Romans 1:13-15 – “I want you to know, 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.”

Paul at this point in his letter to the church at Rome and established who he is (chosen by God to be an apostle), who his audience is (those chosen by God to be saints in Rome), and his overall purpose, the building up of faith through the gospel of Jesus.  If the word saint troubles you because of how it is defined by some churches, know that Paul referred to all those who were righteous in Christ by faith as saints – don’t let that be a stumbling block, it shouldn’t be.  If you’re a believer, you’re a saint in Christ.  So that’s where we are in Romans right now.  Paul is now turning to share his heart with those in Rome, both his eager desire to come to them specifically and his burden to share the gospel with all people.

Just a quick note to help edify you as believers in the revelation of God through His Word.  There was an edict by the Roman Emperor Claudius expelling Jews from Rome.  Scholars are divided on whether this occurred in 41 A.D. or more likely 49 A.D., but universally this is accepted by historians as having occurred, confirmed by historical writings of that day by persons such as Suetonius.  As a Jew, it is likely that this is the reason that Paul had been prevented from going to Rome.  This edict expelling Jews from Rome is also confirmed in the Bible as recorded by Luke in Acts 18:1-2 – “After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.  And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.”   This really isn’t the main focus of today’s message, it’s just a freebie.

So Paul had a desire to come to Rome but was prevented from doing so.  Paul feels compelled because he is “under obligation” to preach the gospel.  Other translations use the “bound” or “debtor” here to describe Paul’s feelings towards others.  Where does this come from?  Certainly none of these persons have given anything to Paul whereby He owes them something, right?  This obligation then is wrought elsewhere.

Luke 7:36-48 – “One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table.  And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”  And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”  A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”  Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”  Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.  You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.  Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”  And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Romans 8:11-14 – “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors,not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-20 – “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Paul was a debtor to Christ.  Paul was responsible for throwing Christians in jail, and having some killed.  He understood how much he was a sinner, and therefore, how much he had been forgiven.  The closer Paul drew to Christ, the more the glory of Christ’s holiness shown on his heart to expose even more sin, which in turn gave greater understanding as to how much Paul had been forgiven.  Therefore, the love of Christ controlled Paul, and as Christ reconciled sinners to God through His blood, now Paul delighted to carry that mission forward with the gospel.

A good application for you today is to look at how your life is controlled by the love of God.  Is it controlled at all?  Knowing that Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God for all your sin, what do you believe about your own sinfulness?  How indebted are you to Christ?  My exhortation is to allow your mind to dwell on those things, knowing that in Christ you are righteous by faith.  We owe much, so we love much.  May God grant us to know the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus all the more, and in love that we would carry that message of reconciliation forward.

Grace and Peace,
Adam