I Have Fulfilled the Ministry of the Gospel

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 11:15

Romans 15:14–33 – Romans: The Righteousness of God
Christ the King Sunday – November 26, 2023 (am)  

This morning you’re getting two sermons for the price of one and, breathe easy, in the timeframe of one!

Our first sermon picks up on a theme introduced last week. Reflecting on the war between Israel and Hamas, I made the statement that, according to God’s Own Word, Israel is entitled to the land only as they obey Him, as they walk according to His covenant requirements. That can be challenging to understand, especially as we read that God’s promises to His people are unconditional, that 11:29 … the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. So, which is it? Are God’s promises unconditional, or did Israel have to meet certain conditions in order to remain in the land?

The answer is, yes. And I’m not waffling! When God makes promises (e.g. Gen.12:2-3; 2Sa.7:10) and tells His people He’ll keep them eternally (Gen.17:7-8; 2Sa.7:16), He means it, and He will never break His Word. God said: Gen.17:8 … I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings… for an everlasting possession…. Yet, just a few verses later He declares that His covenant can be broken. God said to Abraham: Gen.17:14 Any… male who is not circumcised… shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.

God’s covenant with Abraham is unbreakable from His side, but His people must obey Him to continue in it, to enjoy its blessings. It’s breakable from the human side. So, for His people it is conditional. God obligated only Himself to keep His promises (Gen.15:7-21).

Deu.28:1-14 spells out these conditions in detail, all the blessings Israel will enjoy if [they] keep the commandments of the Lord [their] God and walk in his ways (Deu.28:9). But it goes into far greater detail (Deu.28:15-68) about what they will lose if [they] will not obey the voice of the Lord [their] God (Deu.28:15). They’ll lose all the blessings they’d have gained and more. Moses said: Deu.28: 63 … you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 64 And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other….

Fallen human beings just can’t walk in the ways of God in their own strength, and the testimony of the remainder of the OT makes that clear. Neither kings nor priests nor prophets could either guide or keep God’s people walking in His ways. So, even if God was faithful to His promises, how could He know there would ever be anyone to enjoy His blessings? His people just needed a new start! In fact, they needed a new heart that yearned for good, for Him! But even so, they’d need forgiveness and cleansing and Someone to absorb His just wrath against the sins they’d already committed so that the perfection of God’s holiness could be maintained even as they were restored into covenant relationship with Him. They needed a miracle!

And that’s precisely what God provided in the new covenant He’d promised them (Jer.31:31-34; Eze.36:24-28). He wouldn’t leave them scattered among the [nations] (Deu.28:64), profaning His name by their disobedience and defeat. Rather, as He said through the prophet: Eze.36:23 … I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations…. And the nations will know that I am the Lord…. 24 I will… gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols…. 26 … I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Jer.31:33 … I will put my law within [you], … I will write it on [your] hearts. … And Eze.36:28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Putting this together, then, the covenant promises of God are certain and irrevocable. But the only way He could ensure that there’d actually be someone to received them was to accomplish a sovereign, saving work Himself on their behalf. They needed a propitiation that they could receive by faith, rather than qualifying for His blessings by their own obedience, because that would never happen!

And that’s precisely the story Paul’s been telling in Romans, how God’s people 3:24 … are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. … Jew and Gentile alike will be reconciled to Him by one and the same Savior and together they will receive the benefits and blessings of the covenant He established with them. And when that salvation is fully and finally delivered, Israel will be in the land for all eternity in the new heaven and new earth (Rev.21:1)—a literal, physical, glorious, unending fulfillment of all the promises God has made to them—under a righteous and holy King Who will rule from the throne of His father David forever (2Sa.7:16). And those who believe from among the nations will be gathered under His reign along with Israel, no dividing wall of hostility separating them any longer but as one new man (Eph.2:14-16), just as it was always intended to be (Gen.12:3).

Bottom line, just because there may be long seasons of time in this fallen world where it appears God’s promises aren’t being kept—Israel not in the land from AD 70 until 1948, for instance, or no king on David’s throne in Jerusalem right now, today—that doesn’t compromise the plan and purpose of God or call into question in any way on any level whether He can or will keep His promises.

God Himself sent His people into exile in Babylon, away from the land, to punish them for their sins. But that didn’t break His promises to them (even when they returned but still didn’t honor God with their whole heart [cf. Mal.1-4]).

In a similar way, Israel was brought back into the land in 1948 in a dramatic turn of historic political events—which must’ve been enabled by God’s sovereign hand. But, remarkable as that was, and is, what happened in 1948 was not what Ezekiel described (Eze.36:24) as part of the new covenant. It’s not what Paul describes here in Rom.11:25-27, because Israel has not returned to God in repentance for all her sins. She’s not embraced Jesus as God’s promised Messiah. In fact, despite those stunning developments that put ethnic Israel back in the land after nearly two millennia and just three years following WWII, and despite her able military defense of the land on several notable occasions since then, by and large Israel still views her struggle and suffering during all those many centuries as resulting from God’s unfaithfulness to her, not her unfaithfulness to Him.

