The Spirit of Greatness Romans 1:8-16
Romans Series (Part 2)
Sermon by Don Emmitte, Grace Restoration Ministries
The salutation in a Pauline letter is normally followed by a paragraph or so in which the apostle felicitates his readers, expresses his obligation to them, and shares his gratitude for them.
This is true in Romans, though he waits until the eighth verse to do this. We need to remember that only letter not to contain any expression of gratitude is Galatians; in that case the apostle is apparently in no mood for thanksgiving and plunges directly into the discussion of the urgent and disturbing occasion of that letter.
With that in mind… Take Your Bibles Please…
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:8-16 ESV).
The style of this text is very personal. In fact very little is given to strict thanksgiving; most of it is a very personal reference to Paul’s love and joy in them. Having introduced himself in verses 1-7, as well as naming his theme, Paul uses this passage as an opportunity to verbalize his purpose, as well as an expression of his gratitude for the Roman Christians. It was the news of the high and renowned quality of their faith that called forth Paul’s thanksgiving. He assures them of a place in his prayers. This was a vital part of Paul’s life.
By any standard of measurement, the Apostle Paul was a great man. If you just consider the influence of his life upon history, even upon his own generation, you are confronted with his greatness. In terms of achievement, no man has ever more approximated what it means to be a genuine Christian. His life was filled with a true spiritual greatness. In the New Testament you cannot miss this declaration, Luke is clear in the Book of Acts in asserting Paul’s faithfulness.
In our text today, Paul writes in an attempt to establish rapport with the Roman Christians. Since he was not personally acquainted with them, nor they with him, he wanted to establish a rapport so he could communicate to them the things God had put in his heart. In these personal things, his spirit, his true inner self breaks through. You get insight into what made Paul the kind of achiever he was for God in his day. These things that marked the inner spirit of Paul could well be our inner spirits. It is surely true that our outward achievement will reach greatness only when we know greatness of spirit.
There are seven things that marked the inner spirit of the Apostle Paul. Each of them is significant in understanding the “spirit of greatness.”
Greatness of Life Is Marked by a Spirit of Gratitude (v. 8).
1. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you… gratitude was first in the heart of Paul. His gratitude is neither vague nor general, because it is explicitly directed toward God. Whenever news came to Paul of the beginning of a new church, or the winning of a new convert, regardless of where it was in the world, his spirit would be one of gratide toward God. Though he did not know the Roman believers personally, he was still thanking God for their faith.
2. Because your faith is proclaimed in all the world… Paul was especially thankful for the witness their faith had become in the world. The presence of a Christian group in the imperial city of the Roman Empire must have been news in the ancient world.
Little men, men who do not have a spirit of greatness, are not able to rejoice over things in which they have no part. Their spirit of gratitude is limited to the things that fall upon their lives or upon the lives of others through them. No such littleness can ever be found in the spirit of Paul. He gratefully acknowledged the work of God, evidence of the gracious hand of God, in every conversion to the name of Jesus Christ. The only competitor for this great man was the forces of evil that were at work in the world.
Greatness of Life Is Marked by a Spirit of Prayerfulness (vv. 9-10).
1. For God is my witness… great men know themselves to be dependent upon God for everything. Paul calls upon the Lord to validate his affection for the Romans. It is God after all who alone knows the fullness of his prayer life and the inner secrets of his heart.
2. That without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers… further, prayer was the constant experience for Paul. His prayer list must have been impressive indeed. He told almost all the churches he wrote that he was always praying for them. That does not mean he never ceased praying for them, but that each time he prayed they were included. One of the petitions that he was ever repeating before the Lord was that he might have the privilege of coming to Rome to share the Gospel.
Just a little aside at this point in our study is in order. It is helpful to remember that this prayer was answered. It was not answered in the manner that Paul had hoped or expected, but he was allowed to go to Rome. In the providence of God he went to Rome in the custody of Roman authorities, as a prisoner. Such an unceasing spirit of prayerfulness is the mark of spiritual greatness. Anytime you find a life marked with great achievement in the Kingdom of God, you will find behind that life a spirit of prayerfulness. Prayer will be the very breath of that life. Each sense of need will be presented to the heavenly Father as a petition.
Greatness of Life Is Marked by a Spirit of Aspiration for Others (v. 11).
1. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift… great people do not become great at the expense of others . They become great through their service to others. The aspiration of Paul’s spirit was not selfish. His interest in visiting Rome was to spread his personal influence a little further in the world. The phrase inevitably reminds us of his discussion of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. Paul’s understanding of the concept of the body of Christ is the key to understanding this verse.
