The Roman church was not founded by Paul...
he desperately wanted to visit...
but the time had not yet come...
Since he couldn't visit... he wrote a letter...
and I believe we see in this letter...
what Paul taught... regarding the gospel...
at every church he ever founded...
Because he didn't establish this church...
and couldn't visit them personally...
he wrote a detailed letter of gospel basics...
speaking to both Jews and Gentiles... who made up this congregation...
It's a book worth spending some time in...
Paul teaches on the power of the law... vs the power of the Spirit...
God's work in sending Jesus to fulfill the law... made the way for righteousness...
something we were wholly unable to do...
Paul teaches about the faith required to be saved...
it's not about the flesh... your birth lineage...
but about your faith... your spiritual lineage...
it's about God's grace... mercy...
In Christ we are set free from the law of sin and death...
to live by the law of the Spirit of life...
and Paul provides ample instruction for what that looks like...
But the fuel that is to fire us up is the Holy Spirit...
and the verse which caught my attention this week...
reading in the Amplified... is found in chapter 12...
Never lag in zeal and earnest endeavor;
be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.
Romans 12:11 Amp
Because we are free from the law... we no longer have a check list to follow... making sure we are walking the straight and narrow...
Instead... we have His Holy Spirit living in us... to direct us and guide us... a little trickier than a list of do's and don't's... but that is what we're called to do in Christ Jesus... follow Him...
And to do this we need to keep the Spirit burning in us... and serving the Lord...
My prayer for myself this week...
Father God... keep me aglow and burning with the Spirit...
that I may serve my Lord Jesus wholeheartedly...
and with zeal...
Make it your prayer too...
This week's readings...
Monday Romans 14:1 - 15:13
Tuesday Romans 15:14 - 16:27
Wednesday Ephesians 1
Thursday Ephesians 2-3
Friday Ephesians 4
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