Christ my sure and steady Anchor.
”An anchor Is intended to hold the ship secure when currents, winds and waves and even storms threaten the ship. You may feel at times that you are in the middle of such a storm, the wind and waves buffeting you, but within that, because of Jesus‘s death on the cross He is and will always be your sure and steady Anchor. While He calls you to fix your eyes on Him it is actually He that holds you fast when the current comes to rip you away. Your life, your hope, your future is securely held in and by that Anchor. So look up – all of you who read this – and see Christ holding you and surrender to him in faith.”
Please read Romans 15:13-22. Paul, having taken a strong line in addressing the Jews, seems to realise that he may have offended them and so in this section he seeks to soften the effect of his words to them by explaining the primacy he sees in his call to minister to the Gentiles.
But first there is vs13 which acts like a link. In itself the message is universal, to all of us Christians and actually deserves a close scrutiny and meditation. We all need the joy and peace which comes from the full reminder and assurance of our hope. This is guaranteed through the power of the Holy Spirit. That is how important it is. Do you have that joy and peace which comes from the hope God has promised? Pray for it and pray for others to experience it.
Now notice the theme if the next section. Paul is convinced of his calling to minister to the Gentiles. It is generally regarded that, although he was a Jew through and through, his ministry was primarily to the Gentiles, wherever he went.
What did that ministry look like? Refining it down to three verses; vs 16 b the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, vs 20 it has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. And a reminder of what he said in the introduction to the letter where he declared the gospel as simply obedience to God, vs 17 b leading the Gentiles to obey God.
I suppose for some of us we may have a specific sense of calling to preach the gospel in a specific place, I believe with my whole heart that the gospel is so precious that we all have the responsibility and the joy of sharing something of it to those we meet. The gospel is Christ and just a word here or there about Him can also be used by God to be life-changing.
So I ask our dear Lord to renew our fervour to share the mighty gospel in whichever way He leads us to. May He bless you all in this, this coming week.