July 16, 2016

Romans 1:14 NKJV - "I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise."

Commentary:

The reason for this Daily Verse is to show the spiritual obligation Christians have to take what they have received and gladly seek to share it with others.  This is especially true of the Gospel.  Yesterday we focused on one of the great "Signs of the Times" of Matthew 24, that of the Gospel being preached to all nations before "the end."  The way that will happen is when more and more Christians sense the debt and the joy of sharing the Good News with others. 

The word "debt" gives us the idea of being responsible to do what Jesus said in Matthew 10:8, "...freely you have received, freely give."  What do you do with your "debts?"  You wish sometimes you could "ignore them - maybe they'll go away!"  But we know that we have a responsibility to deal with those debts and pay them off as soon as we can.  However, this debt we owe to those who live in this world with us.  In a sense, as long as we live in this world, we will NEVER finish paying off this debt!  And in a way we don't want to.  We know that as long as there are unsaved people "out there" then we will pray, give, and go to reach them. 

We often use the illustration of someone having the absolute cure for all cancers and yet withholding that information from the public, especially from those dying of that disease.  One author asked, "How much to you have to hate a person not to share something like that with them?"  Hopefully Christians should have no trouble with hatred, especially since the "...love of God has been shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit,"  Romans 5:5.  God not only loves the lost, but He gives us that same love in our own hearts to share this glorious truth with others.

Christian, the greatest joy you will ever know is the joy of your own salvation.  But the 2nd greatest joy will be watching someone else have the joy of their salvation!  And what a privilege and blessing it will be when God uses you to help that person come to have that joy!  May we all seek to "pay our debt" and freely share with others the Gospel of Christ!