February 12, 2009
There are many lessons that Christians today can learn from the writings of Paul the Apostle in the epistle to the Romans. Just like we saw in the first part of these series, there were Christians who remained faithful to Jesus Christ during the Roman Global Empire. They faced many of the challenges that we face today as Christians.
The similarities between Christians then in the Roman world and Christians today cannot be ignored; and it is from these lessons that we can learn from the experiences of early Christians in the Roman Empire as clearly communicated to them by Paul the apostle in his letter to the Roman Christians.
Today, we have Christians who live in the most powerful nations of the world – Western Nations. We live in a secular world and one that is increasingly becoming deeply secularized and with strong antipathy towards Christianity.
However, many Christians get caught up in physical fights in trying to ‘un-secularize’ society through political maneuvers like having Christian Political Presidents and Politicians. As I have noted on a number of occasions in many of my articles, that such notions of ‘Christian Politicians’ is unbiblical and a distraction from our true Christian Witness in the world.
There is also a tendency to paint Christians in the Western World as ‘immoral’ simply because nations like the USA condone Abortion, Homosexuality, Gay Marriages, and other social ills that Christians find morally reprehensible.
This is especially true in the ‘Bible Prophecy Circles’ and Christian Political movements that see the Christians in the Western world as not doing enough to stamp out all social moral ills such as Abortion, Homosexuality, and Gay Marriages.
However, as I noted before, these social moral ills that we see today were very well present in the Roman Empire. Yet Paul the Apostle addresses Christians in Rome who lived at the heart of the Roman Empire that happened to be the Political, Social, Military, and Economic powerhouse of the world during that time.
Faith of Roman Christians Spoken of in the whole world…
Romans 1:8-17Interestingly Paul the apostle writes to the Christians in Rome and tells them how their faith was spoken of allover the world. We know that the Christians there suffered great persecution under the Roman emperors, yet Paul attests to them that their Faith in Jesus Christ was a testimony in the whole world. These are Christians who were fed to lions, used as Gladiators in Roman coliseums yet they kept their faith in Jesus Christ.
(8) First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
(9) For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
This is the test that Christians must face today in this globalized world. There is a growing antagonism towards Christians but shall we live up to the challenge and will our faith be spoken of as an enduring faith and persevering faith in the 21st Century? What kind of testimony is being heard in the whole world about Christians who live in the Western World today, especially the USA?
Yes, there have been great missionaries from the USA who have ministered in the whole world, many Christian philanthropists who have fed the hungry and clothed the naked around the world. However, it seems like the current testimony coming out of Christianity in the West is mostly Prosperity Preachers and Political Christianity…
However, a time of great persecution is coming and will be focused on mainly Christians in the West who have largely enjoyed a time of laxity. It is then that a different testimony about endurance and perseverance will replace the current testimony of Materialism, Greed, and Political Christianity.
Paul the Apostle goes ahead to pray for Christians in Rome. He did not cease praying for them. I have heard many folks especially in the ‘Remnant Movement’ state that The Lord told them to stop praying for Christians in America because of the falling away from orthodoxy in the Church and increasing worldliness in the Church.
After some study of the New Testament, I find such attitudes unbiblical. Paul the Apostle always prayed for the Saints and he shows us in the verse above that he did pray unceasingly for the Christians in Rome.
This is a challenge that we have even today, that we Christians will take on the obligation to pray for Christians everywhere, especially the West and USA which happens to be the most powerful nation on earth in our day. Rather than simply, condemn and damn Christians in the West because they live in a ungodly society, it is incumbent that we do exactly as Paul the apostle did…offered unceasing prayers for the saints in Rome.
Ministry Opportunity in Rome…
Romans 1: 10-13We see that Paul the apostle sought an opportunity to go to Rome and minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ and establish the saints there. Paul was not concerned with having a Christian Politician elected to stop the Homosexuality in Rome; he rather opted to minister to the saints in Rome.
(10) Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
(11) For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
(12) That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
(13) 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 other Gentiles.
I had one individual who told me that the time to preach the Gospel in the USA was over because of the sins that the USA has committed against The Lord. I strongly disagreed with the individual as that concept is totally unbiblical and cannot be supported anywhere in the New Testament. This individual went even further to tell his followers to prepare to ‘flee the USA’ as that was the only solution because ‘the Gospel had ended’ in the USA.
Brethren, we need to be careful, such notions are not from The Lord but individuals who are simply using the current global economic crisis to promote their own philosophies detached from the Bible.
It is imperative to watch as cults tend to rise and emerge and get footing during times of Crisis as the leaders of such groups use natural catastrophes, economic crisis, and disasters to manipulate and mind control their followers into believing that the end of the world has come.
Paul on the other hand looked for an opening to minster the True Gospel in Rome. Trouble is that many ministers of the Gospel have been coming to the West only to preach a gospel so as to get donations and sponsorships, rather than preaching the Word and Sound Doctrine.
There are still Christians who truly love Jesus Christ in the West and have stood faithfully before The Lord in this regard despite the evils going on in Western Society.
Paul Ready to Preach the Gospel Even in Rome…
Romans 1: 14-15Paul was ready to preach the gospel even in Rome. So, were does the notion that ‘the gospel has ended in the USA’ come from? If Paul was alive today, he would repeat the same statement to the West and the USA…”I am ready to preach the Gospel to you in the West and the USA also!”…
(14) I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
(15) So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
Paul purposed to preach the gospel to both the Greeks and Barbarians. The Greeks were seen as the most intellectual and philosophical elite in society and the Barbarians were seen as violent, terrorists, unwise, low class and evil. Yet Paul purposed to preach the gospel to both classes of people.
We live in a class caste globalized society today and yet even in nations like the USA such a class caste system exists only that it is never acknowledged publicly. Just like Paul the apostle to the Romans, we are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to every class in society.
The trouble is that the preachers, prophets, teachers, and priests in the USA are preaching a different gospel in the USA. They are preaching ‘another gospel’, one of materialism, Man Exaltation, Political Christianity, and a gospel that encourages and condones sin.
I believe this is what will spark off the coming great persecution…it will come from within the Church itself as those who preach the false gospel conflict with those who preach a false gospel.
Paul Not Ashamed of The Gospel, even in Rome…
Romans 1:16-17Reading the text above brings the suggestion that perhaps preaching the gospel during the Roman Empire times was a shame and a scorn. There is no doubt that it was a shame for one to preach about the Cross of Jesus Christ.
(16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
(17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The just shall live by faith.
The Cross was a symbol of scorn and shame during the Roman Rule. Christians were seen as the least of society and were used as objects of entertainment by being fed to lions in Roman Coliseums.
Today in the West there is a steady and increasing antipathy towards Christianity and Christians are increasingly being looked upon with scorn and shame. This anti Christian attitude will only continue to increase and will not rescind.
However, just like Paul the Apostle was not ashamed of the True Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are called today to the same calling…that we be not ashamed of the Gospel even in this Globalized World Today.
In Christ Jesus
Kato Mivule
