"Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done- by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ" (Romans 15:17-19)

What a marvelous thing to exclaim that everywhere you went you fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ without reservation. What a great feeling to know that your life was given for the good news of Jesus, which has the power to save ( Romans 1:16 ). This was the theme and mission of Paul's life. He boldly taught Christ, faced all opposition to the message and ran the race set before him unto a glorious finish.

What is most amazing about this declaration is that Paul would not boast in anything except what the Lord Jesus accomplished through him. His mission was to lead the Gentiles to Christ, he was the apostle set apart from birth for this specific purpose ( Romans 1:1 ). Everywhere Paul went people came to the Lord because of the word he taught and the demonstration of power that accompanied him. The Holy Spirit verified by signs and wonders that he spoke on behalf of God. Paul was the willing participant and the instrument God used to herald His amazing news to the world.

This is an important truth to understand; God confirms his Word by demonstration of power through the Holy Spirit. Jesus established this truth throughout the gospels. When people cornered him asking if he was the Messiah he would answer them like this, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me" ( John 10:25 ). He never answered them by his own testimony, because the works he did testified to who he was (see John 5:36; John 10:38; Matthew 11:4; John 2:23; Matthew 13:17 ). To answer them plainly would not have satisfied Jesus, because the works that Jesus did were the evidence and necessary credentials that he was indeed the Messiah promised and sent by God. Every miracle, sign and wonder that Jesus preformed was a fulfillment of what the prophets had foretold about the promised Messiah. They testify that he came on behalf of God.

Even in the Old Testament, the prophet of God demonstrated that he was God's spokes person by performing miracles. Consider Moses as an example; he told Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go and demonstrated his command with the plagues because of Pharaoh's hardness of heart. When Pharaoh finally let the Istraelites go, Moses parted the Red Sea, he produced water from a rock, and he led the Israelites through the desert following the pillar of fire and stood by while God fed them quail and manna for those many years. This was the proof that Moses spoke on behalf of God, because the Lord verified His word by these signs and wonders.

Elijah had similar experiences. To prove that He was the prophet of the only true God, he challenged the prophets of Baal to a battle. He drenched the alter in water and asked God to send fire down from heaven to consume the offering. Immediately fire came down and burned up everything. He also prayed that it would not rain and it didn't for over 3 years. Then when he prayed again, the heavens opened up and poured down rain upon the earth. This is the proof of the prophet, the words spoken were confirmed by miracles. There are countless others who experienced the same verification; Joshua, Samson, Elisha, Jeremiah, Jonah, just to name a few.

This is a great reminder for today. Paul experienced many people coming to the Lord by the gospel he preached and the work of the Holy Spirit present to confirm that the Word was true. We too are ministers of the good news of Christ Jesus. We should also expect confirmation by the Holy Spirit of the words we speak in preaching the good news of Christ.  It is my hope that at the end I will proudly boast of what has been accomplished by Jesus living through me. I will always be ready to share the gospel with anyone who has an ear to hear and I know that Holy Spirit will confirm the word spoken, because the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes ( Romans 1:16 ).

"I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:14-16)

The book of Romans is a masterfully written exposition on grace. This letter to the believers in Rome has changed the hearts of many as they read and understand the wonderful truths nestled inside. Paul wrote this letter to these Christians to explain his revelation of grace. This revelation was not made of man but Paul received it directly from the Lord Jesus himself. "I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" ( Galatians 1:11-12 ). What Paul taught was beyond previous comprehension and understanding. Becoming a student of this letter, written to the church in Rome, will change your heart and bring you into a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Because Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles he wrote to this church to settle a dispute between the Messianic Jews and the Gentiles. The church was a diverse group of people who had settled in Rome from other areas. There is no record of a visit to this church by an apostle offering doctrinal teaching and guidance.  In fact many assume that these Christians had been in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given ( Acts 2 ). They spread and settled in Rome. The church was comprised of Gentiles who had converted from idol worship and devout Jews who believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Problems arose when the Jews urged the Gentiles to live as Jews and undergo the rite of circumcision. Because of Paul's mission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles he felt an obligation to write to this church and settle this dispute among them explaining completely the grace of God.

As Paul starts to wind down his letter he gives this church his vote of confidence that they are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. By understanding what Paul had written to them they had an excellent working knowledge of grace. What he wrote could settle every dispute that might arise because of their different backgrounds. Now they would be able to move into the freedom of Christ leaving behind traditions and customs they previously held. Paul wrote without inhibition and without apology to remind these believers of the truth of Christ. He made much of his ministry to preach the gospel of Jesus in its fullness. He wanted to present the Gentile church to the Lord as an acceptable offering, full of knowledge, understanding grace and living holy and purely in this world.

Like the church in Rome as we wind down this in-depth study of the book of Romans, the Holy Spirit is able to sanctify us in the truth of this letter so that we become living examples of the work of Christ Jesus. So many things have been covered and understanding these amazing truths will change our lives. Like Paul, I am confident that understanding this book will bring you to the point of being a teacher of grace and able to instruct others in the truth of Christ. I pray that you remind yourself of these things always and continue to read this book of the Bible regularly. I pray that the truths inside will change your perspective and you will live out of the grace of God that was given to you in the person of Jesus Christ.