S208-011308 Ro 1b

Alêtheia Christian Fellowship ~ 011308 ~ Romans 1b

Dear Pastor Scott,

Please tell your church that we are very thankful for their faithful and generous support.  It is such a blessing to know that you are all behind us in prayer and in giving.  Thank you for the pictures you sent.  We showed the kids, and they were excited to get to "see" some of those who love them without knowing them in person.  We look forward to whenever you and others from your church are able to come down and visit.  Please let your church know how thankful we are for them.  God bless you all!

Love, Stephanie and Joel Conner

Dear Pastor Scott,

What a blessing it is to see how the Lord moves through His children to provide for the work throughout the world. Our God is such an awesome GOD! I want to thank you for your support for Joel & Stephanie as well as for Pastor Fidel. I don't know if you know much about Pastor Fidel but he is a true servant and one of the most humble people I know. It has been such a blessing to see the work the Lord has done in his life and to see the fruit that He has brought about through his ministry. He is really one of the quietest saints I know in that he is so active and yet you never really know it unless you hear the announcements of what's going on throughout the week.

I hope that your Rob will be able to come back and visit and anytime that you are able to do so would be a great blessing as well.

Thanks so much for standing with us in the ministry here. It's very humbling to see how the Lord is meeting our needs and I don't ever take lightly that God's people are making sacrifices to enable us to minister the way we do. Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf and one day we will stand together and see the fruit that remained in heaven.

God bless you brother,

Daniel Jones

Rancho Maranatha

Alamos, Sonora

Romans 1:8-12 ~ 8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; 12that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

       Thankful to God through, dia<, Jesus as mediator.

       The fact that people had bowed the knee to Christ in            the capital city was significant for the cause of Christ   around the world.

9For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,

       Serve is latreu>w, meaning to worship (LXX of priestly     service). Paul’s ministry work is an act of worship.

       Paul’s worship through service is ultimately spiritual –     flowing from his changed heart not as a religious duty.

10always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.

       Obviously a strong desire to visit Rome, but only in   accord with God’s perfect will.

11For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;

       Paul did not mean he would grant the Roman church spiritual gifts. The context here is that Paul will hopefully       encourage the believers in Rome – move them closer to God with the spiritual gift or gifts required.

       These gifts can be: Prophecy, serving, teaching,      encouraging, giving, leadership, mercy, wisdom,       knowledge, faith, healing, wonders, discernment,      tongues, interpretation, apostles, evangelists and pastors (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4).

12that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

       Through the gifts already given by God, the apostle and the Romans would encourage and edify each other   and ultimately serve God’s purpose; win-win-win spiral.

Romans 1:13-17 ~ 13I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16For 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. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

13I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

       Turf concerns of Paul indicate that no other Apostle had made it to Rome yet. He alludes to the same thing in     15:22.

14I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

       Paul knew he had been set apart for personal        salvation and the gospel of God leading to his deep      conviction that given such a privilege he was now in       debt to all men, that is, to preach the gospel to them.

15So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

       Summary verse…

16For 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.

       Paul was not ashamed of the gospel for it has the power    to bring anyone into a right relationship with God      through Christ at the moment they believe in God’s       saving action in Christ.

       The Jew first is not temporal, but one of priority for the   promises of salvation through God’s messiah were first    given to the Jew (2 Sam 7:8-16).

17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

       The word “for” takes us back to the preceding idea      about the gospel being the power of God for salvation.     How is that so? Paul knows that the gospel saves    because it reveals the righteousness of God.

       God creates, allows freedom of will and provides       salvation because of His righteous character.

       From faith to faith has been variously interpreted        throughout the history of the church:

       1) it refers to the faith of the OT saints to the faith of NT   saints;

       2) from an immature faith to a more mature one;

       3) from a Law-oriented faith to a gospel-oriented faith;

       4) from the faith of the preacher to the faith of the hearers;

       5) from present faith to a future faith;

       6) from God’s faithfulness to man’s faith

       7) sheer faith and faith alone.

       All these have some truth in them, but our daily prayer answers the question in its final phrase. our faith must     grow – you either move forward or backward – you’re     either in the desert 40 days or 40 years i.e. until you     die!

Realistic Comprehension of Grace produces a thankfulness that is manifested as a zeal for God’s glorification.

The power of God for salvation to everyone who believes is the righteousness of God

And it is revealed from faith to faith.