Somebody Loves You

Guest (Male): Imagine the opportunity young people have to be able to share their faith because they're young. In their manner of living, not preaching, where people ask, "Hey man, what's... what do you have that I don't have?" Number one, I don't have religion. I have a personal love relationship with God. That's what gets people.

I am falling in love. I am falling in love. I am falling in love. I am falling in love with you.

Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Thanks for joining us as we continue our wisdom series with guidance from the Apostle Paul, one of the greatest evangelists of all time. Underscoring your God-given responsibility to share the gospel, Raul will encourage you to follow Paul in boldly, consistently living out your faith. You don't have to be called to full-time ministry to represent Christ and show others his saving love. Here's Raul Ries with today's teaching.

Raul Ries: This morning, if you have your Bibles, turn to Romans chapter 1, and we're going to be dealing with verse 5 through 7. The title of my message is "Paul's Wisdom and Instruction." Let me go back and read from verse 1 so we can get the full meaning. He says, "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Through him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, Paul the Apostle here in these verses now continues in the letter because he wants us to understand the declaration. In the declaration he makes that the Son of God, that Jesus is the Christ and our Lord and our Savior.

So let's go back for a second to verse 5. He says, "Through him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ." So Paul's apostleship here, as we have seen here, was his position and privilege and responsibility to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Think of the responsibility in the privilege that each one of us individually has been given by God to proclaim the gospel. But before we can proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have to live by the gospel in order for people to believe the gospel. That's so important. One of the problems today is because the church is not really living by the gospel, then people can't believe the gospel. And we need to understand that we are living in the last days.

And that apostleship here means one to be sent. There are no apostles today, but the apostle here meant what he said. We see him here in Romans as now, point number one, let's look at verse 5: the believer's mission. The believer's mission. Do you know your mission? Do I know my mission that has been given to me? Because he says our mission, "through him we have received grace." Our mission is to take the grace that God has given to us and through our lives, people will be saved by the grace of God. By the grace of God, unmerited favor.

The grace of God, he says, "and apostleship." The apostleship is to what? To be sent. But we are going to be sent for obedience to the faith among all nations in his name. Not among, notice, Diamond Bar. Among the nations of the world, for his name. So Paul had received God's grace and God's mission. He was not only an apostle of Jesus Christ, but he came through the grace of God because grace comes only when a person is repentive.

He gets rid of sin and receives by faith the grace of God, forgiveness of their sins and by the work of atonement, the work of being atoned by Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior for what he did for us. That is so important. And then obedient to the faith. It refers to the doctrine and belief that we are learning, that we're believing in. Are we really believing in Jesus Christ? Do we believe in the grace of God and the peace of God? Do we believe that God can do tremendous miracles and wonders?

Second point, verse 6. "Among whom you also are called of Jesus Christ." Notice, Paul acknowledged here the enslavement of other people to Jesus Christ. He was a slave, Paul the Apostle. Here are six things about believers. Number one, believers are the called of Jesus Christ. Called by who? Jesus Christ. We're not called by anybody else; we're called by Jesus Christ. I remember when I got saved, I didn't know anything about the Bible. I didn't know anything about calling and all these things that he's talking about.

But somehow, deep within my heart, in the next couple of days and weeks, I wasn't the same person. I had something within me that was speaking to my heart, and I started having a burden for high schools. But I didn't understand that God was calling me to high schools to preach the gospel when you could do that. You can't do that today. I went to seven high schools. It's incredible. And here Paul the Apostle says believers are called by Jesus Christ.

And every one of us are called. Maybe you're called at work—not to preach, but to live the life. Each one of us. But think of the calling that God has given to you and to me. When I was called and then I began to develop and grow through the word of God, then the vision and the call of God became more clear in my life. More clear because I was fighting God. I didn't want to be a pastor. But it was so cool because it took time and then God, when I surrendered everything, he gave it all back to me.

Secondly, believers are called to do what? To be saved. Every one of us are called to be saved. God calls everybody in the world to be saved. He's given us a will to say yes, to say no. You can't force your mom, your dad, brother, sister, whoever it is. You really just got to pray for people and I told you before, the best witness is your life and my life. The way we behave, the way we do things. Because God is the one that saves people.

In 1st Timothy 2:4-6, Paul says, he says who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. How can you come to the knowledge of the truth if you never read the Bible? Thirdly, believers are called to a mission. We have a mission, a task for Jesus Christ. Then Jesus said to them again, "Peace be unto you. As my Father has sent me, even so, here's the mission, I send you." I don't know where God's going to send you. I know where God sent me.

