To hear Paul greet the various saints he knew in the later chapters of Romans stimulates an attitude of healthy respect Christians should have toward one another. He was mindful of the deeds and flavors of service each one was noted for which showed the honor he bestowed upon them for their faithfulness.

If Paul was to include your name in his greeting, what would he say about you?

“Only one life, so soon it will pass. Only what’s done for Christ will last. So give to Jesus all your days … it’s the only life that pays when you recall you have but one life.”

READ/LISTEN: Rom. 14-16

Romans 12, 13, and 14 provide the Christian with, in effect, a handbook for living. Simple, practical instructions for navigating the everyday life are found as a followup to Paul’s treatise on the theology of our faith in Christ.

Within Romans is a complete explanation of why we needed a Savior, how to accept God’s deliverance from the penalty of sin, and how to conduct ourselves in a way that keeps us on the path to eternal life.

These tenets would be advisable to print and review frequently.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.” [Matt. 7:21]

READ/LISTEN: Rom. 11-13

Slavery was a term NT believers understood. That’s probably why the Spirit led Paul to use the concept in describing how we are to view our connection to obedience to God’s Word and His Spirit. Instead of being obedient to the voice of our own flesh (lust) we are hereby obedient to the Holy Spirit’s voice within us. Unbelievers don’t hear that voice. That’s why our views on issues are so different than those of unbelievers.

Our mission: witness to them about our commitment to Christ and the eternal hope we have in Him. They don’t have that hope. It’s bait for fishing for men.

READ/LISTEN: Rom. 6-10

God proved His greatness when He caused the sacrifice of Christ’s blood and life to overpower the deadly effect of the sin of Adam. God’s righteousness prevailed over man’s unrighteousness. God’s grace eclipsed man’s weakness. What Jesus did nullified what Adam did. In the end, God gets all the glory.

The Lord divulged to Paul that His grace was much greater than any weakness Paul had … that it was sufficient to give whatever strength was needed in life to attain victory rather than defeat.

God has already won every battle we encounter in this life.

READ/LISTEN: Rom. 3-5

Good can be an adjective … “He was a good ballplayer” … or it can be a noun … “Jesus went about doing good.”

In Romans, Paul esteemed the practice of doing good when he said, “God will repay each person according to what they have done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

Seek to do good deeds to those you meet … your neighbors, your friends, your coworkers etc. When you name is mentioned, may there be a memorial of good works attributed to you.

READ/LISTEN: Acts 28; Romans 1,2

Paul was no ordinary man. As a non-believer, he persecuted Christians with obsessive energy. Likewise, when he met Christ on the road to Damascus, he became obsessed with presenting the Gospel to the world.

Some people have strong personalities and have an inner drive that is unusual. God can take them and use their temperament to serve His purposes.

I can’t wait to see how my granddaughter, Boston, can ultimately allow her strong personality to serve the Lord’s purposes.

READ/LISTEN: Acts 25-27

God used the fact that Paul enjoyed the privilege and protection offered to Roman Citizens. It actually bought him more time and opportunities to present the Gospel to many leaders and influential people.

Scripture instructs us not to worry when we are brought before authorities and challenged because of our faith in Christ. God’s Holy Spirit will give us the words we need in that moment.

Only God has the ability to call to task all the resources our lives and pasts offer. He accomplishes His purposes by using all we are and everywhere we’ve been to craft His message.

READ/LISTEN: Acts 22-24

Paul preached in a direct manner, presenting the truth and facts of Christ’s message in a way that contrasted vehemently with the Judaic and idolatrous doctrines of his day. When he spent time in Ephesus, he stirred up such a controversy that the believers feared for his life.

Contemporary Christians often seem rattled at the resistance they experience when they take a stand for Christ. It’s certainly nothing new. This struggle has existed since the days of Noah. We are wise to simply remain obedient to Christ’s command to be witnesses of His Truth, regardless of peoples’ reaction.

Paul said, “We proclaim Christ! We warn everyone we meet, and we teach everyone we can, ALL that we know about him, so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ. This is what I am working at all the time, with all the strength that God gives me.”  [Col. 1:28-9, J.B. Phillips paraphrase]

READ/LISTEN: Acts 19-21

Paul and his evangelistic party decided to extend into Bithynia but God’s Spirit refrained them. He then gave Paul a vision in the night of a man in Macedonia beckoning him to come and help them. God shut one door and immediately opened up another one.

Life presents many options to us. God’s Spirit will help lead us into fruitful endeavors if we will allow Him. We don’t rely upon a contrived imagination … we keep close to the Lord through obedience to His Spirit and His Word and He orders our steps. It is an exciting life.

READ/LISTEN: Acts 16-18

After Paul healed a crippled man in Lystra, the town’s inhabitants deemed him to be a god and began to offer sacrifices of worship to him. He would have NONE OF IT. He and Barnabus tore their clothes and vehemently denied that they were gods, taking the opportunity to again restate the Gospel.

We all like attention, but to deflect praise from Christ to ourselves would be a serious mistake. Paul was fully aware that it was the power of Christ within him that did the healing.

God, forgive us for any selfish, personal desire for glory that may reside within us. We want to be totally humble and obedient to Your commands.

READ/LISTEN: Acts 13-15