Paul & the Romans: A Case Study in Seeking God’s Will
Romans is one of only two of Paul’s letters written to churches that he did not establish personally & which he had never visited (the other is Colossians, see 1:3-8). At both the beginning & end of Romans, he discusses his desire to visit the church in Rome. In both places he mentions “God’s will,” & whether or not His will might permit Paul to come to Rome.
A. Romans 1:8-15. “. . . asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.”
B. Romans 15:22-33. “. . . so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy & be refreshed in your company.”
C. It is evident in both texts that Paul is uncertain what God’s will is. So how did he plan to find out? These two texts reveal 4 Principles by which Paul sought God’s will in this matter. These principles should be instructive for us as well.
1. Priorities. Paul had certain spiritual priorities by which he sought to do God’s will:
A. Romans 1: The desire to impart spiritual gifts, to preach the gospel, & to encourage & be encouraged by the Romans (vs. 11-12).
B. Romans 15: The need to take relief to the suffering believers in Jerusalem, to evangelize in new territory (Spain) where the gospel had not been proclaimed, & to see the Romans on his way to Spain (vs. 20-29).
C. Paul’s priorities were clear: they involved the gospel & its proclamation & the giving of aid to Christians in need. He wanted to visit the Romans, but that desire had to be fitted around his already-established priorities.
D. As we seek God’s will & make our life-plans, we need to put our spiritual priorities first, & then fit other things in around those, rather than sacrificing spiritual priorities in order carry out our plans.
(1) Example: marriage. Is this person someone who will help me serve God throughout this life & help me toward my goal of heaven? Are this person’s priorities the same as mine?
(2) Our priorities need to be very clear, or else our decision-making will always be badly confused. Our priorities give us anchor points from which to make decisions & plans which bring glory to God.
2. Plans. In both texts Paul mentions his plans & his desire to visit Rome. His example shows that it is entirely appropriate & right for Christians to make plans (contrary to the thinking of those who advocate just “waiting to see what happens”). See James 4:13ff, where the problem isn’t with making plans, but with making them in a worldly way, without acknowledging that God may have other ideas.
A. Note that Paul didn’t know God’s will in advance of making his plans. Like us, he used wisdom from God & good judgment; if God had other plans in mind, he knew he would see that & adjust accordingly.
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3. Prayer. Rom. 1:9-10 shows that Paul prayed for that which he desired: to be able to visit the Romans.
A. It’s always appropriate to pray for what we desire, as long as we aren’t clearly being selfish in our prayers – James 4:2-3. If our prayer is inappropriate & we are sincerely praying for God’s will to be done in our lives, He will take care of the outcome. But we are taught to be bold in our prayers (Philippians 4:6).
B. Again, Paul didn’t claim to know God’s will; he only hoped that it allowed him to visit Rome.
C. Did God have a “specific will” for Paul in this matter? Paul speaks as if he didn’t know. We don’t always know either. So we should go ahead & plan & pray, but do so humbly & reverently (James 4:15).
4. Perseverance. According to Romans 1:13 & 15:22, Paul had planned several times to come to Rome, but says he was “often hindered” from doing so. That is, his plans had failed – repeatedly!
A. However, Paul didn’t take this as some sort of “sign” that he was on the wrong track in wanting to go to Rome. Rather, he kept trying, in keeping with his established priorities, & continued to pray about it. (Think how different Paul’s ministry would have been if he had taken every instance of opposition as a “sign” that he was on the wrong track!)
B. Question: What prevented him? Some would say, “God’s sovereign will.” But, see 1 Thess. 2:18, Acts 16:6-7, & Rom. 15:22. In one instance he says, “Satan hindered” him. In another, it was the Holy Spirit who kept him from fulfilling his plans. In the 3rd (Rom. 15:22) he suggests it was his priority of preaching where the gospel had not yet been proclaimed.
C. Maybe Paul didn’t always know why his plans didn’t materialize, just as we sometimes don’t know:
“Is this Satan keeping me from doing what I should, or is it God keeping me from doing something I shouldn’t do?”
D. How do we proceed when hindered & we don’t know why?
(1) Re-check your priorities & if they’re in order, stick to them.
(2) Continue to pray for wisdom & guidance, & for God to allow you to do what you desire.
(3) Adjust your plans as circumstances require.
(4) Keep pressing on, & see what God has in store! It may be better than you’ve been asking for.
Tommy South
