Romans 1:14-18 give us an overview of the Gospel. Today, we will be studying verses 14-16. Take a moment and look at the picture above. We use this picture to teach these verses. There are two truths about the Gospel that we learn from these verses.
Truth 1: The Gospel is for everyone.
Romans 1:14-15
14. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
15. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Paul listed 4 groups of people that he was obligated to in these verses. The word "obligation" is the same greek word for indebted. I briefly mentioned these people in my previous post. Now, I want to look at them in more detail. We are indebted to these same groups of people.
The Gospel is for Barbarians:
Liberia's past is full of violence. Talk to any Liberian and you will hear personal stories of the atrocities of war. Brutal battles were fought nearly everywhere we walk. For example, visit our local hospital and you will see a monument, in honor of those who were slaughtered there while seeking refuge. When the rebels entered a town, they often killed every man, woman and child. Those who survived, ran into the bush, often never seeing their families again.
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| Monument at Phebe Hospital |
I tell you this information because it helps us understand the significance of the Scripture we are studying today. You see, the Roman Empire was fighting a brutal war with the Barbarians during the time Paul wrote the book of Romans. These Barbarians personified violence and dishonor. The Barbarians invaded Rome from the north and much like Liberia's civil war, they killed every man, woman, and child when they entered a town. Those who survived were left with deep emotional scars. For the Romans, the Barbarians were the ultimate example of injustice, inhumanity, and hatred. They here heartless and ruthless. They were... Barbarians. Question: Who are the Barbarians in your life? If Romans 1:14-15 is true, we have to stop thinking that our enemy owes us and begin to think that we owe our enemy.
For some, the thought of owing their enemy is repulsive. Isn't it interesting that we love the mercies of God when they are applied to us but we hate them when they are applied to our enemies. This should not be. We find it easy to imagine God's justice being poured out upon our enemies but we find it almost unthinkable that God would lavish His grace and mercy on them.
We must not forget that we were once God's enemy (Romans 5:6-10). At that time, Jesus loved us and even chased after us (Matthew 18:10-14). Could it be that Jesus is chasing after your enemy right now? As a "follower of Christ," we must join Jesus in His righteous pursuit. We must remember, we were forgiven a debt that we could not repay (Matthew 18:21-35) and that we are called to be sin's mortgage burner (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Take a moment and think of the barbarians in your life. Get out your match, stand before God with a heart full of worship and burn their debt against you. Now, put on your running shoes and join Jesus in His righteous conquest. Chase your enemy with the Good News! You will find your soul liberated as you run. Pour grace upon them. Lead them to the same freedom that you are finding in Christ. Trust God for justice, pay your debt.
Here are a three additional things God commands us to do to our enemies:
- Love your enemy (Matthew 5:43-45).
- Forgive and pray for your enemy (Matthew 6:9-13).
- Provide for your enemy (Romans 12:20).
The Gospel is for the Greeks:
For the Romans, the Greeks were their fellow citizens. Like Paul, we are indebted to our fellow citizens.
Imagine owing a friend a few hundred dollars and not being able to repay the debt. What kind of feelings would you have? For me, I would feel stressed and shamed. Compare those feelings to the feelings you would have if you needed to repay the same debt after having won a million dollars. For me, I would be eager to pay the debt and would probably add an additional blessing to my payment. Which of these two feelings best represents the way a Christian should feel concerning repaying our debt to share the Gospel? As Christians, we are to be eager and ready at any moment to pay our debt by sharing the Gospel to all who will listen. We have won an incredible spiritual lottery! Let us joyfully look for open doors and take advantage of every opportunity God gives us. Like the Romans, we are in debt to our fellow citizens. Lets go and pay some bills!
The Gospel is for the wise person:
Most people enjoy the company of the wise. Wise people tend to be influential. Their education leads them to higher incomes and they are often seated in places of honor. We read their names in the newspaper and hear about them on the television. They are CEOs, foremen, and supervisors at our workplaces.
Two days ago, I took Christian with me into the bush. Our mission was to train pastors who had gathered at one of our remote Bible training centers. Christian's mission was to teach the pastors Romans 1:14-16. For a 13 year old boy, to stand in front of grown pastors and teach is a little intimidating. Like Christian, we often feel intimidated to share the Gospel with those we perceive to be wiser than us. Be strong and courageous! Open your month and allow God to fill it with life changing words. We have a debt to pay to those who are smarter than us. Don't let you spiritual account be in default. Pay your bills with a joyful smile on your face!
