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Romans 15:22 – Submitted and Committed

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Will

Because of this I also was repeatedly hindered from coming to you.

Truth to Learn

Doing God’s will often means not doing what we want to do.

Behind the Words

“Because of this” is from the Greek word dio. This is made up of a form of dia, meaning “for” or “through” and the relative pronoun hos, meaning “which.” So, literally, the word dio means “through which,” or “because of this.”

The word “hindered” is translated from the verb engkoptō, which is made up of en, meaning “in” and koptō, meaning “to cut.” So, literally this word means “to cut into.” Figuratively, however, it means “to impede” or “to hinder.”

“Repeatedly” is from the Greek words ta polla, which literally means “many things.” From this we know that Paul was not saying “there was a strong hindrance,” but “there were many hindrances.”

Meaning Explained

Paul starts off this verse with “Because of this.” So, we have to ask ourselves, “Because of what?” The answer is, “because he was so focused on preaching the gospel where Christ had not been named.” Because Paul was so intent on doing what God had called him to do, he was not able to do those things that he himself really wanted to do, like go to Rome to meet the Christians there.

As we will see in the next verse, Paul had a strong desire to travel to Rome, but because of the calling that he had from God he had thus far been prevented from traveling there. Instead, he had traveled throughout modern day Turkey and Greece, responding to God’s leading. A dramatic example of his receiving direction from God occurs in Acts chapter sixteen:

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And coming up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:6-10)

Not only was Paul submitted to God’s lordship over him, but he was also committed to doing what God called him to do. In fact, Paul was so compelled to follow God’s calling for him that he said the following of himself in his first letter to the Christians at Corinth:

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me. Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! (1Corinthians 9:16)

This is the kind of commitment to doing God’s will instead of his own that enabled Paul to be so powerfully used of God

Application

Do you want God to use you? Are you willing to do whatever He calls you to instead of what you want to do?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:21 – Evangelistic Tenacity

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Will

but as it is written: "Those to whom He was not announced will see; and those who have not heard will understand."

Truth to Learn

Isaiah prophesied about Gentiles believing in the Messiah.

Behind the Words

“Announced” is from anangellō, which is made up of ana, indicating repetition or specificity and angellō, meaning “to declare, proclaim, or announce.” Anangellō indicates a detailed proclamation or a repeated proclamation.

The word “see” is translated from a form of horaō, meaning “to see or perceive (either visually or cognitively).

“Understand” is translated from the verb suniēmi, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and hiēmi, meaning “to send or to put.” Thus, this word literally means “to put together mentally.” In other words it means “to comprehend or to understand.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about being singularly focused on performing the ministry to which he was called by God, the ministry of declaring the message of salvation through the death of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus the Christ. He has demonstrated repeatedly that he was a student of the Scriptures. Here he quotes a scripture that is clearly in reference to the Messiah. Most of us can recognize one of the great messianic prophecies when we hear the beginning of Isaiah 53:

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or magnificence when we see Him, no beauty that we should desire Him. (Isaiah 53:1-2)

But who of us can recognize the last three verses of the chapter immediately preceding this one?

Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you– his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. (Isaiah 52:13-15)

Paul was keenly aware of Isaiah chapter 52 and recognized that verse fifteen was a reference to the Gentiles understanding the message about the Messiah. He may have claimed this verse as his “life verse,” the verse that defined his mission in life. Some Biblical scholars even believe that Paul understood this prophecy to be a specific reference to his own apostolic ministry. Whether or not that is so and whether or not Paul claimed this as his life verse, he nonetheless recognized that Isaiah prophesied concerning the Gentiles believing in the Messiah. He also recognized that he personally had a calling from God to preach the message to those who had never heard about salvation in Jesus Christ. Not only did he know what his calling was, but he was so focused on his calling that he did not let anything distract him from performing it.

Application

Oh, that we all were as clear about our calling and as tenacious in our pursuit of it!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:20 – Singular Ambition

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Will

And so I am eager to preach the gospel, where Christ was not named, lest I should build on another man's foundation,

Truth to Learn

All Christians are called and gifted to build the body of Christ.

Behind the Words

The expression “I am eager” is translated from the Greek verb philotimeomai. This word is made up of philos, meaning “a friend,” (expressing the fondness between good friends) and a form of time, meaning “honor.” Thus, we see this word literally means “a love or fondness of honor.” By application, it means “to make something an ambition” or “to aspire to something.” It is expressed here as a present participle so it might literally be translated, “making it my ambition.”