Imagine the opportunity young people have, not only to be in high school or junior high school or college, to be able to share their faith because they're young. In their manner of living, not preaching, where people ask, "Hey man, what's... what do you have that I don't have?" Number one, I don't have religion. I have a personal love relationship with God. That's what gets people. Matthew 20:28 says Jesus, even as the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. This is the purpose Jesus Christ came: to give himself so that we could be sent out on our mission.

How about fourthly? Believers are beloved of God. Counted precious, dear unto him, deeply in love with us. Are we deeply in love with him? Do we really love him? Do we really care about pleasing him? Jeremiah 31:3 says, "The Lord had appeared of old unto me, saying, 'Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn you.'" Notice this: "I have drawn you with my love." And I already read John 3:16.

How about John 16:27? "For the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God." Now, check this out: "because you have loved me." Do you really love Jesus? Because if you love Jesus, notice, and have believed that I came out of God, then Jesus loves us. The Father himself loved you because we have loved Jesus and have believed that he came from God. Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for me and Christ died for us, for each one of us individually."

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, had quickened us together with Christ." Did you know that the love of Christ is even to the unbeliever? He loves them. He loves them so much that he gives them opportunity, like he did to us, to come to know him, to know his love, to know his grace, to know his mercies, and that would come to a time where we bow our knees before him and we use our tongue to confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus.

And then I like the fifth thing here. Believers are called to be saints. Notice, not a statue, a saint, but a hagioi, one that is separated to God, one that has been called to be separated. Each one of us individually. 1st Peter 1:15 says, "But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all of your manner of living because it is written, 'Be you holy for I am holy.'" The word separated, holy. Holy to be separated so that God can use my life.

And then six, believers are recipients of God's grace and peace. I like that. Titus 3:4-7: "But after the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Isn't that amazing?

Third point, verse 7: believer's blessings. "To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Grace to you, peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Remember, he'd never been to Rome. I don't know if you've ever been to Rome, but Rome is quite a place. When you go to the Colosseum, when you go to all those historical places. Imagine Paul walking into this huge city like New York City, never been there. He's used to little cities. And walking into Rome and standing there, not impressed by the buildings, but impressed by those that are lost. But Paul the Apostle had a message. A message was burning in his heart. I like that.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If you're in the Diamond Bar area on March 14th, join Pastor Raul and other solid teachers at Calvary Chapel Golden Springs for a family conference titled "Family God's Way." Through powerful biblical teaching and worship, couples and families will be encouraged to build their homes on the foundation of God's word. For more information, go to somebodylovesyou.com and click on the family conference graphic. Now back to more with Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Burning in my heart, burning in your heart. That truly we have been saved from by the power of the Holy Spirit. That among countless gracious privileges have been given to us through the good news of Jesus Christ. By becoming his beloved and being the called ones and are being his saints, his separated ones, hagioi. The ones that are supposed to be separated to be in love with Jesus Christ.

To me, it's so awesome Paul here addressing all his fellow believers—all his fellow believers in Rome—and beloved of God. That's why Paul went, to go to the church. He didn't go on a vacation. He didn't go on a tour. He went to a place where one day he was going to die in Rome. He was going to be beheaded. You think he cared? He did not care. He spent two years in Rome in prison. And according to the scriptures, we see that it was God's gracious love, like with us, and God's gracious mercy that is given to Paul as it is given to you and given to myself and to my family.

We can trust the scriptures. We can trust God's grace given to us because we live a life of two Fs. Not the first F, feelings. Faith. By faith. Someone came to me the other day, he says, "Man, I don't feel anything." Hey, welcome to the club. I don't feel the Holy Spirit all the time. Oh man, I feel him so much. Yes, there are times when I'm worshipping and the Holy Spirit's presence is over my life and I can't help but to weep because of his presence.

But majority of us here, we live by faith. There's no feeling when you first come to the Lord—yeah, it's exciting. But he makes us know that he's there and then as you begin to get into the word of God and you begin to learn about the grace of God and the peace of God and the mercies of God, then you become one that begins to walk by faith and lives by faith. David says in Psalm 25:6, he says, "Remember, oh Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth nor my transgressions. According to your mercy, remember me for your goodness' sake, oh Lord." I mean, isn't that wonderful what David is saying here? These are prayers that David prays. Are prayers like David's prayers? "Remember me, oh Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old. Do not remember the sins of my youth when I was young, nor my transgressions." According to your mercy, remember me for your goodness' sake, oh Lord.

