the cross and the wisdom of men and the wisdom of God.
Galatians 3:10 shows that no one can be made righteous by obeying the law. One can only be saved by believing in Christ through faith in the Holy Spirit which comes only from God. Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law. The blessing comes to Jew and Gentile, who are identified in Christ Jesus in faith and not.the principle of the law.
Synopsis
By Brother Doug Smith
Paul used the phrase”I thank my God through Jesus Christ”to emphasize the point that Christ is the one and only mediator between God and man. Through Christ, God sends his love and forgiveness to us and we give our thanks to God. When we pray continually about a concern, we are not surprised at how God answers. Paul prayed to visit Rome so he could teach the Christians who resided there. Paul prayed for a safe trip, even though it was several years before he arrived, because of accusations, arrest and appeals.
God’s way of answering our prayers are often far from what we expect. When we sincerely pray, God will answer, although sometimes with timing and in ways we do not expect. Our mutual faith gives us a common language and a common purpose for encouraging one another. We owe Christ the same debt of love because He took on the punishment we deserve for our sin. Although we cannot repay him for all He has done, we can demonstrate our gratitude by showing his love to others.
Paul was not ashamed, because his message was the gospel of Christ, the good news. It was a message of salvation, which had life-changing power, and it was for everyone. The gospel shows us both how righteous God is in His plan for us to be saved, and also how we may be made fit for eternal life. By trusting Christ, our relationship with God is made right. We see from “ faith to faith” , from start to finish, God declares us to be righteous by our faith.
Practical Application
By Minister Charlene Armstrong
I can understand the Apostle Paul’s desire to visit Rome because he felt an urgency in his spirit to continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. The same should be said of us, being called by God, we should also have a sense of urgency when it comes to spreading the gospel and fulfilling our God given call. “And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 )Too often fear and the cares of this world stop us from sharing our faith but God calls us to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us and will empower us to boldly proclaim His word.
With the responsibility of spreading the gospel we are also called to pray for those doing this work of ministry. Paul sets a good example for us as he often models the responsibility of Christians to pray for one another as mentioned in verse 9 “That without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.” What Paul knew and what we should desire to know is the undeniable impact our prayers can have on the ministry of others as we intercede regularly and consistently on their behalf. Our prayers do matter and they do make a difference.
One of the reasons we can develop a desire and responsibility to pray for one another is because of the mutual bond of faith we possess as believers of Christ. This bond that has united us together gives us even more reason to encourage and support each other in ministry, for those who are in the household of Faith.One can say that our entire life as a Christian is a life lived and walked out by faith in God. God is the only one able to equip us and to give us the power to esteem others greater than ourselves and keeping us humble.