The words “preach the gospel” are from the Greek verb euangelidzō, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of angellō, meaning “to tell or to proclaim.” It means “to proclaim the gospel” or “to evangelize.”

“Build” is from oikodomeō, which literally means “to build a house.” The particular house that Paul is building is the body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Meaning Explained

It is clear from this verse that Paul was absolutely certain of the calling he had from God. As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul was called to evangelize among the heathen who had not yet heard the gospel message. He said in the previous verse that he had fully preached the gospel from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. And in the verse before that, he would take no credit for the work that that the Spirit had done through others. He now explains why.

Paul says, “And so I am eager to preach the gospel.” In other words, Paul was singularly focused on preaching the gospel, making it his greatest ambition. From the moment of his conversion he recognized God’s calling in his life, thus his ambition from that time was to proclaim the good message, or good news, about salvation through Jesus Christ.

And, he says that his ambition was to preach the good news to people who had never heard the name of Jesus Christ. His reason for doing this was because he was not called to build upon someone else’s work. God called Paul to proclaim Christ to those who had never heard the gospel and that is precisely what he wanted to do.

God has not called us all to this type of ministry. There are many different spiritual gifts that God has given to the members of the church through the Holy Spirit, and we each have a calling that is empowered by the gifts He has given us. God does not expect us all to travel to foreign lands and proclaim the gospel to those who have never heard it. Some, like Paul, are called to do that but others are specifically called to teach, to encourage, to be a helper, or to give generously from what God has blessed us with. However, we are all called to share our testimony with those around us, and we are all called to give of ourselves, our time, and our money. Where and how we do this depends on what God has called us to do and on how obedient we are willing to be.

Application

Do you know what God has called you to do within the body of Christ? Are you making it your singular ambition to know what that calling is and to fulfill it for God’s glory?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:19 – Submissive Service

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Will

in mighty signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum.

Truth to Learn

We need to submissively serve God wherever He leads us.

Behind the Words

The word translated “signs” is the Greek word semeion, which means “a wondrous public sign or token with a spiritual meaning and purpose.” It implies that the miracle has God’s finger prints all over it; that is, it is an amazing miracle which draws people’s attention to God.

“Wonders” is from the Greek noun teras. This is a derivative of the verb tereō, meaning “to watch, implying that, due to its extraordinary character, the thing observed causes amazement and wonder and is long remembered as a result.”

The Greek word translated “around” is kuklō, which refers to “a ring or a circle.” Metaphorically, it refers to an entire region.

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses Paul confessed that he has reason to boast about what had been done in Christ Jesus through his own submission to God’s will and his own commitment to do whatever God directed him to do. His boasting, you will remember, was not in himself but in what God had done through him. He further clarified this idea by stating that he was not taking any credit for what others had done, only what had been done through him.

In the current verse Paul carries this even further by pointing out that what was done through him was not from his own efforts or his own brilliance. Rather, Paul cites the fact that it was through powerful miracles and wonders done in the power of the Spirit of God that his work was accomplished. The two words here translated as “signs and wonders” are often associated together in the New Testament. They do not refer to two different kinds of miracles but to two different aspects of these miracles.

In the second half of this verse, Paul proclaims that he has preached the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. What he means is that he has preached the gospel in all regions, from Jerusalem, the center and origin of the Christian faith, all the way to Illyricum. Illyricum is the area west of the Black Sea and north of Greece. If you follow Paul’s three missionary journeys you will see that he had, indeed, preached all around from Jerusalem to Illyricum.

I think Paul’s point is, as I said earlier, that he has been submissive and obedient to God’s call and has been faithful in preaching the gospel wherever God has called him, which included much of the known world of his time.

Application

Are you willing to go wherever God calls you, and are you prepared to witness the grace of God to those around you wherever that may be? Are you willing to leave your comfort zone, your family and friends and go somewhere unknown to serve Him? Are you willing to give your all to serve Him where you are? Or, are you too comfortable with what you’re doing right where you are? God doesn’t reward comfort, He rewards submissive sacrificial service that glorifies Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:18 – Give Him Credit

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Will

For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, in word and deed, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles.

Truth to Learn

God gets all the credit for what is accomplished through us.

Behind the Words

The word “dare” is translated from talmaō, meaning “to have courage or boldness, to dare.”