Because of youth, when we are on our youth, we do so many stupid things. And sometimes even grown-ups that never grow up, they do stupid things. And here the Psalmist is covering that for he says, from old, "do not remember the sins," plural, of my youth, nor my transgressions, the missing of the mark and willful sinning against God—transgression—willful sinning against God. Psalm 26:3: "For your loving kindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in your truth."

Psalm 36:7: "How precious is your loving kindness, oh God." Imagine that. His loving kindness that he has for each one of us individually. He says again, because of what he's done for us. Yes. So therefore, the children of men put their trust, as we put our trust, under the shadow of his wings. Think about that, under the shadow of his wings. So those who have come to Jesus Christ, like each one of us individually here, we are obedient, notice, obedience of faith, and also because we are called by our God.

We are called by our God. And listen, Paul is not speaking here of the general call that is given to us when we first come to Christ. But here Paul the Apostle is responding to that invitation that has been called by God himself in salvation to take the gospel and to give the gospel to others to experience the same salvation that each one of us individually have experienced. Romans 8:30, Paul says, "Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called; whom he called, these he also justified; and whom he justified, these he also glorified."

Isn't that cool? One day we are going to be glorified. The reminder again, Paul says, the believers are God's saints, God's hagioi, God's separated ones, to be set apart for his glory, for his honor. So we are God's holy people who are graciously set apart for himself, not for us. How? Through Christ Jesus. Through Christ Jesus, recipients of God's grace and God's peace. And the reason is because God's new temple and priesthood of God, 1st Corinthians 3:16: "Don't you know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

There it is again, "dwells in you." "If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God," here it is, "is holy, which temple you are." I am. Isn't that amazing? The word temple here is an interesting word because, remember, in the Old Testament, the temple was what? The Holiest of Holies. Inside there was a Holiest of Holies. And when we come to Jesus Christ, we not only have become the temple of God where there's holiness, where God lives, where God dwells in our lives.

And how many times we defile the temple? How many times we defile the temple with all the things of the world that brings grievance to the Holy Spirit of God? "Don't you know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, which you are." And then again in Peter: "But you are the chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." You're not supposed to go back to darkness. He called you out of darkness to be in the light.

Guest (Male): We hope today's lesson has been helpful in clarifying that no matter what your circumstances or your sphere of influence, you can be used by God as a living witness of his love. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. To hear today's lesson again in its complete form, just call us at 800-634-9165 and ask for the lesson "Paul's Wisdom and Instruction." For a donation of five dollars or more, we'll send a copy to you.

We'd also like to tell you about a resource that will help you represent the Lord as you faithfully walk in his ways. Titled "Wisdom," Raul's four-part series is available on either CD or thumb drive. Each message in this collection will challenge you to spend more time in the word of God and in prayer, allowing God to transform you and counsel you in his truth. You'll also learn about the eternal blessings that come from humble obedience.

To order Raul's four-message wisdom series, visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165. We'll send you the CD set for eighteen dollars or the flash drive for just ten dollars. That's 800-634-9165. Or you can write to Somebody Loves You Radio, Post Office Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California, 91765. Join Raul for straight talk on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel every Tuesday at 10 AM West Coast time. This channel also features podcasts of all of our previously aired programs.

For uplifting daily insights from the word of God, subscribe to Raul's daily devotional emails at somebodylovesyou.com. Your partnership enables us to keep sharing God's life-shaping word, and we're grateful for every tax-deductible gift. Thanks for joining us today and be with us again next time as we continue this series contemplating the dividing line of the gospel, with those who reject it as foolishness on one side and on the other side those who recognize its infinite wisdom. Now here's Raul with a closing thought.

Raul Ries: And then Paul concludes with his beautiful benediction: "Grace to you, peace from God our Father, Lord Jesus Christ." So the real peace comes only as a result of real grace in my life. Why didn't he put peace first? Because there will be no peace unless there's grace. You've got to take care of the issue of sin first before you can have the peace of God. And there are so many people that have no peace with God.

Grace is what we receive; peace is what we experience as a result of the activity God on behalf that he comes into our life and begins not only to cleanse us and wash us but to call each one of us individually. Let me give you in conclusion this: as we see this introduction, I wrote it down. Paul presents his apostolic credentials and goals. He's the apostle appointed to take the gospel to the Gentile people so that they come to faith and begin to live like Christians to the glory of God. Our passion should be parallel. Our passion should be parallel. We need to have our passion toward him.

I am falling in love. I am falling in love. I am falling in love. I am falling in love with you.

Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.