Can You See Christ In Me?

How Do You Think Jesus Looked?

A minister filling in for a teacher of a young boys’ class asked, “What do you think Jesus was like?”Doubtless the pastor expected an answer like: He was a good man; He was a poet; He was a carpenter; He was like God. But no.One little fellow raised his hand and replied, “I think Jesus was like my Sunday School teacher.” Has anyone ever compared your demeanor and deeds to those of Jesus?

Synopsis of the Sermon

Salvation brings responsibility. When we accept Christ as our Saviour, we also accept Him as Lord and Master. Some called Jesus Lord, but didn’t obey Him—Luke 6:46. Paul strove to be fully obedient to God in all ways. When he met Christ, he immediately preached Christ—Acts 9:20. Paul said he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision—Acts 26:19. Paul practiced John 14:15. Paul had a deep concern for the Christians at Rome, a result of his consecration to God. He urged them to cooperate and pray for him. United prayer is a powerful force; prayer strengthens God’s servants; it changes situations; it changes people; it brings miracles. We need more Christians who are concerned for God’s work and His servants.

Committed to living by the Word of God—Don’t live by the rhetoric, live in the revelation of God’s Word.

Verse 4 contains a principle of great significance for the twentieth-century believer. Everything that was written in Scripture in days gone by was written for us. Not only did it serve the needs of its own day but it is still relevant in the modern world. Scripture is relevant because it speaks to our deepest needs. It is through the endurance taught in Scripture and the encouragement it brings that we are enabled to live in hope.

Instruction (didaskalia) - to provide instruction in a formal or informal setting.

Endurance (hypomone) - the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty, patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance.

Encouragement (paraklesis) - act of emboldening another in belief or course of action , encouragement, exhortation.

Morris reminds us that “Paul is not exhorting believers to pull themselves together and manifest these qualities, but rejoicing in God who gives them” (cf. v. 5). The difficulties of today are bearable because God in his Word tells us of a better time yet to come. He mediates his comfort and encouragement by speaking through his Word to the hearts of receptive believers. To separate oneself from Scripture is to turn a deaf ear to the voice of a Heavenly Father anxious to console. Paul’s wish was that God would grant the church at Rome a spirit of unity. His desire that they “mind the same thing among one another” (literal translation) does not mean that they should all come to the same conclusion. That is obvious from his discussion of the weak and the strong—the conscience of each is to guide the conduct of that person. It is unity of perspective that is desired. And that perspective is that of Christ Jesus, our model for Christian conduct. Think as he does. Take on his values and priorities. As each member of the church draws closer to Christ, we will at the same time draw closer to other members of the body. The experience of Christian unity produces a symphony of praise to God in which each voice blends with all the others to the glory of God. It is a family affair. We, the adopted sons of God, sing praises to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Maintain a relationship of continued trust in God through the power of the Holy Spirit-”Live an extraordinary life of hope through the promise of the Holy Spirit.”

The mention of hope in v. 12 leads naturally to a “prayer-wish” directed to God, who is the source of all hope. The prayer was that God would fill the believers at Rome with all joy and peace. Note, however, that it was “as you trust in him.” While it is God who provides the joy and peace, it is our continuing confidence and trust in God that enables him to bless us as he does. The joy and peace given by God results in an overflow of hope in the life of the believer. Our role is to maintain a relationship of continuing trust in God. Everything else is in his hands, and he never fails. Our experience of overflowing hope is made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). Clearly, the Christian life is God’s empowering presence in the midst of life’s uncertainties. It is not up to us to conjure up hope or any other spiritual quality. Our only access to empowerment is to believe. Then God steps in and does the rest. The Christian life is a supernatural life in the fullest sense of that term: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27; Phil 1:21).

Carry the message of the Christ to the unsaved world, knowing God’s peace is with you

