Romans 15:14-21
I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written:
“Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
2 Corinthians 10:17
But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Devotion
At this point Paul resumes his personal testimony as an apostle to the Gentiles. He began this letter in a very personal manner. Now he leaves the doctrinal section, and he picks up that personal note with which he began the letter, where he expressed his desire to visit Rome. Paul is offering in this passage a gentle apology for his frankness and boldness in speaking to the Christians in Rome in the doctrinal section. It was not because they were lacking in goodness and knowledge, but rather because they possessed these qualities.
In verse seventeen, he writes, “Therefore, I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God.” Paul wanted to boast “in Christ Jesus” to the believers in Rome about how God had used him to spread the Good News all the way from Jerusalem to the Roman province of Illyricum. There is no personal assumption in this. Paul is a servant of Christ Jesus and is doing His will. He is not taking credit for all that God had done during his three missionary journeys. Instead he gives credit to Christ Jesus! There is one thing that should never characterize a servant of God, and that is pride. We should never become boastful but rather, take the position that we are merely serving the Lord, and He is in charge.
One of the attributes of love found in First Corinthians thirteen is: “Love does not boast.” As one reads through the Gospels, it becomes quite evident that humility is one of Jesus’ main attributes. Humility comes when we put everything in its proper perspective. When God sits on the throne of our hearts, it is very difficult to become prideful. God will not allow this to happen. All we can do is boast about God and all He has done.
In ten years, God had used Paul as a church planter in the eastern section of the Roman Empire. Paul could have easily become arrogant and prideful when comparing himself to others. Instead, he chose to keep the focus on Christ and give credit where credit was due. His life is an example to all who exalt the name of Jesus!
Questions to Ponder:
Do you ever boast about something you have done? What is the difference between being proud or being prideful? What does Scripture have to say about the destructive nature of pride? How does God develop humility in the life of His children?
Prayer Points
- Adore and worship the Lord in your own words. Tell Him how much you love Him, thank Him for who He is and what He has done.
- Ask the Lord to forgive you for any sins that you have committed. Ask Him to remind you of any you may not be aware of. Thank Him for His mercy, forgiveness and grace.
- Confess to the Lord areas of potential pride you may have, acknowledge that to Him.
- Ask the Lord to keep you, your loved ones and our beloved church family in the posture of humility. Give us a servant’s heart and a desire to serve and bless others while making Jesus known.
- Thank God for our humble Pastors and leaders in our midst. Continue to pray for Pastor Bob and Shirley and all of our pastoral staff, elders, and church family.
Suggested Prayer
Loving Father, Thank You for revealing Yourself to me. Thank You for receiving me even though I am weak, broken, messed up and prone to wander. Thank You Lord for taking all my sins and the sins of the world upon Yourself. Thank You that You understand exactly what I am going through, thank You for being so kind, tender and loving to me. Thank You Lord for helping me, cheering me on, empowering me, knowing exactly what I need and when I need it. Oh Father, help me to bless those around me with the blessings You have given me. Help me to boast in only You. Remind me Lord when I start to think I am more than I am or when I start to judge or point at other people, remind me Lord that when I compare myself to You, I get a glimpse of the magnitude of my weakness, frailty and I am reminded once again that anything good that comes from me is from YOU. Anything on my own is nothing but filthy rags. Oh what riches of your love. Cause Your love to overflow from me and our amazing church family I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.