Become a debtor of gospel(Rom1:13-15)

[瑤翰 김요한]

 There are two things that have given me a bitter taste these days.

One was Tim Keller, famous senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, died of pancreatic cancer on May 19th, olny after earnestly clinging to God for several months did he face death calmly and say he had no regrets.

I laughed when I saw Pastor Billy Graham's grandiose opening of the 50th anniversary celebration of the evangelism rally, because father Billy Graham and son Franklin had similar styles of preaching the basic gospel and calling people to the front.

Even if the Korean church was at that level in 1973, in the 50 years since then, have we not been able to produce evangelists who are at the level of the basic gospel, that is, the A, B, and C of the alphabet?

I remember having a big argument with an American professor who looked down on Korean churches while studying in the United States.

Pastor Tim Keller, who made a strong promise to himself, 'Since Jesus was resurrected, if I die, I will also be resurrected', was gloomy when he faced death from pancreatic cancer, personally, I wish he hadn't said that Pastor Tim Keller was a Calvinist pastor.

It's because it's hard to see that you understand Calvin's theology with that amount of theological knowledge.

Where does the logic of 'Jesus died and he was resurrected, so if I die, I will be resurrected' come from?

Did you learn it from Martha? (John 11:24) Or is it a doctrine that has been born within the church over time?

Why don't you believe in the Lord's words that if you keep my word, you will never see death (John 8:51)?

If you attend the Lord who says, 'I am the resurrection and the life' (John 11:25), it is a clear fact that you have become one with resurrection and life. Why is there no current resurrection and no power of life?

If I had died before Pastor Tim Keller, I'd be guarding the gates of heaven and scolding him, 'Don't come in, but study the Lord Jesus Christ again'.

The overall problem of the current church is because they do not know Paul's Romans.

I wonder if sermons citing the sermons of theologians like Lloyd Jones or C.S. Lewis have made it to this point, both in the United States and Korea.

Romans is absolute enough to hear the harsh criticism that current christianity was created by Paul.

Therefore, all pastors or those called to be disciples of Christ should focus on Romans

Q. Why did Paul have to go to Rome?

“Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the other Gentiles.” (Romans 1:13)

A. According to my experience in the mission field, it is true that it is not so easy to go on a missionary trip like Paul. These days, if Korean pastors go to mission fields around the world to preach the gospel, the issue of event costs comes first.

The last missionary trip to Argentina cost more than 30 million won.

My heart goes out of debt to Argentina for the gospel, but the local situation is different.

I have a longing for the Philippines, Australia, India and Africa, but I am not able to.

Paul says that he always had the idea to go to Rome,  he has tried many times to go to Rome, but he has been blocked and hindered so far.

Servants of the Lord who testify to the gospel of truth must be aware of this.

People's words are delivered like a typhoon. Everyone is welcome.

However, there are those who block the gospel of truth. The truth is not for everyone.

It's like that in the book of Daniel. Why did Michael take the lead to clear the way? (Daniel 10:21)

Because there is someone blocking it. There will always be someone who opposes you.

The gospel of truth is not so easily spread.

You must be aware of this.

Paul continues to go somewhere with faith that has the power of life.

He said, 'I want to go and bear fruit' with faith that has the power of life.

'Somehow, as in the other Gentiles, I was trying to bring fruit to the saints in Rome, but the way was blocked', he laments.

If Paul hadn't gone to Rome, they would have had the same belief that since Jesus was resurrected, like the church today,  if I died, I would be resurrected like Jesus.

Because they believes that they will be resurrected when they dies, they is deceived by fraudsters who say, 'When Jesus returns, he will participate in a public wedding feast, then come down to earth and reign for a thousand years.'

Romans is the gospel that indwells and works within us.

If the Lord is the resurrection, the resurrection is in us; if the Lord is life, the life is in us; if the Lord is the image of God, then the image is in us; if the Lord is the glory of God, the glory is in us; if the Lord is God's love, that love will dwell in us, and we will come to love our brothers and sisters.

The word that dwells in us is being fulfilled even if we only have thoughts of wanting that word to come true to us.

God wants the consent of our faith.

As long as we have a heart that wants the word that comes to us to be fulfilled in us, it will be fulfilled in us.

Therefore, those who have received the indwelling Gospel should not wait for answers to come from outside.

The response of those who have faith of eternal life is to become one with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, approach God's throne of  grace, and call on the name of the Lord, and it will surely appear within them.

That is the power of God through the true gospel of Christ.

Q. Why was Paul so anxious to go to Rome?

“I am debtor  both to the Greeks, and to be Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am able, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.” (Romans 1:14-15).

A. Paul is such a great person. ‘Lord, here I am, it's all I have to do, it's all my debt'. He has this cry inside him.

After Isaiah has seen the glory of God and has cleaned his lips with tongs, who will go? Here I am, send me, he replied.

After Isaiah saw the glory of God and cleansed his lips with tongs, God said, "Who will go?", "Here I am,  send me" he replies.

There is only Isaiah.

Seminaries and presbyteries say, 'Those who go out as missionaries must decide', but this is not the case.

With only Isaiah alone, God asks Isaiah who will go.

However, the gospel was not to say, “Believe in Jesus,” but to preach the gospel to people who had heard it but did not understand it, and who had seen it but did not perceive it (Isa. 6:9).

This is because the Messiah, who will come 700 years later, preaches the crucifixion, dying and being raised of Christ and those who died because of it will live again and live forever.

Isaiah and Paul go even if only one person is there. - A person who is called and sent to this world

This is because it is a huge debt of love that cannot be fully repaid even if it is paid in a lifetime.

So Paul says that he has no choice but to preach the gospel and if he does not, he will be angry with me.(1 Corinthians 9:16)

Paul owes the debt of love to God, and repaying the debt is his passion to repay the debt to others.

“Therefore, as much as I can, I want to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.”

“As much as in me” is exactly this. It is also the wish of all servants of the gospel.

Whether other people help or not, other people go right or left, I go.

This is the earnest wish of only the servants of the Lord.

There is only one way, surely this is the way I will go.

Servants of the gospel should not have conflicts on this way.

We have already given ourselves to the Lord, so we shouldn't have any regrets left.

Paul's heart is now firmly determined to go to Rome with the gospel even if no one waits for him.

Do you understand his heart?

In fact, no one in Rome was waiting for Paul.

But he must go. To impart spiritual gift...(Romans 1:11)

This is the attitude of those who have been sent out after being set apart as servants who have the gospel of Christ.

I am determined to go even if no one waits or greets me.

This is the attitude of the evangelist, who said  'Even if I pay it all my life, I will become a debtor  to the Lord, and by preaching the word of the Lord and preaching the gospel of the Lord, I will repay the debt of God's love and grace and mercy'.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION