Tag: romans-11-7

Called to be Saints: Through Him we received both the generous gift of His life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by their entering into obedient trust in Jesus. Romans 1:1-7

Romans 1:1-7 Lexham English Bible

Greeting

1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures,  3 concerning his Son, who was born a descendant[a] of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared Son of God in power according to the Holy Spirit[b] by the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles[c] on behalf of his name, 6among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ. 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

We can become too familiar with some phrases in the Bible, like this one: “a servant of Christ.” When that happens, it’s easy not to pay much attention.

Eugene Petersen, in The Message, his contemporary language version of the Bible, treats those words this way: “I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ on assignment. . . .” That phrasing should definitely catch hold of our ­attention.

Calling himself a servant says something about Paul. He knew better than we do what servants were and how they fit into the culture of his time. But hearing Paul introduce himself as “a devoted slave on assignment” gives me pause too.

Paul wasn’t just a member in some new movement. He wasn’t just a theologian trying to make sense of new ideas he had come across. He wasn’t just a preacher or a teacher looking for any audience. Paul was a devoted slave of Someone who was not just anyone but the Lord of heaven and earth itself.

For a Roman citizen—which Paul was—to begin a letter to people in Rome that way, rightly demands all our attention. Paul is unabashedly connected to Jesus— even enslaved to Him by the message of the Gospel. His opening iden­tification highlights his intimate covenant relationship with Christ as Lord.

I now meditate, ponder upon; does that makes us ask, “How do I identify with Jesus?”—because that’s what the Christian faith is all about, first and foremost.

Truthfully, many factors contribute to the formation of our worldview. Our family background. The teaching we received. The community we experienced.

Our education. Our culture. Our media, our obsessive Social media usage and music. The people we admire. The experiences we survived. Each plays a role.

Ultimately, the book of Romans is about worldview.

It is a richly doctrinal letter to the Christians in Rome (mostly Gentiles), but also to us.

Throughout the letter, Paul explains what it means to be justified by faith and the transforming power of the gospel.

When carefully studied and prayerfully received, Romans can rightly anchor our worldview in the most important truths.

In today’s passage, Paul introduces himself by explaining his position and his purpose. Paul was a servant of Christ Jesus, “called to be an apostle” (v. 1).

The word called here is kletos, derived from kaleo.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2822/kjv/tr/0-1/

God placed a special calling on Paul’s life when He appeared to him in a blinding light on the Damascus Road (Acts 9). As an apostle, Paul’s purpose would be to proclaim the gospel of God, the good news of redemption found only in Jesus.

In verses 2–4, Paul elaborates on the gospel message, which is rooted in the Old Testament prophets (v. 2). This good news is dependent on the identity of Jesus—who was both fully human (v. 3) and the divine, resurrected Son of God (v. 4).

Paul’s apostolic calling was not just for his own benefit (vv. 5–6).

Rather, he received this grace in order to directly call (kletos) the Gentiles to a relationship with Christ—

a life of obedience that grows out of faith (v. 5), a position of belonging (v. 6), a relationship of love, and the designation of “holy people” or “saints” (v. 7)—with all of the privileges and promises that God bestows upon His people.

Dare We To Go Deeper Yet?

Verses 5–7 help us understand the general call that Jesus extends to all who believe. If we are a devote Christ-follower, He calls us to that life of obedience, that position of belonging, that relationship of love, and designation of “saint.”

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …

Praying …

Psalm 27 Lexham English Bible

A Declaration of Trust
Of David.[a]

27 Yahweh is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
Yahweh is the refuge of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers drew near against me to eat my flesh—
my adversaries and my enemies who drew near to me—
they themselves stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear.
Though war arise against me,
even in this I will remain confident.
4 One thing I have asked from Yahweh;
it I will seek:
that I may dwell in the house[b] of Yahweh all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of Yahweh,
and to consider[c] his temple.
5 Because he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble.
He will conceal me in the hiding place of his tent.
He will set me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head will be high over my enemies round about me.
And I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy.
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.
7 Hear, O Yahweh, my voice when I call,
and be gracious to me and answer me.
8 On your behalf my heart says, “Seek my face.”
Your face, O Yahweh, I do seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me;
do not turn your servant away in anger.
You have been my help; do not abandon nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10 If my father or my mother forsake me,
then Yahweh will receive me.
11 Teach me, O Yahweh, your way,
and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me over to the desire of my enemies,
because false witnesses have arisen against me,
and each breathing out violence.[d]
13 Surely[e] I believe that I will see the goodness of Yahweh
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for Yahweh.
Be strong and let your heart show strength,
and wait for Yahweh.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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I am forever finding my Identity; as a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated, summoned, to the gospel of God. Romans 1:1-6

