Scripture to Read: Romans 16:21–27
As we come to a close on the book of Romans, we find that Paul had a helper in writing this letter to the Romans, and that helper was Tertius. The fact that God allowed Tertius to let everyone know he was writing this letter reminds us that everyone in the body of Christ has an important ministry to fulfill. God did not just call a few to the ministry, but He has called every believer to the ministry (Ephesians 2:10, Titus 2:14, Titus 3:8, Titus 3:14). The only difference is that God has called some believers to be “equippers of the saints” (Ephesians 4:11–16). Those equippers help prepare all other believers to do the work of the ministry that God has called each one to do to serve in the body of Christ. God had Paul close out reminding all of us that He is the one who establishes and strengthens us in our faith in Him. Our faith is strengthened through the tests and trials of this life. We also see that the fullness of God’s Good News was kept hidden for a while but that His mystery has been made known through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:10–12, Romans 16:25, Matthew 13:35, Romans 11:25, 1 Corinthians 2:1, 1 Corinthians 2:7, 1 Corinthians 4:1, Ephesians 1:9, Ephesians 3:3, Ephesians 3:9, Ephesians 6:19, Colossians 1:26–29, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 4:3, 1 Timothy 3:16). The secret is out, so share Him today.
Challenge & Application
· Since you are a part of the body of Christ, how well are you serving so that the body of our Lord is healthy?
· How have the equippers prepared you for ministry, and in what ministries are you serving?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!