Paul’s Meaningful Message to the Romans

Dear reader, who is not aware of the wonderful resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? Maybe your answer is that still there are many who are not aware of it. Of course, this depends much on where we live. There are countries on earth where people do not hear anything of the sound preaching of the Word of the living God. Do they miss it? No, in general they do not. Once it was the command of the Lord Jesus Christ: “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15&16).

What weighty words issued out of His mouth—what a severe contradiction between salvation or damnation. Is there a third possibility? No, there is not. It will be one or the other. There was a time in the life of the writer of this Epistle to the Romans that he did not know about this contradiction. That was the time when he was happy in persecuting God’s dear ones. Yea, so blind and ignorant as he then was, that when persecuting the true Christians, he thought that he was serving God. Oh, dear reader, what is man when he is destitute of the true light from above.

The Lord is going to stop this man; we also can say, this wild beast. Only God is able to make a lion a lamb, and that is what is going to happen. When he once was on his way to Damascus, far north of Israel, in the middle of the day, when it is the hottest time of the day, there came straight from heaven an audible hitherto.

Dear reader, it was the Lord’s time. He stopped this fanatical hunter in an extraordinary way. This stopping brought him, helpless as he was at that unforgettable moment, to the supplication (which we all need to learn), “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” The answer came immediately: “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” They who were with him became speechless, hearing the voice but not seeing anyone. Then we read that Paul arose from the earth— what a wonder, not yet in hell, but stopped by the Lord in an extraordinary way, with the holy purpose to become His servant which meant, reverently speaking, from now on serving a different Boss.

There is a statement from the late Rev. Fraanje who once said: “Paul, in his former life, drove as on horseback through the world, doing his own will. Then came the Lord, saying, ‘Devil, you have to quit; I will drive him.’” That is what happened there on Saul’s way to Damascus.

Dear reader, please, tell me, did He stop you already? Dear young people, how about you? Maybe you say this happened a long time ago. True, it is about two thousand years ago. Yet, do we not read in the Bible that a thousand years are in the Lord’s sight but as yesterday?

Christ’s vicarious death was required by the justice of God, which Christ knew from all eternity. Yet, when it came that far in the time, His prayer was to the Father that, if it were possible, this cup would pass Him by. Dear reader, was it possible? No, it was not, and why not? Because Christ’s death was the only way to satisfy the justice of an offended God. God is offended by the sin of mankind. Understand this well. Not all mankind will be saved. Yet it is not possible that God’s justice will be divided. So, the whole world, by Adam’s fall, lies lost in that fall—without any exception, condemned by divine justice.

Now the wonder—God, who is sovereign, is calling in the time those who are His by election from eternity. As we all know, election is the opposite of rejection. What is necessary for those who are called by that effectual calling? First this, to break with their former life and to leave their sinful ways. They learn the need of it, often through deep ways. Secondly, they must come in agreement with divine justice, declaring the Lord righteous as we read in Psalm 145:17, “The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.”

Oh, He makes Himself a willing people in the day of His power. When that happens, they confess their manifold transgressions; yea, they unburden themselves by such a true confession. Then in their heart is what we sing in Psalters 140 and 142, “Make me pure within.” We believe that such a true confession happened with Ruth at the border between Moab and Israel—one of the two foreign women there. Oh, dear reader, realize here the Lord’s sovereignty. Ruth could not leave her dear mother-in-law anymore, while Orpah did not make that choice. “Ruth clave unto her” is what we read in verse 14 of the first chapter of Ruth. This means that the Holy Ghost had begun His work in the heart and life of this Gentile widow who became in a very remarkable way related to the God-fearing widow Naomi from the nation of Israel. Here we also have the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself whose predicted and remarkable birth would happen by the Lord’s eternal plan in the fullness of time out of the chosen nation Israel…Do they believe it themselves today? No, thus far they do not, but do we believe it?

Dear reader, allow me to ask you: Do you know of such a change in your life? Do you know that the God of a Ruth, of a Naomi, is still living today? Oh, implore Him in His mercy to look upon you and upon what is yours. Together we live in a time that there is no knowledge of the true doctrine among the millions of our fellow travelers to eternity. Not that they are without knowledge; no, but what they see as true is not true. Hear the poet’s request: “Make me pure within,” and let that be your request also.

Dear young people, do you read these lines as well? Oh, do not waste your precious time with the things of no value in the sight of eternity. Dear youth of the congregations, please forsake the idle things of today. Realize the mortal danger of your cell phones, Internet, etc. Realize what you bear on your forehead, namely, the name of a holy and triune God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Be not ashamed bearing this name with you wherever you go. May it please the Lord to explain and to apply this name in you. We say often to you that you cannot overesteem the great value of knowing the true doctrine because it

is by this doctrine that the Lord enters into one’s life. That entrance has taken place in Naomi’s daughter-in-law, Ruth. That is what we need as well. Therefore, use the means given by the Lord as He is a God who works instrumentally.

I have to conclude. Young and old, and all the ages in between, widowers, widows, dear fatherless or motherless, sons and daughters, may the Lord dwell among us by His dear, precious Word and Holy Spirit. May He convert the unconverted one, discover the nearby coming one, and comfort the true missing one.

Your well-wishing minister

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