On the basis of the principle set forth in v. 20—to preach where Christ is not known—Paul could say that no longer was there opportunity to carry out his apostolic ministry in the regions covered in his first three missionary journeys. For many years he had had the desire to visit the believers in Rome. Now he had the opportunity. His trip to Spain would take him through Rome, where he would spend some time with the believers. It was his desire that they would send him on his way with their support, both spiritual and material. Right now, however, he was on his way to Jerusalem (cf. Acts 19:21). There he would deliver the financial gift that the churches in Macedonia and Achaia had gathered for the poor among God’s people (cf. 2 Cor 8:1; 9:2, 12). It was important for the Jewish Christians to understand that the contribution provided by the Gentile believers demonstrated their love and affection for their brethren in Christ.21 God’s love binds together all believers regardless of ethnic origin. The contribution made by the Gentile church expressed in tangible form the bond of Christian unity that surpasses the artificial barriers of race. The believers in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution to their fellow believers in Jerusalem who were in need. And, in fact, they owed it to them. From the Jewish church they had received spiritual blessings (v. 27). They were obligated to respond with material help when the occasion called for it (cf. 1 Cor 9:11). So after Paul had completed this responsibility, being sure the gift was safely in their hands, he would start for Spain and come by Rome on his way. He was confident that his visit would be accompanied with the full measure of Christ’s blessing. Always in the mind of the apostle was the spiritual potential of every personal contact. His sensitivity to the spiritual needs of others is everywhere evident. What for many would be merely a pleasant contact becomes for the apostle an occasion to share the blessings of Christ. Although Paul seemed rather confident in the preceding paragraph, he nevertheless called upon his Christian brethren to join him in his struggle by praying to God for him. Paul’s final meeting with the Ephesian elders reveals his sense of uncertainty about what could happen to him when he returned to Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit had continually warned him of the perils that lay ahead (Acts 20:22–23). Paul urged the believers in Rome to enter into his conflict by joining him in prayer. This request reveals the true humility of the apostle. The reality of intense spiritual opposition moved him to request urgently that his friends in Christ join him in the struggle. It was pride that kept believers from sharing their need for spiritual help. The Roman Christians were one with Paul in their love for Christ. This provided the essential motive for their entering into the problem he faced. An additional motive was the love inspired by the Spirit. Awareness of a fellow believer’s difficult situation will move the authentic Christian to join that person in prayer. Paul asked that the Roman Christians pray with him that he would be rescued from those in Judea who had rejected the faith. He also was concerned that his mission in Jerusalem be well received. The still somewhat fragile union in the church between Jew and Gentile will be measurably strengthened by a favorable reception of the gift. Not only will it provide needed material help but will serve to bind together in a spiritual fellowship the growing number of believers throughout the known world regardless of ethnic origin. Paul desired that by the will of God he might come with joy to Rome and there together with other believers enjoy a time of spiritual refreshment. Such encounters call for earnest prayer. Satan does not intend that the work of God’s servants be enjoyable. The chapter closes with a prayer: “May the God of peace be with you all.” He is the God of peace in the sense that he alone can give peace. As Paul wrote elsewhere, it is a peace that “transcends all understanding” (Phil 4:7). It can be experienced and enjoyed, but not rationally explained.

Paul wrote that he had reason to be proud, not of any personal achievement but of what Christ had accomplished through him. In a similar passage in 2 Corinthians he acknowledged that his “competence comes from God” (2 Cor 3:5). By faithfully carrying out his priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles, Paul had served as Christ’s instrument in leading the Gentiles to obedience to God. Like the ancient heralds who walked throughout the city proclaiming only what the king chose to make known, so Paul served as an ambassador of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:18–20) spreading the gospel of God. His ministry was accompanied by “signs and miracles.” Together they attested the power of God. Betz notes that the signs of the apostle “are not only charismatic miracles but also missionary successes visible in the life of the congregation (cf. 2 Cor 3:2).” The signs and miracles that had accompanied Paul’s ministry among the Gentiles revealed the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.Paul could attest that all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum he had fulfilled his task of preaching the gospel of Christ (v. 19). To have “fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ” does not mean that he had evangelized everyone in the area indicated but that he had completed his “trail-blazing, pioneer preaching” of the gospel that he believed was his own special apostolic ministry. As Acts reveals, Paul’s strategy was to concentrate his missionary activity on the great urban centers of his day. He had accomplished that goal in the eastern Mediterranean world and from that point on intended to move to the western reaches of the empire. Paul’s ambition had always been to preach the gospel in places where Christ was not known. He would rather not build on foundations laid by others. That was not because of some peculiar pride that would encourage him to go it on his own but because of his intense desire to reach the known world as quickly as possible. In support of his modus operandi he quoted the prophet Isaiah’s words concerning the Suffering Servant (Isa 52:15). It is for this reason that the apostle was so often hindered from going to Rome. That is, his desire to fulfill his ministry among those in the Eastern Mediterranean sector who had not heard kept him from moving on with his subsequent plan to visit Rome and proceed westward to Spain. The chapter closes with a prayer: “May the God of peace be with you all.” He is the God of peace in the sense that he alone can give peace. As Paul wrote elsewhere, it is a peace that “transcends all understanding” (Phil 4:7). It can be experienced and enjoyed, but not rationally explained.

Closing Thoughts

Paul was faithful to God’s call when He met Christ. He remained faithful until the end of his life—2 Tim. 4:6–8. See also Rev. 2:10. He had marks on his body to show he suffered for the Lord—Gal. 6:17. He suffered because he was faithful and responsible. As a Christian, are you concerned? Does your concern cause you to act? Does your consecration cause you to leave all and follow the Lord? As we draw near to Christ, we will share in His compassion for others.