Paul was the consummate minister. We are to be ministers, too. This daily devotional looks at what that means.
Nuggets
- We are to share our knowledge with others.
- We are to be a minister to the unbelieving.
To read devotions in the Redo for Godliness series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the Transformed to Perfection series
Devotions in the On Being a Minister series
One of Paul’s themes in Romans 14 and the first part of Romans 15 is unity. He talked about putting others before ourselves.
In this part of Chapter 15, Paul began talking about ministering to others. God called Paul to be a minister to the Gentiles. He calls us to minister to others, also.
Let’s take a look.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
Instructing Others
“My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another” (Rom. 15: 14 CSB)
We are to share our knowledge with others.
Paul was convinced about the goodness of the disciples that made up the Roman church. No, he had never met them.
However, Paul knew of them. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world” (Rom. 1: 8 ESV).
It isn’t our goal to have world-wide fame. Our goal is to be different from the world. “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (Jn. 15: 19 ESV).
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Paul said that the Roman disciples were full of goodness. That means they were imitating God since goodness is one of His attributes.
- God’s goodness is His holy, pure, and righteous behavior.
- Holy means to be set apart, perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
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Here is how we are to imitate God. “… Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Eph. 5: 8-10 ESV).
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Paul told us two chores we are to do as disciples.
1. We are to be filled with the knowledge ourselves.
2. We are to help others grow in knowledge.
Lyth had an interesting term. He called it sanctified ability. That is all he said, because he is an outline type of guy.
Resource
So, let’s work this out. Ability is the capacity to do something. We either have the proficiency or the potential to accomplish the goal.
Our redo for godliness is all about how God is sanctifying us. God is the one who is redoing us.
- Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration, gradually changes our nature through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal requickening in us that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit to give us new character.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin. The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
- The perfected state indicates the combination of the spiritual graces which, when all are present, form spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
Glossary
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
So, we might not have the ability right now, but God is working on us to get us to have that ability. Let’s take witnessing, for example.
We may feel very insecure about being good enough to share Jesus with someone else. God could be putting us in situations where we are having conversations that are preparing us to witness to others.
We are all called to be witnesses. We can’t leave this to the Pastor Steve-types.
But think about it. Sanctified ability. We don’t have to be perfect right now. God is in the business of making us perfect. We are a work in progress.
What we are working on is being ministers for God. Our job description says preach the gospel and make disciples.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
That job description is for everyone. It doesn’t make exceptions. We are all called to be witnesses. To be witnesses, we have to do some form of preaching and making disciples.
Lyth noted that we need wisdom and humility to discharge these functions. Our primary duty is the salvation of the lost so that God will be glorified.
- Salvation is the gift of life through the deliverance from condemnation and sin to acceptance and holiness and changes us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
- Sins are actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
- Holiness is the transcendent excellence of His nature that includes elements of purity, dedication, and commitment that lead to being set apart. Purity means possessing God’s moral character, having eliminated the stain of sin.
Resource
Glossary
We aren’t saved just for ourselves. We are saved so that we can further God’s kingdom. The end result is to bring Him glory and honor.
Ministering to Unbelievers
“Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15: 15-15 CSB)
We are to be a minister to the unbelieving.
Parsons looked at the many definitions of minister. It can range from someone discharging religious or civil duties as assigned to the person who accomplishes acts of kindness.
Paul identified himself as a minister of Christ Jesus. Bunting described that not only as the activities performed, but also the character that was molded because of the devotion to the public welfare.
Resource
Paul knew what his calling was. He was to go to the Gentiles.
Oh, I bet Paul did have some Jews in his audience. But that wasn’t who he was told to target.
Jesus had specific marching orders for Paul. “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man [Paul] is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel’” (Ac. 9: 15 NIV).
So, Paul was heading out to talk to people about Jesus who may have never even heard about God before. Talk about a tough assignment!
The Gentiles would have no clue about the character God would want them to have. Paul would have to model that for them.
Parsons also described how much the Gentiles needed a Savior. He wrote, “The Gentiles were idolaters, and their hands, in consequence, were rife with the very foulest abominations.” An idol is an object of worship in any form that is below God that takes from God the worship that is His due and is needy and dependent on its worshipers.
Resource
When we think about the scope of the Gentiles, it is mind boggling. We have the Israelites/Jews — and we have everyone else, who are referred to as the Gentiles.
Making the Connections
When we’re talking Christian character (and when don’t I?), we know that all spiritual knowledge and wisdom comes from God. We get it through the Holy Spirit. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (Jn. 16: 13).
God will reveal Himself to us. He doesn’t do this all at once. We must be open to look for Him.
We must be open to where God will grow us. He has a plan for our lives. He has a job for us to do.
I never expected for Him to say write devotions and put them out on a website. I thought we were going a different way.
We want to grow to be like God. We want His character. That is what sanctification is all about.
No, it isn’t easy. It is a process.
How Do We Apply This?
How should we start thinking of ourselves as ministers? Probably the easiest way is to figure out how God wants us to minister to the needs of others.
Don’t get caught in the worldview and this this just means physical needs. Concentrate on the spiritual needs while meeting the physical needs.
Whatever we do, we are going to want to do what God tells us to do. If we go off on our own — even if it is good work — God won’t bless it. We have to follow God’s lead.
God has a role for us to play in His kingdom. He will tell us what it is and equip us to play that role. We have to follow His lead.
Father God. You sent Your Son to be our Savior. But You come to each of us individually, prompting us to accept the gift of salvation. When we do, You call us to be ministers of Your gospel so that others can come to know You. Use us so that we can show them exactly what loving You means and the joy that it brings. Amen.
What do you think?
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