The Demands of the Law and the Fulfillment of the Cross

Through twenty years of pastoral ministry, I have held one earnest wish: to set out Romans clearly and preach it so that it could be easily understood. Romans cannot be preached without a right understanding of the Bible as a whole, so for twenty years I stored up the word of Scripture within me, the way one stacks up books one by one. And now, inadequate as it is, I have finished preaching through Romans and am publishing these sermons as a book.

Listening to the word the apostle Paul proclaims, I want to commend his faith, for he strove to live as an honest believer who lifts up the glory of God. Of course, believers grow in faith through God’s grace. But I believe that for things to come this far, the apostle Paul and his co-workers in the faith were there because our Lord Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the demands of the law, was there. I hope that you too, like Paul, will become true workers who do not fear death for the sake of the gospel and who sincerely love your brothers and sisters in the faith.

Dear believers, wherever the name of Christ must be proclaimed, do not hesitate, even if you face persecution and mockery, but boldly proclaim the gospel. In his mission work, the apostle Paul did not so much desire to see people change on the spot as he longed for churches to be established in the lands where the gospel had been proclaimed. So wherever he went he established churches and pastors, and through his letters he constantly admonished the believers and helped them live a right life of faith. He never stopped striving to present his brothers and sisters perfect in Christ on the last day. He did not hesitate to sacrifice himself in order to present them without blemish before the eternal glory of God.

In the last chapter of Romans, as I watched Paul call the members of the church in Rome by name, I saw his goodness once again. The way he proudly introduced his co-workers made him look like a parent of fine character, like parents who make sure their children come out well in a photo even if they themselves are hidden. Paul was a man who carried out God’s work truly well. But it was a mission he could never have carried out without co-workers in the faith who loved him, understood him and believed in him, and it was a life like a miracle, one he could show only because the Holy Spirit helped him.

I hope you too will call by name the co-workers in the faith who are beside you. And just as the Holy Spirit blessed the apostle Paul, his co-workers and the church, I hope you will pray that the co-workers and the church beside you may be blessed by the Holy Spirit. I thank the members of Watercourse Church, who are giving themselves beyond their strength for the books Watercourse Church publishes for the sake of mission. I give deep thanks to God, who through these sermons on Romans has let us come one step closer to our Lord Jesus Christ, and I pray that your faith will grow, unshaken, upon a firm rock.

October 2023
Pastor Cho Chun-sook, Watercourse Church