Romans 15:14-21 Ours to Do: We Truly Know God!
The Text
Romans 15:14–21 (CSB)
14 My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.15 Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God.
18 For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles,
19 by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum.
20 My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,
21 but, as it is written, Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.
Our God
14 My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
We Know God: We have all of God
1 Corinthians 2:12 (CSB) Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.
Calvin said it best, "the finite mind cannot comprehend the Infinite God." Our born minds, no matter how much IQ and EQ God has granted us, still could not wrap around the concept of a Being that is infinite in every way, shape, and form.
We cannot fully know God. Without Him, we do not know him. Only by God's grace sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to live, die, resurrected in the power of the Holy Spirit, alone, we get to truly know God.
1 John 5:1 (CSB) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him.
And:
John 1:12–13 (CSB) But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
And:
Mark 8:25 (CSB) Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.
Now that we have God, we are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
No one said preach a 30 minute sermon. No one said go and preach on street corners. Do you know some of the word? Share that word. Do you know how to pray for others? Pray for others. Can you give a little of your time and money and gifts? Give. You have God, you have everything because God has given us his Son.
In Christ, you have given me so much that heaven and earth can give me no more.
Valley of Vision.
15-16 Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
We Know God: We have the grace of God
John 1:16-18 (CSB) Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side —he has revealed him.
Titus 3:4-7 (CSB) But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us —not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy — through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
We alone have the saving grace of God! The people of God have the Spirit of God. The children of God have the Father of lights. Christ is ours and ours alone!
If you are hearing this and you know you don't have this, how can you get God?
Simple: ask God. Ask God for God, and God alone guarantees that you will get God.
You might ask, "how can you guarantee such a thing?" My friend, Jesus Christ, Son of God, who is God, came to our world, born of the Virgin Mary, lived the perfect life of perfect obedience, suffered under Pontius Pilate and died in our place for our sins. More than that, he rose from death and is alive today, and he now sits at the right hand of God.
John 3:16 (CSB) For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
And if that isn't enough: all of that grace and mercy and forgiveness of sins because Christ died on the cross? That happened over 2000 years ago. For all the myths and stories and legends, Christ's death is an historical fact.
2 Corinthians 6:2 (CSB) For he says: At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!
Today, you can believe and trust the Lord our God. Today, you can obey the Son of God. Repent of your sins and trust in the Holy One of God! The kingdom of God is right now.
John 3:36 (CSB) The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
Choose on this day on whom you will serve.
17 Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God.
We Know God: We boast in God alone
Jeremiah 9:23–24 (CSB) “ ‘This is what the LORD says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me— that I am the LORD, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the LORD’s declaration.
Philippians 3:3 (CSB) For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh—
Jonah 2:9 (CSB) but as for me, I will sacrifice to you with a voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the LORD.
John 6:67–69 (CSB) So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Where can our praises go to? Mankind has failed us. Our leaders will fail. Our parents will even fall. And the worst of these are me. I have fallen time and time again.
But God has always, perfectly, consistently, constantly, everlastingly good to me. I am weak and he has always remained faithful. I have fallen away and he carried back home. I run away and he redirected my paths back to me. I have become embittered and yet, he has been tender and gentle to me.
I will boast in my God.
18-19 For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum.
We Know God: We proclaim the gospel of Christ
Here's the fullest proclamation of the gospel of Christ:
- By word and deed
Romans 10:17 (CSB) So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.
James 2:17 (CSB) In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
- The power of miraculous signs and wonders - in other words, bearing witness to what God has done
John 21:25 (CSB) And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.
- The power of God's Spirit
John 3:6-8 (CSB) Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Do these things and watch what God does:
Isaiah 55:11 (CSB) so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”
Our Response
20-21 My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, but, as it is written, Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.
We Know God: We preach Christ and him crucified
1 Corinthians 2:2 (CSB) I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
1 Corinthians 1:22–23 (CSB) For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.
2 Timothy 4:1–2 (CSB) I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching.
This your call. Right now. Share the good news with all of creation.
Praise be to God.