Pastor David Jang
Why did Paul call himself a “debtor” when he had received grace freely? Because the love he had received from Christ was so great that he recognized a responsibility to share the gospel with everyone. In his sermon “I Am a Debtor,” Pastor David Jang, founder of Olivet University in the United States, explores Romans 1:8–15 to show how grace leads to proclaiming the gospel and sharing in fellowship that builds people up. Before asking how much we have labored, this confession invites us to consider whom the love we have received is reaching today.
The Debt of Love Begins with Grace Freely Received
Paul confesses, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to non-Greeks, both to the wise and to the foolish” (Romans 1:14). Once a persecutor of those who believed in Jesus, he received Christ’s love and became an apostle who proclaimed the gospel to the Gentiles. His focus shifted from his own zeal and righteousness to the grace that had first taken hold of him. He could no longer regard his calling as a series of achievements he needed to accumulate to earn salvation.
The order emphasized in this sermon is clear. Christ’s love came first, and the person who received that love embraced the calling to proclaim the gospel. The debt of love is the responsibility to share the gospel with others in response to grace freely received. If we try to pay for our salvation through the amount of service we offer, we lose sight of the fact that grace is a gift. Understanding Paul’s confession begins with reflecting on the love we have received from God, rather than counting how much we have accomplished.
Yet this responsibility does not extend only to those who have helped us. When someone shows us kindness, we usually begin by thinking about how to return the favor. Paul, however, seeks to reach even people he has never met because of the grace he has received from God. The reason for his mission lies in the salvation already given to him, rather than in any benefit another person might offer. If we first calculate what someone can do for us before sharing the gospel, this confession calls us to examine our motives for serving.
In the verse that brings together Greeks and non-Greeks, the wise and the foolish, the sermon recognizes the gospel’s movement across boundaries of culture, language, and intellectual background. It invites us to ask whether we approach only those with whom we communicate easily while avoiding the effort of explaining the gospel to those who are unfamiliar to us. A person who remembers the debt of love does not allow personal comfort to determine whom they are willing to reach with the gospel. Mission to distant nations and sharing the gospel with strangers close to home require this same heart.
A Faith That Rejoices in the Fruit of Other Churches
An openness toward all people also changes how we view other communities of faith. Paul gives thanks that the faith of the church in Rome, which he did not establish, is being spoken of throughout the world (Romans 1:8). He rejoices that faith is already growing there before his arrival. What matters most to him is what God has done among them, rather than who deserves credit for the fruit.
Pastor David Jang draws on this thanksgiving to invite us to examine our tendency to regard the church as our own possession. We can give thanks together when faith bears fruit, even in ministries we did not begin or in which our names receive no recognition. The disappointment we feel when our contribution to a shared effort goes unacknowledged prompts us to ask what we were seeking through our service. As we examine that feeling, we can learn to find greater joy in seeing the people we have helped stand firm in the gospel.
Paul also followed a missionary principle: he sought to avoid building on someone else’s foundation (Romans 15:20). Even so, he wanted to meet the believers in Rome, where the gospel had already been proclaimed, and bear fruit in faith together with them. Faithfulness to his own calling could go hand in hand with respect for and cooperation with other communities. We, too, must learn to acknowledge one another’s labor so that our sense of responsibility for the church does not become a desire to claim it for ourselves.
Such unity takes shape in practical generosity. Paul’s intention to bring help from Gentile churches to the poor believers in Jerusalem offers one example (Romans 15:25–27). When communities that share spiritual blessings also help meet one another’s material needs, the struggles of distant brothers and sisters become part of their own lives. Through asking how other churches are doing and sharing what they need, our belief that we are one body in Christ becomes a concrete responsibility.
Those Who Share the Gospel Also Need Encouragement
Paul’s desire to share included the expectation that he, too, would receive something. After expressing his wish to share a spiritual gift to strengthen the Roman believers, he adds that his desire is “that we may be mutually encouraged” (Romans 1:11–12). He expects their faith to strengthen him as well, even though he is an apostle. The recognition that teachers can also receive encouragement through the faith of others makes this encounter all the richer.
