In Closing

Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another... And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation, but as it is written: "To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand."

When God works through us, the glory belongs to Him alone—and our confidence must rest in His power, not our own.

A New, Personal Section

As we come to verse 14 of Romans 15, we arrive at the final section of the book. Chapters 1 through 11 were largely doctrinal, focusing on what we are to believe. Chapters 12 through 15:13 were practical—how we are to live—because what we believe informs how we live. Now, beginning in 15:14, we come to the personal section. This is mostly personal, as Paul begins his closing remarks.

Paul says, "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Why write this after already writing more than 9,000 words? In the last three and a half chapters, Paul has given the Roman church more than forty direct, confrontational exhortations—what to do, what not to do, what is safe, what is off limits.

Encouraging Good Behavior, Not Correcting Bad

Parents understand that exhortation usually comes in response to something a child did or didn't do; you're correcting bad behavior. But Paul is encouraging the Romans, saying, "I know that you're full of goodness and filled with all knowledge." Unlike his letters to Corinth—full of exhortations because of their bad behavior—Paul is not chastising or disciplining the Romans. He is simply encouraging their good behavior in Christ. In chapter 1 he had already said their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world.

What was the basis of Paul's confidence? That they were his brethren—members of the family of God, children of the Most High. As John writes in 1 John 3, "Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God." God adopted us into His family through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. Even though Paul had never met many of these believers, they were his brothers and sisters.

If There Is Anything Good in Us, It Is God

Paul's confidence was not in the greatness of the Roman people—there is nothing intrinsically wonderful about them, nothing good apart from God. His confidence was in the God who was in them. This fullness of goodness and knowledge is goodness because of God's presence in them.

We must keep this forefront in our minds. The longer you walk with the Lord, and the further you get from your "BC" days—your before-Christ days—a strange thing happens. Spending all that time among Christians, you begin to forget how you once were. That can lead you to think, "I'm pretty good," forgetting that any goodness you have comes from God. Jeremiah made it clear: "The heart of man is desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). Yes, we have been made new creatures in Christ—"If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation"—but if there is anything good in us, it is God in us. Romans 3:10 reminds us, "There is none righteous, no not one." We should always boast in Him, not in us.

Confidence That Made Missionary Work Possible

This confidence is one reason Paul could go into a city, preach the Gospel for a short time, and then move on. In Thessalonica he stayed only about three Sabbath days—three weeks—and was then forced to leave by those who opposed him. Yet he departed with confidence, knowing God could continue the work He had started.

His confidence in God's power made it possible to plant the seed of the word and let another water it. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." Remember what Jesus said: "I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16). If Paul—or you and I—were left to build the church, the gates of hell would certainly prevail. But Jesus builds it. Paul's confidence was not in the people of these churches, but in the Lord who resided in them.

Bold to Remind Them

Paul continues, "Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you." Many in the Roman church had been trained or sent by Paul, so these were not new things. He writes to remind them, to bring these truths to the front of their minds again. Peter says much the same in 2 Peter 1:12: "I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, even though you know them and are established in the present truth."

Parents do not say "look both ways before you cross the street" only once. We repeat important things over and over, even when the child rolls their eyes and says, "I know!" We may know we are to love one another, but from time to time we need to be reminded to actually do it—because knowing and doing are two different things. We may know to receive the weaker brother without arguing; we may know that governments are instituted by God and we are to submit to them. Paul says it is good to be reminded.

A Heady Faith That Forgets to Do

Unfortunately, Christianity can sometimes become entirely a heady faith, especially in the American evangelical tradition where we rightly emphasize studying the Scriptures. Within Calvary Chapel we are known for teaching the word simply—book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Yet we can reach a point where we come to church merely to load more information into our minds. We need to be reminded to apply these things. It is one thing to know it; it is another thing entirely to do it.

The New Living Translation joins the end of verse 15 to verse 16: "For by God's grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus unto you Gentiles. I bring the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit." As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, "By the grace of God I am what I am... yet not I, but the grace of Christ that was in me." His place as a Gospel preacher and apostle was by grace—not because of any Hebrew university or mail-order certificate.

The Gospel Reverses Every Religion

The Good News makes those who receive it acceptable before God by the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. This is exceedingly important: the Gospel, the word of God, and the Holy Spirit make us acceptable before God and holy.

Why is this important? Because every religion flips that around. Every religion says, "You, by your good works, make yourself holy so you can be acceptable to God." Study world religions at Palomar College—Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, even some so-called Christian traditions—and you will find they put the cart before the horse. The Gospel does not. As Ephesians 2 says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." The works come after salvation, not before it.

Beware Anyone Who Adds to the Gospel

In Colossians 2, Paul says, "Though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ." Then he exhorts, "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith." We receive Christ by grace through faith, and then we are to walk in Him.

Notice the warning in verse 8: "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men... and not according to Christ." Do not let anyone say, "I know you believe in Jesus, but now you must be circumcised, keep the Sabbath, keep the feast days, or partake of this sacrament in this fashion." This happened to the church in Galatia and at Colosse, with its "taste not, touch not" teaching. Every tradition of men says you must do these things to be accepted before God. Not Christ Jesus. It is by God's power, through His Spirit, and by His word that He sanctifies and accepts us.

Boasting Only in What Christ Has Done

Back in Romans 15:17: "Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. For I will not dare speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God." The double negative negates itself: Paul will only boast in what Christ has accomplished through him. As the New Living Translation puts it, "I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me."