Romans 1:1-6 Christian Standard Bible

The Gospel of God for Rome

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle[a] and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures— 3 concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David[b]  according to the flesh 4 and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness[c] by the resurrection of the dead. 5 Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about[d] the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles,[e] 6 including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.

7 To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Maybe you heard this question as a child or a teenager.

Our responses usually focus on some kind of career path or occupation.

And as we grow older, we realize that we need some kind of work or career to help us with the costs of living.

Yet consider the nuance of the question.

It doesn’t ask, “What do you want to do?” It asks, “What do you want to be?”

Being has to do with our essence, our character, our identity. And in God’s carefully crafted economy, being goes ahead of doing. We are so that we can do.

The apostle Paul opens his letter to the Romans with a defining statement:

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God. . . .”

On the face of it, this statement addresses the question “Who am I?”

Yet, looking deeper, we can see that it’s more about “Whose am I?”

Paul’s identity is inseparable from his relationship with Jesus.

Paul identifies himself as a servant—or, more precisely, a bondservant—of Christ Jesus.

What is a bondservant according to the Bible?

A bondservant is one owned by another. They do not have anything that is their own—even their time belongs to their master. They wake up each day seeking to know and do the will of their master above all else. Do we live to do the Lord’s will, doing “all things for the sake of His gospel”?

What is the difference between a servant and a bondservant?

A bond-servant was a slave who had been offered his freedom, but who, of his own volition, who chose to remain a slave and serve his master faithfully.

The master didn’t force him or threaten or coerce him to stay, to do his bidding, but it was the slave who chose joyfully and willingly to take on the role of slave.

What does Paul mean when he calls himself a bondservant?

Paul willingly embraced the title of bondservant because it referenced Christ’s ownership of his life.

Just like a master paid the price to purchase a slave, Christ came and purchased our lives with His own lifeblood. This means we are no longer slaves to sin, but we are slaves to Christ, bound unto a life of service to a perfect, loving Master.

In essence, Paul belongs to Jesus, his Redeemer, who called and commissioned him. He no longer lives to please and serve himself but to please and serve the One who has rescued him.

This radical Christ-centeredness is the character that every believer takes on.

Like Paul’s, our own identity becomes quite literally inseparable from our transformative relationship with Jesus Christ.

What does separated unto the gospel mean?

Paul is saying that the ultimate purpose for his separation to the Gospel was to get lost people saved; to get people to put their faith in the living and glorified Christ Who died for their sins, was buried, rose again for their justification.

What is the lesson learned in Romans Chapter 1?

After telling the Christians in Rome he is eager to come see them and preach the gospel there, Paul declares that the gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes in Jesus. We need to be saved, because our sin has earned God’s wrath.

As a whole, humanity has rejected God as creator and provider.

How to apply the Word of God to everyday life?

Consider a few suggestions:

  1. Read and meditate daily. Reading and meditating alone will not bring application, but you have to start somewhere. …
  2. Pray for wisdom. As you meditate on the Word, ask the Lord to give you understanding and discernment. …
  3. Ask Questions. …
  4. Look for situations. …
  5. Make changes.

Who am I according to God’s Word?

I am the righteousness of God—I have right standing with Him—in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; I belong to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19).

I am the head and not the tail, and I only go up and not down in life as I trust and obey God (Deuteronomy 28:13).

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

Praying …

Psalm 8

God’s Glory, Human Dignity

For the choir director: on the Gittith. A psalm of David.

1 Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!
You have covered the heavens with your majesty.[a]
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies,
you have established a stronghold[b]
on account of your adversaries
in order to silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I observe your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you set in place,
4 what is a human being that you remember him,
a son of man[c] that you look after him?
5 You made him little less than God[d][e]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all the sheep and oxen,
as well as the animals in the wild,
8 the birds of the sky,
and the fish of the sea
that pass through the currents of the seas.

9 Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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