Words Without Actions Lack Credibility, Actions Without Words Lack Courage!
Romans 15
18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.
As Paul closes up his monumental letter to the Romans, he shares some closing thoughts. He hopes to make it back to them, after he drops of the offering the Philippians made to the church in Jersualem. His plan was to return then somehow to make it back to Spain. Rome is the furthest he had reached west, and he says his goal was not to keeping preaching to those who have heard the gospel, but to those who haven't.
As he recounts his ministry he states that his message to the Gentiles, who he was called to reach, was by his message and "by the way i worked among them." Then, he clarifies by saying that they were finally convinced of the power of the Gospel when he was able to do miraculous signs and wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit. And in this way, he "fully presented" the Good News. We might say the Good News was both in word and deed. Paul brought the Good News by both his "words" and his "works".
Someone once said, "Words without actions lack credibility and actions without words lack courage." The key thing is we need to articulate the message and the authenticate it's power. And we see Jesus giving us the same model. He preached, taught and then healed and delivered people from demons. Jesus said his miracles were evidence His teaching came from His Father So what do you think the church needs more of today? Words or works? I think we need more works. We talk a lot but I think we need to back our talk with action.
Jesus you will do even greater things than me, because I am going to the Father and I will send you the Holy Spirit. You see the early apostles did these signs and wonders in the power of the Holy Spirit, as did Paul. So we will preach the gospel not only in words but actions? The world needs both and the Holy Spirit will give us what we need as we like Paul seek to reach those who have never heard or seen the Gospel!
18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.
As Paul closes up his monumental letter to the Romans, he shares some closing thoughts. He hopes to make it back to them, after he drops of the offering the Philippians made to the church in Jersualem. His plan was to return then somehow to make it back to Spain. Rome is the furthest he had reached west, and he says his goal was not to keeping preaching to those who have heard the gospel, but to those who haven't.
As he recounts his ministry he states that his message to the Gentiles, who he was called to reach, was by his message and "by the way i worked among them." Then, he clarifies by saying that they were finally convinced of the power of the Gospel when he was able to do miraculous signs and wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit. And in this way, he "fully presented" the Good News. We might say the Good News was both in word and deed. Paul brought the Good News by both his "words" and his "works".
Someone once said, "Words without actions lack credibility and actions without words lack courage." The key thing is we need to articulate the message and the authenticate it's power. And we see Jesus giving us the same model. He preached, taught and then healed and delivered people from demons. Jesus said his miracles were evidence His teaching came from His Father So what do you think the church needs more of today? Words or works? I think we need more works. We talk a lot but I think we need to back our talk with action.
Jesus you will do even greater things than me, because I am going to the Father and I will send you the Holy Spirit. You see the early apostles did these signs and wonders in the power of the Holy Spirit, as did Paul. So we will preach the gospel not only in words but actions? The world needs both and the Holy Spirit will give us what we need as we like Paul seek to reach those who have never heard or seen the Gospel!
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