“Obedience” is translated from the Greek noun hupakoē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and akouō, meaning “to hear.” So, literally this word means “to hear under,” that is, “someone who listens attentively to what is being taught and puts into practice what is heard.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has just talked about the things that he can boast about in Christ Jesus. He does not dare, or presume, to speak of those things which Christ had done through the ministry of others. He only concerns himself with the way the Lord had used him to win the Gentiles to obedience, both through what he said and through what he did, by the messages he preached and by the miracles he performed (through the Holy Spirit).

Notice that Paul is not boasting about what he personally has done but what God has done through the ministry he has been called to. If he had anything to boast about personally it would be the fact that he responded to God’s call, made himself available to God, and worked long and hard at the tasks that God called him to do. But Paul does not brag about what he has done, simply about what God has done through him. Paul recognizes that he has done nothing; God has done it all.

We could all take a lesson from Paul on this point. We tend to get puffed up about the things that we have accomplished in our ministry, not recognizing that God is the one who deserves credit for it all. One day all Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or evil. (2Corinthians 5:10)

Our rewards will be in the form of crowns that we will receive for the good things we have done for God in this life. We will then have the opportunity to cast those crowns at His feet in recognition of the fact that He is the one deserving of the recognition, not us:

the twenty-four elders [representing all believers] will fall down before the one sitting on the throne and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will throw their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:10-11)

Application

Since we will give all the credit to God someday, let’s get in the habit now of giving Him all the credit for what we have accomplished. Our Christian works of service are all about Him, not about us. After all, He is worthy!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:17 – All God’s Doing

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Will

Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus in the things pertaining to God.

Truth to Learn

We should take no credit for our abilities or for what we accomplish; we should give God all the credit.

Behind the Words

“Boast” is translated from the Greek word kauchēsis, which means, “boasting (properly the act; by implication the objective), in a good or a bad sense.”

The phrase “in the things pertaining to God” is a technical phrase in Jewish liturgical language that refers to the functions of worship performed by a priest.

Meaning Explained

Paul starts out this verse with, “Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus” or as some translations have it, “Therefore I have boasting in Christ Jesus.” The immediate reaction that many of us have to this is, “But I thought that boasting and bragging were wrong!” As we see from the Greek word kauchēsis above, the boasting can be in a good sense or a bad sense. So, let’s look at what the English word “boasting” means. According to The Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2006:

“boasting – to speak with pride. It usually refers to a particular ability, possession, etc., that may be one of such kind as to justify a good deal of pride.”

Now, if we are boasting about ourselves, it usually is called bragging, which is an act of personal pride that takes the focus off of God and puts it on self. This kind of boasting is wrong. Paul’s boasting is not about himself. In fact, he says that his boasting is “in Christ Jesus,” and his boasting is about “the things pertaining to God.” Paul is boasting about what God is accomplishing through his ministry of bringing the glorious gospel message to the Gentiles. Paul was not claiming credit for what he was accomplishing; he was giving the credit to God in the person of Jesus Christ!

This might be a good time to ask ourselves, “Am I proud of what I am, or of what I have accomplished?” If so, instead of boasting about what we have accomplished or of what we have become, we need to recognize that everything we are and everything we have are a direct result of the gifts of God, as we see regarding the skills possessed by Bezalel and Aholiab:

And Moses said to the children of Israel, "Look, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; … And He has given the ability to teach to both him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and designer and tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and of weavers — those who do every work and those who design artistic works. (Exodus 35:30, 34-35)

All Christians have spiritual gifts, skills, and abilities that are given to them by God. We can choose to be proud of what we have or we can choose to humbly use them for His glory.

Application

Taking personal credit for what God has done is selfish and sinful, but giving glory to (boasting in) God for what He has given us or for what He has accomplished through us is well pleasing to Him. Which do you choose to do?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:16 – Ministerial Calling

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Will

that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be well received, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Truth to Learn

Christians are called to a ministry of proclaiming the gospel message to everyone.

Behind the Words

The word translated “minister” is not the word most often translated minister (diakonos); rather, it is the Greek word leitourgos, which is a compound word made up of leitos, meaning “of the people” and a form of ergon, meaning “work.” Thus, we see that this word refers to a public servant, one who works for the people.

