FULLY PREACHING THE GOSPEL
ROMANS 15
15-16 But even so I have been bold enough to emphasize some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder from me; for I am, by God’s grace, a special messenger from Jesus Christ to you Gentiles, bringing you the Gospel and offering you up as a fragrant sacrifice to God; for you have been made pure and pleasing to him by the Holy Spirit.
17 So it is right for me to be a little proud of all Christ Jesus has done through me. 18 I dare not judge how effectively he has used others, but I know this: he has used me to win the Gentiles to God. 19 I have won them by my message and by the good way I have lived before them and by the miracles done through me as signs from God—all by the Holy Spirit’s power. In this way I have preached the full Gospel of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum.
No one could accuse the Apostle Paul of not doing the above. It is the most amazing privilege to stand before a gathering of your Christian brothers and sisters and expound the gospel. As I often say, it is the most humbling place and a place where you are alone with only the Spirit to lead you.
Paul is drawing the letter of Romans to a close, he is bringing all the strands together of this glorious masterpiece. He surely has preached the full gospel of God to the Roman Church. The gentiles of the Roman and Greek world, had largely been won by the preaching of this wonderful man of God. Look at what he calls them at the end of verse 16, a fragrant sacrifice. It is a wonderful thing to lead people to Christ and to present them as a fragrant sacrifice to God.
I wonder how many fragrant sacrifices you have offered to God? Have you ever had the privilege of leading someone to the foot of the cross?
Look at what Paul says in verse 18, he has been used by God to bring the gentiles to God. Has God used you to bring anyone to HIM? It is God’s will that we are all soul-winners (Proverbs 11:32). God used Paul’s message, Paul’s life and testimony and the miracles done by Paul. As Paul says it’s all by the Spirit’s power.
Believer, Paul’s God is yours the same Holy Spirit that dwelt in Paul dwells in you and me. Let’s follow the example of Paul and fully preach the gospel of God, wherever we go. Amen.
God bless you,