LifeWay Bible Studies for Life Series for November 28: Life worth sharing

In a past lesson we explored the question, “What are you devoted to?” and then proceeded to determine how you could know what, or whom, that might be.

Here’s the $10,000 question (remember when that was a lot of money for a question?) this time: What are you obligated to do? Obligated is one of those words that we may use from time to time but rarely take the time to revisit what it means. According to the dictionary, obligated means “to bind or oblige morally or legally; to pledge, commit, or bind.” Oblige means “to bind morally or legally, as by a promise or contract.”

So the Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:14-17 in his letter to the church at Rome that he is obligated to Greeks and non-Greeks, to the wise and the foolish. Putting that into our own cultural terms we find ourselves obligated to be good parents and citizens, and when we aren’t, we get punished because we’ve broken our obligation by not doing what is expected of us.

But what about our obligation to God through Christ? Ever think about the fact—yes, fact—that as Christians, you and I are obligated to God? We became obligated to him when we bound ourselves to Christ and when Christ bound himself to us. You see, salvation is way more than a simple get-out-of-Hell-free-card (which don’t actually exist). We made a pledge, a commitment to Christ, and when we did, we became obligated to do exactly what Paul is talking about in his letter to the Roman church. The obligation is the same and therefore our response should be the same as well.

Paul is making a very strong cultural point here, too. He is saying, very plainly, that in his obligation, he refuses to discriminate who does or does not hear this gospel he is so passionate about. Our society really isn’t too far separated from the Roman culture. Prejudices and discrimination existed back then just as they do today when you and I walk outside our doors.

Have you ever hesitated or flat out refused to share the gospel with someone just because of how they looked? No? Great, are you consistently sharing your faith? If not, why? What are the hindrances to sharing your faith?

Paul would go so far as to say that he refused to be ashamed of the gospel, even to the point of death. He was so over the need to be “liked” by others and a people-pleaser. Remember, he tried that route earlier in his life and came to find out it was all emptiness and had no meaning.

He uses an interesting word here in verse 17 when he says the righteousness from God is revealed. There were many religious leaders in biblical times who were claiming they had found or had been enlightened with a new spiritual awareness. These leaders would then look down on the masses because they had not been raised to this new level and the masses would follow these individuals.

Paul, however, says it’s impossible to achieve the righteousness from God because it is revealed. God revealed back then and does the same thing today. Remember when you came to know and understand the gospel and the righteousness it offers? Was it something that you figured out, or was the blind slowly removed from your eyes and for the first time in your life you really saw it with new eyes?

Paul definitely was a unique and passionate individual. So much so that he wrote in his letter to the Roman church that he would be willing to be cut off from Christ for the sake of others (9:3). The very idea that he would be willing to trade his relationship with Christ if it meant that his fellow Romans could have one is mind-blowing.

Sure, I’d like to think I’d say that I’d do something like that for my wife or children, but for just random people who live in Texas? Not likely, and they probably wouldn’t even know I had done such a thing; they would just get to enjoy the relationship with Jesus that I gave up for them.

But what a beautiful picture in that we get to see the extent of Paul’s love for people. Amazing. But this intense love for people starts with having an unbelievable love for Jesus. A love that, by comparison, makes it look like you hate your very family. Wonder what the world around us would look like if we passionately loved God and we then had a God-motivated love for others?

Paul’s questions in Romans 10: 14 are filled with logic and reasoning. How can someone believe in Jesus if they haven’t heard of him? They can’t. Oh sure, you and I have heard the hypothetical scenario about the person who lives in the jungle that has never seen an outsider. Surely, if that person dies God won’t allow them to spend in Hell. I mean, they’ve never heard of Jesus, how can they be responsible for something they’ve never heard. It’s just a hypothetical, but one that never will happen because Jesus says he won’t lose any of those given to him. As Christians we get to join in this amazing mission, all the more reason for us to be spreading the Good News of Jesus.