Read //
“Now, to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him-to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
Romans 16:25-27 (NIV)
There is enough theology in these closing verses of Romans to study for a week. Paul has a way of crafting sentences, which are pregnant with more meaning that we can usually absorb in a single reading, so go ahead, read it again.
“Now, to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him-to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
Although there is so much to meditate on in these verses, today the focus is on “so”. This little word gives us a glimpse into the motivations of God, specifically in this case as it relates to the revelation of the gospel. The first half of the verse is talking about the gospel: “the mystery that was hidden for so long, but has now been revealed.” Why was it revealed? Opportunities to understand exactly why God does one thing or another are rare, but here He tells us plainly, “so that all nations might believe and obey him”.
God wants all humanity to believe and obey him. This of course, in our life starts with us. We must believe and obey God, in all of our decisions, big and small. We only have control over our own choices and in those we must believe and obey God. And, we will not be disappointed, because the end of the verse explains that He is the “only wise God”. Who else is worthy of our obedience?
Do // What opportunities do you have in your day today to believe God, and obey him?
by Alison Kemp