Romans 1:8-17 Building Up Faith
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Giving thanks is a good place to start. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Paul tells them that he is specifically thankful for their faith. The faith of every believer strengthens and encourages the faith of every believer. 1 Peter 2:4-6, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Like a stone building, every stone depends on the cornerstone but it’s a building because all the stones hang together.
People can misattribute, mistake, and misconstrue but God is our witness. Our desire to serve God may not be understood by anyone, but God understands. Praying for each other is a great way for us to serve God in building up the church. Paul’s prayer was that he could make a visit to the church in Rome to build up their faith. Saints meeting together builds up the church.
A messenger sent with a message is obligated to deliver it to the recipient. Paul was entrusted with the message of the gospel and it is a message for everybody. Paul looks forward to reaping a harvest in Rome. John 4:35-36, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.”
The message is the means. The gospel is the power that raises sinful people doomed to destruction to heights of glory in Christ. The gospel is a thing that once apprehended it at once apprehends. When anyone comes to Jesus in simple trust He makes them part of his family. We merely assent and find ourselves caught up in a great ascent towards heaven. Thus from faith to faith.
The innocent, faultless, guiltless sons of God who have God’s approval and forgiveness are full of God’s life through faith. Faith is our daily bread and living water. It is the wine of gladness and the sober reality of all of God’s promises. Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
brotherpayne 