“Chosen for a reason”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Monday, June 13, 2022
Romans 1:1-15 (Forward, p. 46) CEV p. 1172
Some time ago, particularly during the Jesus People days, ridicule was poked at certain Christians who prided themselves in their personal, ‘me and Jesus’, religion. Their faith was almost like some personal possession, something that they had come into just and only for themselves and for no one else. Any outward expression or manifestation, any outward sharing, of that faith was out of the picture. And so, in some ways, the criticism pointed at them was quite appropriate. Our religion is never meant to be something that we ‘keep to ourselves.’
In today’s passage the apostle Paul is most adamant in this regard. In the first seven verses, he speaks four times about being chosen by God, twice as referring to himself and twice as referring to the Christians in Rome. However, in neither case was being chosen a matter of one’s own benefit and that alone. No, one was chosen for a reason. In Paul’s case, he relates that God chose him to be an apostle and appointed him to preach the good news, so that people of all nations would obey and have faith. And yes, while the Christians in Rome were chosen to be God’s ‘very own people’, their faith was to have a purpose. As he comments later, “We can encourage each other by the faith that is ours” (verse 12). And indeed, that is already the case as ‘people everywhere in the world (surely a bit of hyperbole here) are talking about your faith” (verse 8). That, too, is Paul’s goal, his purpose, as well: to tell the good news about God’s Son everywhere, and to everyone regardless of background, and so win followers to Christ. He too is chosen for a purpose, for a reason, and so too are we. We too are to show forth Christ, both by the way we live and by the way we speak. We are living epistles, living letters, to be ready by those around us. My only prayer is that the ‘words’ of these letters are distinct and clear enough to be easily read and understood, so that others too might come to a faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Forward notes: “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish —hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome” (verses 14-15).
“Many people are shy about sharing their faith because of negative connotations associated with evangelism, including judgmentalism, coercion, and a sense of superiority. None of those attributes should be associated with a practice of evangelism that reflects the love of Christ.
“Far from conveying a sense of superiority, evangelism, as Paul describes it, is not forcing a set of beliefs upon others but as a debt to be paid. In other words, he sees himself as subordinate to those with whom he shares the gospel.
“Being a debtor implies that someone has loaned something to you. In the context of sharing the story of your relationship with God in Christ, that can mean recognizing that people already have spiritual lives. Every person has a relationship with God, whether they perceive it or not. True evangelism isn’t proselytization but a conversation, one that can enrich your spiritual life as well.”
Moving Forward: “Do you consider yourself an evangelist? Why or why not? What is standing in your way?”