BY HIM WE HAVE RECEIVED -

Rom. 1:1-7

   1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

   Who is really teaching here? And who is this we have been given grace by? Him whose name will reap honor of what we read of here!
   Stop here for a moment: His name reap honor – in heaven, among those there is worth reaping honor at – by the grace and salvation that is given you, the sinner!
   We have a hard time believing that God can and will have anything to do with us, when we get to see just something of what lives in this deep fallen heart – but it is like this that His name reap honor by saving someone like that.
   Paul was sent out – yes, chosen to preach this, which did not have its origin in him, but it was God’s gospel he was going to preach! (v.1). “-which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures.” (v.2).
   It is God himself talking to you here, when you hear about the gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ “- who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh.” (v.3). Which means that He was a human being, just like you and I are. He was of flesh and blood! But He was more too - something that you and I aren't: “- declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (v.4). This shows in this that He was risen from the dead.
   We read in the letter to the Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death! His resurrection showed that He was without sin, as death did not have any power over Him. It is He who now preaches to you that this life – the complete – this sinlessness, this death, this resurrection and ascension to God’s throne in the holy place, that is all yours right now!

   We read in this passage about an obedience the apostle should bring about with the heathens. It was certainly not the kind of obedience Paul had previously been a slave under that is obedience towards the law, which he simply rejects completely as a way to salvation and communion with God. Therefore you and I must not lend an ear to that kind of speech, as “to go the way of obedience till the end” – “follow Jesus 100%” and other. To that Paul says: “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing of faith?” (Gal.3:2). And: “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing of faith?” (Gal.3:5).
   Listen carefully to this – because you not only hear what the apostle rejects here, but you hear also what kind of obedience it’s spoken about: “By hearing of faith!”
   “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Rom.10:17).
   You have heard this before? Where is our work of obedience – or works of obedience in this case? If you want to see a person that follows Jesus 100%, you have look at Peter as he sinks into the ocean, after his courageous attempt to follow Jesus on the water – and shouts: "Lord, save me!” (Matt.14:30).

   There you can see a manifestation of the obedience the apostle was after in his preaching with the heathens!
   When Jesus says: “I am the Way!” (Joh.14:6) – It cannot be by your works too! We have to be consequent here – because God’s Word is! It sais: By Jesus alone! It is only His name that is honored by what is happening with us! Because it is completely grace – undeserved by grace!

   Obedience by faith is like this, that you and I start believing what Jesus is, and has done for us, by hearing this gospel that preaches about Him, so that The Holy Spirit can speak to and testify to our heart, by the words we hear. It is actually something God Himself works by the Word – it is by God that you are a Christian. If that’s what you are of course – and not a slave to the law, who seeks to reach heaven by other ways. One who tries to get there by his own righteousness, and therefore is forced to hide his sin, above what distinct the one who is of the truth – in all things! He comes to Jesus with his sin! He lives openly with his Savior in all things - in all maters! He does not hide his sin and evilness for Him!

   Called to be an apostle! Chosen to preach the gospel of God! This is how he begins his letter to the congregation in Rome.

   Oh, how serious! Am I called to what I’m doing? Am I chosen to do it? Or is it just to sign up for priest studies? – Or climb “the ladder within the organization”, as it's usually called? Good with the guitar, and a tolerable voice! Yes, it doesn’t usually take much more! People do like good singing and music! One may be able to even make people cry, and can tell a few touching stories about lost sons and daughters etc. Yes, that is all good right?

   Yes, I think it’s well worth to stop here for a little bit – because something must be the reason why we’re in this situation we’re in today, as Christian people – that are tossed here and there of almost any doctrine, if it only touches our emotional life a little, or we can see one healing here or there or other.

   God, by His good deed, He gives you heaven and the beatitude undeserved by grace! You get it for nothing! The devil, when he really does something that seems to be like a good deed – an imitation of God’s deeds, there is a prize to pay – there is a seduction in it. He leads you by this, which seems so good, away from the Word!
   Listen to what the Lord testifies by the prophet Jeremiah: “Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, And what kind of wisdom do they have?” (From where should they have wisdom then? (Norw. transl.)). (Jer.8:9). Yes, from where? Then you're out drifting! As one talked about, to loosen the mooring on a boat. Then you're handed over to the wind and the current in the water. You cannot foretell where it ends. But, says the Word: “In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb.6:17-20).

   Listen now, how good this sounds: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul” – an anchor of the soul, have you ever heard anything that nice! –“a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.” Sure and steadfast! Do you hear that? It reaches into something that is behind the veil. And this something is Jesus Himself, who has sat down by the Majesties right hand in the high, after He had made purification of our sins. (Hebr.1:3).

   As we read here: “where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
   What do you fear? He has finished everything that shuts a person out from the kingdom of God, either it’s the blackest sin or evilness, or the most sickening Pharisee behavior and self righteousness! There is one place in life it’s been a settlement with it all. On Golgotha!

   Your settlement with your sin, can never save you – but Jesus settlement with it, is an eternal redemption for you!

E.K.

Holy Bible, New American Standard Version
Translator: Benedicte Holtan Smart