“Ministering” is translated from yet a different word. It is the Greek word hierourgeō, which is also a compound word. It is made up of hieron, meaning “a temple” and a form of ergon, meaning “work.” Hence, it refers to sacred work. It is the word that is used of the service that a priest did in the temple in Jerusalem offering up sacrifices to God for the people.

The word translated “well received” is euprosdechtos, which is made up of eu, meaning “good or well” and a form of prosdechomai, meaning “to receive” or “to accept.” So, it refers to something that is especially well accepted.

“Sanctified” is from a form of hagiadzō, which means “to be taken from common usage and used for the service of God.” The basic meaning is “to be set apart.” It is usually translated as “sanctified” or as “holy.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is the continuation of what Paul was saying in the previous verse. You will recall that he is explaining why he was so bold in his comments to the Christians in Rome. Combining the last part of the previous verse and the first part of this verse, we see he is saying, “because of the grace given to me by God that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.”

Paul is well aware of the ministry to which he has been called by the grace of God, the ministry of apostleship to the Gentiles. But in Paul’s humble manner he does not claim to be the apostle to the Gentiles, instead he calls himself a minister, one who works for the common people, a public servant.

And, according to Paul, his responsibility in this position is “ministering the gospel of God;” that is, he was performing the sacred work of presenting the gospel of God in a clear and understandable manner for the Gentiles.

In other words, Paul is saying he is a public servant of Jesus Christ, doing the sacred work of the gospel of God. He is proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles so that their offerings will be particularly well acceptable to God through the purifying work of the Holy Spirit. Paul is not serving himself, he is serving God and he is serving the Gentiles to whom he is delivering the message of salvation through faith.

Application

And we who are saved by the blood of Christ, are also ministers of the gospel of God. It is our responsibility to carry the gospel to others, proclaiming this salvation that is available to all who will believe. It is a ministry to which God has called us all. Are you serving God and others? Are you fulfilling your ministry of proclaiming the gospel to those around you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:15 – Always Growing

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Will

Nevertheless, brothers, I wrote more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,

Truth to Learn

We should always be learning and becoming more Christ-like.

Behind the Words

“More boldly” is a translation of the Greek word tolmēroteron, which is based on tolmaō, meaning “to be confidently bold.” Tolmēroteron is the comparative form of the word so it means “more boldly, with more confidence.”

The word “reminding” is from epanamimnēskō. This is a double compound word made up of epi, meaning “upon” used here as an intensifier, ana, meaning “again,” and mimnēskō, which means “to recall to one’s mind” or “to remember.” Thus, epanamimnēskō means “to strongly remind yet again.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is here explaining to the Christians in Rome why he has been so forceful in his admonition of these brothers and sisters in Christ even though he has never personally met any of them. He starts off by saying that he has written these things to them “more boldly.” Here we have to ask ourselves, “More boldly than what?” Paul was in the habit of being very “up front” and bold whenever he preached and taught, but he doesn’t appear to be more bold with his teaching to these Roman Christians than he was with others. On the other hand, he is being more bold and “up front” with these Christians whom he has never met than he would normally be with strangers. Paul will explain in the next verse why he has taken such a bold step with these brothers and sisters in Rome.

He goes on to tell them that he is reminding them of things that they have already known. But why would he be going over doctrinal truths that they already knew? The answer to that is, because this is the Apostles’ teaching style. They did not simply teach a truth once and then leave it alone. They taught the important truths of Christian living over and over again. Peter made a similar claim regarding his teaching:

For this reason I will not neglect to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. But I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, (2Peter 1:12-13)

Some people are capable of learning a lesson the very first time they are taught it. Most of us, however, need to be told over and over before it sinks in thoroughly. That’s why Paul and others repeated important truths, so that we all might get a firm grasp of these truths.

Next time you hear your pastor or priest proclaim a message that he has proclaimed previously, instead of complaining, thank him for reminding you of these blessed truths.

Application

There is a story of a newly hired preacher who proclaimed the same sermon week after week. When asked by those who hired him if he knew any other sermons, he responded, “Yes, of course, and as soon as you demonstrate that you have learned this lesson, I will preach the next one.” Are you learning the lessons that God is teaching to you and putting them into practice?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:14 – Christ-like Living

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Will

Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brothers, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Truth to Learn

Mature Christians behave in a Christ-like manner.

