Romans 1:8-10 :

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.

When people really believe in the grace of God it spreads like fire. That’s was the case with the Roman Christians. Although Paul had not told the Romans all the things about Christianity that He wanted to yet, someone had already explained it enough that they had become Christians and had gained a reputation in the whole world.

Notice that Paul thanks God “through Jesus Christ.” In fact, you will find that Paul does everything “through Jesus Christ.” I think it is extremely important for us to consider what this means. These are not words to pass over quickly because in them we have an example by Paul of how a real Christian lives a victorious life. Paul doesn’t do things alone anymore and no Christian should. We all have the Spirit of God within us and when we trust in Him as we do things as simple as thanking God, we are really living the Christian life the way it was intended to be lived.

Paul says again that he serves God in his spirit. God’s Spirit communicates with our spirits and teaches us how to serve Him. We just need to trust in Him.

When we trust in God and follow his Spirit in us we start praying for others and longing to be with them and do the things that God wants us to do for them. Our lives of selfishness turn upside down and we start living for others.