Romans (Part 43) - What Are You Bragging About?
[Romans 15:18 ESV]
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me…
[Romans 15:14-21 ESV]
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience–by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God–so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation,
21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”
How can you, like Paul, genuinely be able to say,
“In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason
to be proud of my work for God.”
And it not be filled with sinful self-exaltation,
but joy knowing that your Master is pleased?
Are You Holy Spirit-Dependent?
Do you do what you do dependent on God?
Or do you do what you do without depending on God?
[Romans 15:15-18 ESV]
15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God…
[Romans 15:15-18 ESV]
15 … because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
[Nehemiah 8:2-3 ESV]
2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both
men and women and all who could understand what they heard,
on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
[Nehemiah 8:7-9 ESV]
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places.
8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
And notice the response of the people given in Verse 9…
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.
[Romans 12:1 ESV]
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
WHO made these who heard and responded HOLY?
[Romans 15:16 ESV]
16 … sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Are you DEPENDENT on the Holy Spirit?
Is What You Do Holy Spirit-Confirmed?
[Romans 15:18-19 ESV]
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ
has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience…
[Romans 1:5-6 ESV]
4 … Jesus Christ Our Lord, 5 through whom we have received
grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith
for the sake of his name among all the nations,
6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
[Romans 16:25-26 ESV]
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ… 26 … to bring about the obedience of faith–
[Romans 15:18-19 ESV]
18 … –by word and deed,
19 by the power of signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit of God–…
An example of how the Spirit of God confirmed the Message that Paul heralded…
[Acts 13:6-12 ESV]
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
What is another confirming sign of the Holy Spirit?
[Galatians 5:22-25 ESV]
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
In your doing for God, WHAT is being produced?
Are You Holy Spirit-Led?
Am I on God’s assignment or my own?
Did He lead me here, or did I wander here?
[Romans 15:19 ESV]
19 … –so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum
I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ…
God isn’t asking you to do everything…
He’s asking you to be faithful in what He’s given you.
[Romans 15:20 ESV]
20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel,
not where Christ has already been named,
lest I build on someone else’s foundation…
[Romans 15:21 ESV]
21 but as it is written,
“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”
Paul is quoting Isaiah 52:15.
[Isaiah 52:14-15 ESV]
14 As many were astonished at you–
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind–
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
In both the big picture of your life and in this season,
are you on God’s mission? Are you being Holy Spirit-led?
What Are YOU Bragging About?
Questions that might help you identify your life’s brag…
1. Am I doing without God?
- What fruit is being produced?
- Am I on God’s assignment or my own?
- Ultimately, is it God-glorifying, Christ-exalting… OR Self-promoting, Self-boasting?