Thus, Israel remains opposed to the gospel and the new covenant God has provided in Christ, with many even denying His very existence. Ask Eitan & Orit Kashtan what it takes just to produce and distribute Christian literature in Israel today. No, the hellish season of the holocaust hasn’t driven Israel back to God in repentance and faith. And returning to the land didn’t cause her to drop to her knees in worship and praise that the Word of God is once again proving true. Rather, it just convinced her that she’s on her own to pursue her own best interests and to defend herself from harm.

So, I don’t believe we’re seeing any great end times indicators in Israel just yet. I believe we’re still firmly ensconced in the days of the remnant (11:5) where Israel’s partial hardening (11:25) remains; so, we’re still awaiting and praying toward the day of her awakening (11:25-27), then the return of her promised Messiah which will be that great day of salvation for all who believe in Him.

To be clear, then, God’s people will be in the land for all eternity with Christ forever on the throne of David (2Sa.7:16). God’s promises will never prove false or unreliable. But His people will only enjoy those covenant blessings on His terms, never their own. And if they refuse His terms, they cut themselves off from His promised covenant blessings, forever, both Jew and Gentile alike (3:9).

That’s sermon #1; now for today’s text and sermon #2, Paul’s fulfilled… ministry of the gospel (19). Let’s look at this text under three headings.

Paul’s Purpose and Perspective in His Writing – 14-21

14 [Paul himself is] satisfied about [these Roman Christians], that [they] are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to [teach] one another the truths of God’s Word. He’s convinced that they’re genuinely converted and walking by the Spirit even though 15 … on some points [he wrote] to [them] very boldly [to root gospel truth deeply in their minds], because [God in His grace commissioned him] 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that [the Gentiles will be fully ready for Christ’s return], sanctified by the Holy Spirit. And I love the fact that Paul says (we’ll come back to this in a few moments): 17 In Christ Jesus…, I have reason to be proud of my work…. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience…. He can thoroughly enjoy his work, even marvel at it, because he’s fully convinced that it’s just [God working through him] 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that [he can preach the gospel and see the life-changing, eternity-altering results in those who receive it by faith] from Jerusalem and all the way around [the Mediterranean basin]; 20 and [that’s why he’s so determined] to preach the gospel, not where [it’s already been preached and the church is growing, spreading it themselves. Paul has no interest in or need to] build on someone else’s foundation. … And Isa.52:15 explains his rationale, that final verse before that vivid description of God’s saving work in Christ in Isa.53 (and just after that image of the beautiful feet of those who preach the good news [10:15; Isa.52:7]). Paul’s calling is to take the message of salvation to Gentiles who’ve never heard.

Paul’s Purpose and Plans in His Travels – 22-29

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you; he’s been busy spreading the gospel. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions (the churches are taking it over), and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, the western end of the Empire, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. I want you to be my sending church! 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem—do you remember Paul’s return to Jerusalem from our study in Acts? Following his emotional meeting with the Ephesian Elders (Act.20:17-38), then those warnings not to go that came from friends all along the way (Act.21:1-26)? And chaos surely did break loose when he arrived! (Act. 21:27-32) He was arrested, but still addressed the mob of protesters (Act.21:33-22:29). Then he began that series of trials (Act.22:30-26:32) during which he appealed to Caesar (Act.25:11). All that was awaiting him. 25 At present, however, [Paul’s only intent is to go] to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia (Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth [Act.16:11-18:17]) have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings (cf. 2Co.8-9). 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. At least, that’s Paul’s present plan. But in any case: 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Paul’s Appeals for Prayer and for Peace – 30-33

And, toward that end, Paul sought the prayers of this Roman church. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, two requests: 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea—and he was, but I’m confident not in the way he was asking!—and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints—that the Jewish opposition to him might not impede his delivery of the offering to the church; we don’t know how this request was answered—but the net result of these two requests, Paul says, is 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. We know Paul got to Rome, but first as a prisoner (Act.28:14-31), and we don’t know whether he got to Spain (Moo 1994 1158). Even so, I’m confident he believed God had heard and answered. Luke records that Act.28:30 [Paul] lived there [in Rome] two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. And I’m sure God answered his closing prayer here: 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Conclusion

So, what’s our takeaway today? I believe a good one for both our sermons is expressed in Paul’s own words that we said we’d return to: 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me—for Paul is was [bringing] the Gentiles to obedience…. But for each of us it’s something; it’s that 12:3 … measure of faith that God has assigned, those 12:6 … gifts that differ according to the grace given to us which He’s given to us, intending them to be used 1Co.12:7 … for the common good. Paul is telling us once again here that this is indeed the way we should be evaluating ourselves, thinking of ourselves. It’s the way He thinks of himself. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God, because he knows with confidence that it’s not his own achievement; it’s done 19 … by the power of the Spirit of God…. He knows why He’s here, what he’s called to do. He knows that his highest calling, his greatest achievement, his very identity is tied into who God’s called him to be and what God’s called him to do—to his identity in and service to God.

So, I wonder, do each of us know that?

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Resources

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NEXT SUNDAY: The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ Be with You, Romans 16:1–24