Behind the Words

The word translated “confident” is the Greek verb peithō, which means “to be persuaded or convinced.” It is in the perfect tense indicating a state of being that is the result of past completed action. The force of his statement is increased by the fact that in the Greek this is the first word of the sentence. It’s as if he were saying, “I have been persuaded and am convinced concerning you my brothers.”

“Admonish” is from noutheteō, which is made up of nous, meaning “the mind” and a form of tithēmi, meaning “to place.” Hence, it means “to place in the mind” or “to remind.”

Meaning Explained

At this point Paul is finished with his doctrinal teaching for the church at Rome, some of which has been very direct and forceful. He now proceeds to explain to them why he has written the epistle and to state the confidence that he has in them. He has opposed some of their strongest prejudices since the beginning of the fourteenth chapter and has prayed that they may have joy and peace. Now, in order to ensure their obedience to what he has taught them, he shows the deep interest that he has for their continuing welfare, though he had never met them.

He states in this verse why he has such confidence that they will take his teaching in the proper manner. He starts off with, “Now I myself am confident concerning you.”

And what is he confident of? He’s confident that the Christians in Rome are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish each other. He is confident that their actions demonstrate, and that their reputation reveals, the fact that they are good people. Now, we know Paul teaches that there is none who is righteous apart from the grace of God, but these people when stacked up against the people around them are “good people.” He also tells them that he is confident that they are full of knowledge. In other words, Paul knows that they are growing and learning Christians as opposed to others like those he pointed out in his letter to the Christians at Ephesus,

that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful scheming, (Ephesians 4:14)

Finally, Paul told the Christians at Rome that he is convinced that they are able to admonish one another. In other words, they are spiritually mature enough to recognize error in their midst and address it with one another in a firm but loving way. None of us likes to be told that we are wrong, but apparently the Christians in Rome were able to mix firmness and love in a way that was building-up the body rather than tearing it down.

Application

The Christians in Rome were, for the most part, behaving in a Christ-like manner. These people, living in the midst of one of the most pagan cultures ever, were letting the light of Christ shine through them. Do people around you recognize the light of Jesus Christ shining in you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:13 – Hopeful Expectation

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Will

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Truth to Learn

Christians can have joy, peace, and hopeful expectation.

Behind the Words

The word translated “hope” in this verse is a form of the Greek word elpis, which means, “the desire of something good with full expectation of obtaining it.” It is different than the English word “hope,” which implies simply a desire for something but not knowing whether it will happen or not. Paul calls our God the God of hope because we know that His promises will definitely come true.

“Fill” is from the verb plēroō, which means “to fill.” Actually, it means more than just filling something; it means to cram it as full as possible. It is expressed here in the Optative mood, indicating a wish, or desire on the part of the Apostle Paul.

The word translated “all” is the Greek word pas, which means “all, the whole, completely, with nothing missing.”

“Joy” is translated from the Greek noun chara, meaning “cheerfulness” or “calm delight.”

The noun “peace” is from eirēnē, which means “peace or tranquility.” It is a state in which there is no perceived threat or cause for worry present.

The word translated “abound” is the Greek word perisseuō, which means “to be in excess in number or measure.”

Meaning Explained

Having finished his treatise on the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ, Paul closes this section with a benediction. He starts off invoking the benediction from the “God of hope.” In all that Paul has been teaching us since the first verse of chapter fourteen, it is hope which, among other things, unites us. It is to both the Jew and Gentile the hope of the return of the Messiah, and it is also to both the Jew and the Gentile the hope of the resurrection and salvation that He promised. Not just empty hope, but expectant hope.

In this benediction Paul asks that God will fill us “with all joy and peace” in our believing faith. That is, Paul is asking that God cram us completely full with all possible joy and peace. Not just a lot of it, but all of it, with nothing missing!

And, as a result of that joy and peace that we have in our saving faith, we can thus abound in hope. Because of the joy and peace that we have in our faith, we can be filled to overflowing with expectant hope.

Our salvation is not a salvation of worry or fear (worrying or being afraid that we might lose it), but a salvation of hope, with full expectation and assurance that God will deliver on His promises.

Application

If you have submitted yourself to the lordship of Jesus Christ and have accepted the sacrificial offering of His blood as full payment for your sins, then God will save you according to His promises! This is the greatest truth ever proclaimed to man. Even though none of us is righteous, all of us are sinners, and even though God demands righteousness, we can avoid the penalty of our sinfulness through the blood of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed to pay the penalty of our sins! Praise God!

In God's service, for His glory,