"Motivation" (Part 4)
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In Romans 1:6-7 Paul expresses his desire for the Christians in Rome to enjoy who they are and what they have by the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is Paul motivated by?
What is Paul motivated by?
For living
For writing
Paul is motivated by three main factors seen here in Romans 1:1-7...
His Master (v. 1)
His Message (vv. 2-4)
His Mission (vv. 5-7)
His Mission (vv. 5-7)
His Mission (vv. 5-7)
Review - reminder
What is Paul’s Mission?
What is Paul’s Mission?
Mission - goal or purpose to accomplish
Stated in 4 Parts:
The Desired Result (v. 5)
The Potential Recipients (v. 5)
The Ultimate Goal (v. 5)
The Personal Benefits (v. 6-7)
What are the personal benefits? (vv. 6-7)
What are the personal benefits? (vv. 6-7)
That is, the personal benefits of the individual recipient (vv. 6-7).
Here, he addresses his audience - he moves from potential recipients to actual recipients.
Paul highlights WHO THEY ARE and WHAT THEY HAVE...
Which are the personal benefits received in faith...
Which is the response to the message of Paul’s mission from his Master.
They (audience) were included in this. They were among those who were recipients.
Who are they?
Who are they?
Called, Beloved, and Saints...
Called
Called
This is what has happened to them.
The word can mean “invited.” But it can also mean “summoned” or “appointed,” which is very different than “invited.” It is a call that effects something. It causes change (i.e. call to join me when I go hunting versus the call to wake up when the time comes).
Invited is optional. Summoned/appointed is not. Invited is casual. Summoned/appointed is official. Invite is what mankind does to mankind because there is nothing supernatural that man can do to cause a response. But summon/appoint is what God does to mankind because He can and does supernaturally cause a response. Scholars say that this call of God is an effectual call because it creates what is commands.
So the word “called” here can mean “constituted” or “made” (as in creation, 2 Corinthians 4:6).
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
This is how Paul uses it here for 3 reasons:
First, in context he already used the word to describe himself (v. 1). Here he uses the same word to describe his readers. They were called just as he was called - in the same way. Just as he was called to something (to be an apostle, which included belonging to Christ and becoming a saint), they were called to something (to belong to Christ and to be a saint). And how was he called? Was he invited? Or, was he made? He was completely changed in his call. He was chosen in eternity past, but he was called at the moment of his conversion (Galatians 1:15). And, this is how they were called (1 Corinthians 1:1–2). Effectually and personally.
But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
Second, Paul tells us what he means (Romans 8:28–30). Notice, the only ones who are called are those who are predestined, justified, glorified, who love God, and who all things work together for good for - not everyone. So Paul uses the term in a very limited sense. It is in essence then a title for believers alone.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
The word for “church” (ἐκκλησία - assembly) has the same root word as the word “called” (κλητός)(καλέω - call, name, summon).
The church is the called out ones.
Third, Paul describes the believers as “called” to encourage them that they are in a special state because of God (this is the significance).
They are a part of a select group. They could be encouraged by the fact that God targeted them and made them who they are in Christ. Just like God did with Paul. God called them out of all those in Rome.
Not because of anything in or of themselves. That’s not here. He did not call them and they did not respond because of anything about them. They could not brag about this call or their acceptance of the call.
This should encourage them in two ways:
It should comfort them (1 Corinthians 1:24).
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
It should motivate them (Ephesians 4:1).
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
In comparison to all humanity, they were in a privileged position, a place of blessing.
It’s entirely a work of God, so let’s not steal any credit.
Beloved
Beloved
This is why they are called.
Beloved - dearly loved one
This answers the question, “What motivated God?”
Why did God command light to shine out of darkness? (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Why did God regenerate us? (Ephesians 2:4–5)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Why did God choose Israel? (Deuteronomy 7:6–8)
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
The same is true for the spiritual children of God.
But doesn’t God love everyone? Yes, in some sense, in some way.
But not in this way. Not everyone is saved, and saved by no merit of their own. It is entirely a work of God.
This also should be comforting and motivating (Ephesians 5:1–2).
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Saints
Saints
This is what they are called to be.
Saint - a sanctified one, a holy one, one consecrated or set apart, pure or blameless in a positional sense.
Notice that this is more of the effects of God’s call. That is what this is due to. No one could become this by themselves, so God calls them to it.
It is a place or position of the believer (1 Corinthians 6:11).
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
It is a title to lived up to (1 Thessalonians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:15).
that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
Being called, and being beloved should stir the believer to live as a saint.
What do they have?
What do they have?
It is Paul’s hope that they will enjoy what they do have...
Grace
Grace
The unmerited favor of God is the context of all of this, the context in which the believer lives. So they have grace...
But, they can grow in grace. They can never appreciate it too much. They can always acknowledge it more, understand it, enjoy it.
The same is true for...
Peace
Peace
The believer has peace (Romans 5:1)...
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But are they at peace?
So Paul writes this letter to them.
And this is why Paul writes this letter.
And this is why Paul writes this letter.
This is why Paul lives the way he lives - his MASTER, his MESSAGE, his MISSION.
An here, this is what his MISSION meant for his recipients...
He wants them to embrace and acknowledge who they are in Christ and what they have in Christ.
And this includes us.
Benediction:
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18–31