ROMANS 1:8 I THANK MY GOD I see Paul coming to God with a special interest in his prayer - that is the saints in Rome. Those faithful believers were living for God in the middle of one of the most ungodly cities in world at that time. There amidst all the moral and spiritual perversions of the idol-worshipping, sensual, materialistic people of that city were those who were salt and light to those around them. Living for Christ by faith in that place at that time was worth their lives. Coming to the throne of grace with thanksgiving comes one who has experienced similar pressures applied to him by those who oppose the Gospel. He knows what they are passing through as the news travels from place to place, and he thanks God for the reality of their faith.
How can I support my brothers and sisters who are standing for God in difficult places and in these difficult times? I can go to the throne of grace! There with thanksgiving for their faith in Christ, I can participate in their labors and sufferings by interceding on their behalf. As I pray for places like Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and places all over the world, I become a fellow-laborer to the extent I enter into their lives and difficulties. If I have chosen to avoid public testimony because of the fear of men, I cannot really participate with them in their testimony. If my interest in them is limited to a casual comment on their behalf, I am probably not going to have much effect in my prayer. One thing I can do even if I don't know very much about what they are going through - I can give thanks for them. I am thankful that God has saved them and given them a concern for the souls of men, women and children in other places. I am thankful their testimony was such at home that they had the confidence of the Lord's people to send them to other places. I am thankful for those who listened to their testimony for the Lord. I am thankful that those saved by grace in those far away places have counted the cost and have come out openly for Christ in the places they live and are known. I am thankful for the multiplying principle that was practiced in the book of Acts, and works today in every place the Gospel is preached in fellowship with God. I am thankful that God's Word is not going to "return unto Him void" because of the faithful sowers of the Gospel seed world-wide. I thank Thee and praise Thee, O God, for Thy faithful people.
What is it about those people who live above the world, That kept them to be faithful to God? Some refused to conform to the world, and to the lions were hurled. Because they unquestionably believed in God's Word. Their faith was known by governors and kings, Because to that evil they refused to submit. By God's grace and power, they were able to bring Evidence of true faith and did not abandon it.
They were people back then, like us who live in our time And are pressured in many different ways. Today the steel fist has a velvet glove covering the slime, That is being used to turn us astray. Now it is not to the lions they try to see us tossed - It's into this world's slime pit of sinful pleasure. To live by faith today still has its great cost - This is where we find out what we truly treasure.
I stop to thank God for those who are young in the faith, Their pressures are quite different from mine. The contemporaries they meet with have very sensual tastes, That gets increasingly worse with the passing of time. Thanks be to God for the young believer who bows His or her head to give God thanks and pray. Thanks for the modesty and grace they can show, When mixing with students in school each day.
I give thanks to God for business men and women Who go daily into the world system to do business. And have the testimony of integrity that adds to their business acumen That makes them stand out as a moral success. It is with thanksgiving to God I hear others say, That person is one on whose word you can rely. To have the reputation of fairness day after day - Is a reference to character that money cannot buy.
I thank God for the mothers and fathers with families They seek to raise in the fear of the Lord. They are modeling their faith so each child sees The reality of living by faith in God's Word. When they see love modeled and hear words of grace, It makes real what parents try to teach. And when they hear the parents pray for them in faith - They have been given a standard for them to reach.
Thanks be to God for the aged graceful saints Who through all of the passing years; Have maintained their testimony with a stately gait That did not falter in spite of their fears. They have left us an example that is easy to follow - It is not hard for the rest of us to see That their words of wisdom and teaching are not hollow; They know what God intends us to be.
"Gracious Father, I thank Thee for all of these choice people in Thy family. What a privilege it is to be linked in faith with the company of the redeemed of the Lord. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."
YOUR FAITH. “Faith,” that wonderful gift that God has given, makes it possible for mankind to connect with God. People think of faith in many different ways. It may mean being trustworthy or loyal. There are times when faith is used in common speech by people to mean a body of teaching, or a tenet, that they have accepted, which may be far from God’s truth. When used in everyday terms, it is common for us to have faith in persons unseen, who may sign a check or document that can have a great effect on us or our actions.
To identify the faith of the Roman believers, that was spoken of throughout the whole Roman empire, we would need to go further in evaluating such impacting faith. There would have to be a fidelity that would show, which they have to the unseen Person on whom they had believed. There would have to be consistency in order for it not to be a point of mockery. They would have to be able to speak of their faith with credence, a genuineness that would make the unseen – reasonable. There would have to be confidence that was able to be observed when things were bad as well as good. It would be observable in the faces of those who spoke of love and answered prayer.
The faith of the Roman believers was an eminent faith – it was number one in order of life’s priorities. They would have to talk about their faith with a passion rather than with an indifferent tone of voice. The people who heard about this would have to have been impressed with the witness of the observers in order for them even to give an ear to the spokespersons.
The general character of such faith would mean, God is evident in the life and work of those to testify to faith in Christ. It isn’t the faith that saves but it is faith that leads us to the Object of our faith – the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith is transmitted to us by God Himself through His Word. The Holy Spirit makes that same word of truth understandable to us, and we put our faith in the Savior.
The general expectations of faith would be an evidence of confidence; an awareness of the reality of unseen things; a commitment to an unseen Person. It would be expected that if I had faith in a Living Christ, I would live my life no different than if He were visible beside me at all times. It would be expected that what His interests were, would be mine as well. The things that occupy His heart, would be the same in me. If He asked something of me, it would be expected that, in faith, I would quickly obey.
The general reputation of faith would be a sense of purpose and meaning in all that I do. If I believe in a Person, whether I am with them or not in a physical way, I will be conscious of the fact that all I do will affect their reputation as well. I will be careful to do not do anything that would dishonor the One in whom I have faith.
“O God of my salvation, I am here to represent Thee and Thy kingdom. This generation before which I live, has a very low estimation of the reality of God. I lift my eyes and heart to Thee above all of the visible, temporary things around me, and I thank Thee for the gift of faith. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."