2. To strengthen you… other translations take this phrase and write “to the end that you may be established.” He aspired to perform his ministry that they might achieve greatness, the greatness God had planned for them from the beginning of time. He wanted to “establish” them in the things of God, firmly rooted in the rich soil of the Holy Spirit. The concept is one of settling and strengthening them in their new-found faith. He did not want to take something from them, but to give them a gracious gift through his personal ministry.
This is truly a reflection of the inner spirit that marked the life of our Lord. It marks the life of all truly great men and women. Jesus said it this way: But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45 ESV). This is the spirit of Paul and must be our spirit if we are to be great.
Greatness of Life Is Marked by a Spirit of Willingness to Receive (v. 12).
That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine… great men do not know everything. They are willing to be taught as well as to teach. Paul gladly acknowledged that the Romans had something they could share with him and he was ready to receive it.
Every pastor must be aware of this truth. Years ago it has been said of Donald Barnhouse that he wrote in the margin of his Bible by this verse: “The congregation is the pastor’s pastor.” How true! As the pastor goes about imparting that which builds up the faith of the congregation, they in turn renew and strengthen his own faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He needs them as much as he is needed. Great men live with a constant awareness of this truth.
Greatness of Life Is Marked by a Spirit of Flexibility (v. 13).
Great men learn how to “roll with the punches.” They do not allow frustrations and disappointments to keep them from moving on toward their goals. Paul was such a man.
Notice verse 13: I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. One of Paul’s personal goals had been to carry the Gospel to the city of Rome. At the writing of this letter he had been unable to go. The frustration of not being able to achieve this goal did not discourage him. Instead he was manifesting a remarkable flexibility of spirit.
He uses an unusual construction in the phrase “but thus far have been prevented.” Other translations use “hinderances.” The word means “barriers.” He was blocked from achieving his goal. Paul did not become bitter because he knew that the over-ruling authority in his life was the sovereign will of God. When barriers blocked his plans he just accepted this as being God’s will and made other plans. Such a flexibility of spirit is important if you are to ever know true greatness in your life. People like Paul will find possibilities in any situation. If they find themselves with a lemon, they will make lemonade! If they find themselves in jail, they will begin a jail ministry! They will be so flexible that nothing will keep them from serving the Christ who has saved them.
Greatness of Life Is Marked by a Spirit of Debtorship (v. 14).
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish… little men approach the world with a spirit of entitlement. Great men approach life with a spirit that reflects a deep and abiding sense of debtorship. And his debt was to all men. It was not restricted to those like him, but to all races, nationalities, and languages; to every man regardless of their culture or background. We are debtors to all men!
Greatness of Life Is Marked by a Spirit of Pride in Work (vv. 15-16).
Great men are humble men in spirit, yet they have a deep sense of pride in their work. They are not ashamed of their work. They are not proud and egotistical about themselves, but they are confident and proud of their work.
Hope for the Flowers is an allegorical novel by Trina Paulos. It all starts when Stripe, the main character, first hatches from an egg. He begins his life by eating the leaf he was born on. He realizes that there must be "more" to life than just eating leaves. He senses there must be a way to get up into the sky. He searches for a way and finds himself at the base of a pillar made up of caterpillars. They are all struggling to get up into the sky as well. Here he meets Yellow who also wants to get up into the sky by climbing to the top of the pillar. But she feels bad about what must be done to achieve this goal. You have to literally step on and climb over all the other caterpillars who are also trying to reach the top of the pillar. The two of them eventually decide to stop climbing and go back down the pillar. They live together for awhile. But Stripe's curiosity and unrest overcome him and he decides that he must get to the top of the pillar. Stripe says good-bye to Yellow. He focuses, adapts, and drives to reach the top, and eventually he succeeds at being on the top of the caterpillar pillar. This results in disillusionment, as he takes in a vast vista of other caterpillar pillars. Is this all there is at the top? He has not really gotten in to the sky. He just has a view of other caterpillars struggling to reach the top of their respective caterpillar pillars. Yellow, however, has followed her instincts, continues to eat and then spins a cocoon. She eventually emerges from the cocoon transformed into a butterfly and flies into the sky effortlessly. She has found the real answer to the feeling that there must be more to life than eating leaves, and who caterpillars really are. She is waiting for the disillusioned Stripe as he descends the pillar and eventually reaches the ground again. She shows Stripe her empty cocoon, and he eventually realizes what he needs to do. Stripe makes a cocoon of his own. Yellow waits for him. Stripe emerges transformed into a butterfly, and they fly off together.
Where are you in your life today? Are you pursuing a course that will lead you to be great in your spirit?