Those who share the gospel also receive encouragement through the faith of others. In this word “mutually,” Pastor David Jang highlights a community in which people care for and learn from one another. Having been a Christian for many years or holding a position of responsibility does not mean we must always be the one who provides answers. As we read Scripture together, pay attention to a verse another person has taken to heart, and hear how that person is living in response to God’s Word, our own faith can be encouraged as well.
This willingness to listen changes the way we see someone we may previously have regarded only as a person in need of help. That person, too, has faith given by God, and we can learn from that faith. Fellowship also deepens when we share our own struggles and ask others to pray with us. When we can ask one another for help, those entrusted with serving others can also receive care within the community.
At the heart of this fellowship is the gospel, which we need to keep hearing. Paul still wanted to preach the gospel to the Roman believers, even though their faith was widely known (Romans 1:15). Familiarity with its message does not, by itself, mean that God’s Word is shaping our attitudes today. If we find ourselves claiming personal credit while speaking of grace, or drawing divisions between people while learning about love, we need to examine our judgments and actions in the light of the gospel once again.
Paul wanted the church to stand firm by being deeply rooted in the gospel. This requires time to explain Scripture to new believers, think through questions of faith together, and meet again when confusion arises. Even as gatherings and activities increase, we need to pay attention to what believers are relying on in their daily lives. Through the work of reading Scripture together and sharing our lives, an initial encounter in which the gospel is proclaimed can deepen into a relationship in which we remain alongside others as their faith grows.
Remembering Others in Prayer When the Way Is Blocked
Paul longed to go to Rome, yet he was prevented from visiting (Romans 1:13). He prayed for a way to reach them in accordance with God’s will and remembered the Roman believers in his prayers (Romans 1:9–10). Even when we long to help someone we love, we may face a season of waiting. During the time when Paul could not make the visit, he could still continue praying for their faith.
When plans are delayed, it is easy to become more absorbed in the disruption of our own plans than in the people we intended to help. At such times, prayer brings us back to the question of whom we began this work for. Paul’s desire to go to Rome included the hope of bearing fruit in faith together with the believers there. If we, too, take time to hear how the other person is doing and seek God’s will while a meeting is delayed, we can examine our impatience for results and continue to fulfill the responsibility that love brings.
Our profession of seeking God’s will also invites us to reconsider how we serve. However much we hope to accomplish, we first need to take time to listen and understand what kind of help the other person actually needs. There are times to meet and share God’s Word, and times to pray from afar and contribute what is needed. By examining whether we are holding too tightly to our own methods and schedule, we can learn from Paul’s heart to build up one another’s faith together.
There are people in our daily lives to whom we can respond in this way. We may think of someone who asked us about the gospel but whom we put off because we were busy, or someone who attends the same worship service but whom we have never asked which words of Scripture they hold on to. Answering a postponed question and setting a time to read Scripture together can be the beginning of the responsibility that love brings. That meeting carries both the gospel we have to share and the expectation that we, too, may be comforted by the other person’s faith.
After reading Paul’s confession, we are led to think about whom we should thank and how. As we arrange a small appointment and make time to listen to the other person’s story, the love we have received can grow into everyday service. Whom can I share the gospel with today, remembering the grace I have received, and with whom can I build up faith together?
Dr. David Jang has proclaimed the gospel in various regions of the world through field missions and digital media ministry, and as the fruit of that ministry, many people devoted to the Great Commission have been raised up. Based on this missionary vision, Olivet first began as a small church school for missionary training. Later, in order to provide more systematic theological education and cultivate missionary leaders, Olivet Theological College and Seminary was established in Los Angeles and Seoul in 2000.
As the school grew, Dr. Jang officially founded Olivet University in San Francisco in 2004. In the diverse and dynamic environment of San Francisco, Olivet expanded its educational fields beyond theology to include music, journalism, art and design, and technology. The university also strengthened its educational capacity by recruiting faculty members, including Dr. William Wagner, and in 2005 moved to the former UC Berkeley Downtown Extension campus, further solidifying its foundation as a university.
In 2006, Dr. Jang transferred the presidency to Dr. David James Randolph in order to focus more fully on missionary work, while continuing to lead global missions as International President. Olivet University later received institutional accreditation in 2009, added a language education college and a business college, and continued to grow as a Christian educational institution for world missions by expanding its degree programs and international partnerships.
David Jang Official Website: www.davidjang.org
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