God saves and sanctifies by His power, through His word, by His Holy Spirit—and we glory in the good things He accomplishes in us. Pastor Chuck Smith was like this. Whenever he spoke of what God did through his ministry and the Calvary Chapel movement, he never talked about himself; he spoke in awe and amazement: "I'm amazed that God did what He has done." I'm certain the apostle Paul was the same.

The Scalpel in the Master's Hand

If we could sit down with Paul and say, "Through your ministry many Gentiles became obedient—not just in Corinth or Ephesus, but in Escondido," he would say, "No, no, no—Christ accomplished this through me." "But Paul, mighty signs and wonders were done through you." "By the power of the Spirit of Christ." "But Paul, the Gospel went from Jerusalem to modern-day Albania through you." "By the power of the Spirit of God this has happened."

Imagine the doctor removes a large tumor and reports, "We got it all." Then you ask to see the scalpel, take it in your hand, and say, "Thank you for what you did—you saved my life!" That would be utter foolishness; the scalpel is just an instrument in the surgeon's hand. In the same way, you and I are just tools in the hand of the Master. If God accomplishes anything through us—our salvation, our sanctification, good works, the salvation of others through our evangelism—it is God who gets the glory.

Where Is Your Confidence?

Paul was confident in Christ's power to enable him to preach and to perform signs and wonders, to save and sanctify those who heard, and to make those who received the Gospel obedient to it. So the question comes to us: Where is our confidence? Are we trusting in our own ability, our own power, our pastors, or some other leader? If your confidence is in anything other than the power of God, it is misplaced faith—a false faith. It is idolatrous to put your trust in anything but the Lord Jesus Christ.

An Expeditionary Force for the Gospel

Knowing God's power, Paul says in verse 20, "I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation," quoting Isaiah: "To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand." Because there was already a church in Philippi, Lystra, or Corinth, Paul would not spend much time there. His aim was to preach where Christ had not been named.

This is not a teaching that churches should never be planted where the Gospel has already gone. Rather, some are called and gifted to go to the uttermost parts. Even in the 21st century, millions—even billions—have never heard the name of Jesus. We call them frontier or pioneering missionaries, and what they do is awesome, just as Paul was specifically called to it.

It is like the United States Marine Corps, an expeditionary force. The Marines are not equipped to stay long term; they establish a beachhead and move on, while the Army comes in to set up forts and supply lines. Frontier missions are like that—an expeditionary force, with others following to establish and maintain the ground.

Hindered, Yet Planning to Come

Verse 22: "For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you." In chapter 1, Paul said he longed to see the Roman church but had not come. The reason: there was already a church in Rome, so he focused his attention where there was no witness.

But verse 23 is one of the most amazing statements in the New Testament: "But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you." Paul says the Gospel has been preached throughout this entire region—from Jerusalem to Illyricum—and there is nowhere else for him to go there. That is phenomenal. We cannot say that about our own community. There is much Gospel presence here, yet many in our area have heard something about Jesus but not the truth about who He is.

Going First to Jerusalem

"But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints" (verse 25). Though Paul is an expeditionary missionary to those who have not heard, it was not beneath him to minister to the saints. Notice he shares his plans—plans are not unspiritual; they are often changed by God, but they are not unspiritual.

He goes because "it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia"—the churches of Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth—"to make a certain contribution to the poor among the saints who are at Jerusalem. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things." Writing from Corinth, Paul had just received this contribution. He would travel north to Philippi for Passover, then to Jerusalem for Pentecost—the church's birthday—carrying a gift from the Gentile churches.

Verse 28: "Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by your way to Spain." In God's economy, the giving of the Gentile churches is fruit that God rewards. "But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ"—if he reaches Rome, it will be by God's will.

Strive Together With Me in Prayer

Verse 30: "Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me." The word "strive" literally means agonize. This is a good exhortation to pray for your pastors.

He gives three reasons. First, "that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe." As Paul wrote from Corinth, a group of Jewish assassins called the Sicarii—"the dagger men"—had traveled from Jerusalem to kill him. They would come up behind a person in the marketplace and stab them. When Paul left Corinth, his companions disguised a man as Paul, boarded a ship for Jerusalem to draw the Sicarii away, while Paul went another route—007, First Century style.

Second, "that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints." Some believers in Jerusalem were concerned about Paul's ministry among the Gentiles, so he asks prayer that they would accept his work. Third, "that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen."

God's Work, God's Glory

This letter could essentially end here; next week, as we begin chapter 16, Paul finishes with a salutation to those in Rome whom he knew. But the message of this passage is clear: the work of God is God's work. The work of salvation, of sanctification, of evangelism—it is His work, and He gets the glory.

If Paul were here today, he would say the churches at Lystra, Iconium, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, Ephesus, and all the rest were never "The First Church of Paul." They were the work of God, and God gets the glory. Any good that comes from your life or mine is so that God would get the glory. Amen?

Closing Prayer

Father, we pray to that end—that You would get the glory, that our lives would be so glorious to You and for Your name that people would see You in us. God, make us reflections, displays of Your glory in a world so desperately in need of light in darkness. Prepare us as we go from this place to be like an expeditionary force, carrying the Gospel to those who have not yet heard. It may be that today, for someone here, this is the first time you have heard or understood the Gospel of grace—that salvation is not about anything you could do or have done, but that we are made accepted by grace through putting our trust in God for salvation. If you would like to receive that salvation in Christ today, we want to give you an opportunity. In Jesus' name, Amen.