1 of 1

Before his conversion, Saul was passionate about persecuting and killing followers of The Way. After being confronted by Christ, he didn't lose ambition but directed it toward a very different goal. In his letters, Paul distinguishes between self-ambition (Galatians 5:20; Philippians 1:15-17), which he condemns, and God-ambition, with which he closely identifies.

Romans 15:15-22

1. What (v. 16) was Paul's personal ambition?
   
   
2. How (v. 20) did Paul narrow the scope of his ambition?
   
   
3. Does understanding Paul's ambition explain why Paul had taken the gospel to remote Illyricum (roughly equivalent to the former Yugoslavia), but had yet to visit the church in the Empire's capital city?
   
   
4. Paul insisted (v. 17) that pride in his service was proper. How would offering these results up to God be a form of worship?
   
   
5. To what (vv. 18-19) did Paul attribute his successes?
   
   
6. About what slice of God's work in the world would it be proper for you to be enthusiastic?
   
   

Give God the glory for the way he's using you to advance his kingdom.

Romans 15:15-22

15 Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God's grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 17 So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. 18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.

20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, "Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand."

22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

 1 of 1

share this page

Prayer for the Week

Rechannel my ambitions, Lord, toward goals that demonstrate Your character and advance Your purposes.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter (All fields required)    RSS Feed   RSS Help