Romans 16:24-27

Romans 16:24-27

And to the one who is powerful enough to strengthen you all according to my Gospel and to the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept quiet from the beginning of time, but now after being revealed through the prophetic writings according to the command of the eternal God into the obedience of faith after having been made known into all the nations: to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory into the ages, amen!

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

These words comprise a doxology.  A doxology is short time of giving praise.  Paul ends his great theological treatise by focusing people upon God.  This is how it should be.  Life is not about my eloquent speech or my flowing ability to write.  Life is about leading people to give praise and glory to God.  Any gift that I bring to the table is a gift that was first given to me by God.  If I do anything well, it should be to the glory and praise of God.

How well do you give glory to God?  How well do other people give glory to God through what you do?  How well do you allow other people to inspire you to give glory to God?  What is it that prevents us from giving the glory to God, who truly deserves it?

Second Thought:

Paul reminds us that it is God who is the one who is powerful enough to strengthen us.  Note that it isn’t Paul.  Nor is it Apollos.  Nor is it Peter.  It is God who strengthens us.  It is God who empowers us.  It is God who reaches down into our life and gives us life and strength.  But it is not just God who acts here and now.  It is God who has been acting all throughout time.  It is God who was bringing forth salvation for all of history.  The story from Adam and Eve to Abraham to David to the exile was all leading up to Christ.  It is this same God who has been working throughout the ages!  We do not serve a God who dies or who is temporary.  We serve a powerful God who acts beyond the scope of time!  God is not dead!

How does it make you feel to hear Paul remind us that the same God we worship is also the God that the people worshipped long ago?  What does it mean to you that God is beyond the scope of time?  How does this make God powerful and capable of fulfilling His promises?

Third Thought:

At the end of this text we also hear Paul remind us that the point of it all was to bring faithful obedience to all people – even the Gentiles.  God wants a relationship with all of us.  But that relationship is about obedience and faithfulness.  God is powerful.  It is He that gives us identity and authority.  It is He that gives us power and to whom we should obey.  Any of us can be in that relationship; we simply must humble ourselves before Him.

Are you in a relationship with God?  Who around you might God be calling you to invite into that relationship?  How great is God that He invites all people?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 1:1-4