The Gospel is for the foolish:
Unlike the wise person, few people seek the company of the fool. Most people do not want to be associated with the fool. Jesus, however, was different. He was known as a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19). Liberians consider the foolish man to be the man on the street, wearing nothing but underwear, who has lost his mind. They look at a drunkard as the fool. Unfortunately, they also look at people who were born with mental disabilities as fools. Two days ago, while teaching in the bush, I was asked, "How can we share the gospel with fools?" Our students reasoned that it is impossible to share the Gospel with unreasonable people. Let us not forget that we are to be ministers both in word and deeds (Romans 15:18; Colossians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:8). If a person is unreasonable, we must share the Gospel with them through our actions and not through our words.
Please let your hearts be broken for those the world labels as fools. To be indebted to them means that we must place ourselves under them and become their servants. Here is what this looks like for me. Today, I will hold every disabled child I can find, I will feed those who are hungry, and I will share the gospel to anyone who has enough reason to understand. What does this look like for you?
The first thing we learn about the Gospel is that it is for everyone. Look at the picture at the top of this post. Keep in mind, this picture was drawn for Liberians. Study the crowd. As you look at the crowd notice the Greek (Liberian's fellow citizens), the Barbarians (those with the guns), the Wise, and the Foolish.
Truth 2: The Gospel is the power of God.
Romans 1:16
16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Did you know that when you share the Gospel, you are participating in the power of God? Please reread that sentence and ponder it's truth. This is the amazing truth that I want us to explore next.
Have you ever taken time to meditate on God's power. If you have not seen Louie Giglio's video called Indescribable, I encourage you to watch it because it will help you understand the awesome power of God. I want us to look briefly at how God's power is displayed.
Two days ago, while pushing a car out of the mud, my power was displayed through the strength in my arms and legs. Our power is displayed through the strength of our physical bodies. What about God? How is His power displayed? Is His power displayed through His arms and legs? Are you ready for some incredible news? The Bible teaches us that God's power is displayed through His spoken Word.
Take a look at creation. In Genesis 1, God spoke and Boom, things were created. God's spoken word is powerful!
Next, lets look at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelations 19:11-21). The Bible says the armies of heaven show up to the battle "arrayed in fine linen, white and pure" (Revelations 19:14). Who shows up for a fight wearing their Sunday's best? Contrast the wardrobe of the armies of heaven with God's wardrobe. God wore a robe dipped in blood and His eyes blazed like fire (Revelations 19:13). Who do you think is going to be doing the fighting, God or His armies. The Bible says a sword will come from the mouth of God and slay all His enemies (Revelations 19:15-21). Do you think God will vomit a physical sword, pick it up, and with the strength in His arms slay His enemies? No, this sword is referring to the spoken word of God. When God speaks, the battle will be over and all God's enemies will be destroyed. God's spoken word is powerful!
The Bible says, God's Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). Wow, God's Word is ALIVE! Consider an unbeliever's Judgment Day. Revelations 20 says books will be open that contain every detail of that unbeliever's life. They will be judged by what is written in these books. The Bible tells us that another book will be opened which is the Book of Life. If a person's name is not found written in the book of life they will be "thrown" into the lake of fire (Revelations 20:15). How do you think these unbelievers will be thrown in the lake of fire? Do you think angels will pick them up and throw them into hell? To answer this question, let's think of the last words unbelievers will hear before being thrown into hell. Matthew 7:23 tells us the last words they will hear, come from the mouth of God. God will say, "Away from me, I never new you." As they hear these words, they will feel their bodies being picked up by the living Word of God and thrown into hell. God's spoken word is powerful.
Now let's consider how the Bible instructs Christians to dress each day. We are to put on the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, and the helmet of salvation. We are to take up the shield of faith and have our feet fitted with the readiness of the Gospel. Lastly, we are to take up the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17) . If you take time and look up the words "Word of God" in a greek lexicon you will discover this verse is referring to the spoken word of God. Could it be that God gave us the same sword for our battles that He will use to slay His enemies in the Battle of Armageddon?
Now, lets read Romans 1:16 again. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Wow, oh wow. God has given us the wonderful privilege of participating in His power as we speak His words. When we accurately speak the Gospel, our words become living and active because we are God's ambassadors and God is making His plea through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). The words, coming from our finite mouths cary all the power that is necessary to take the hardest heart and transform it, if that person simply believes.
Look again at this picture. Does the man with the Bible look powerful? If he is speaking the Gospel accurately, the same power that created the world is pouring out of his mouth as God recreates those who believe in Him through the spoken Word of God. Brothers and Sisters, we are truly blessed to be entrusted with the Gospel. Smile, God has entrusted you with something that is truly AWESOME!
Prayer to Pray:
Father,
Thank you for the Gospel. Please help me to truly understand its message so I can walk in freedom and so I can help others walk in freedom. I am eager to pay my debt to everyone who will listen. For those who will not listen, I am eager to preach your Gospel through my actions. Please open my eyes to see every opportunity You give me today.
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