Romans 1: Called to Belong to Jesus Christ

January 19, 2023 - London, England

 As I write this I am sitting in the London Heathrow Airport, waiting to board my flight to Nairobi, Kenya. This week I have the honor of attending my friend James’ wedding and a 2 day pastors conference hosted by Hope Church. This is my 8th or 9th trip to Kenya, which reminds me how blessed I am that I’ve lost count. Only 19 days have passed, but 2023 has been a hard and challenging year already. I know for a fact that God has me on this trip to show me more of himself, to teach me to seek him with my whole heart, to weed out pride and self-sufficiency, and to restore me by his grace and power. I am expectant.

 I began to read Paul’s Letter to the Romans (yes I did bring my massive wide margin Bible in my carry on. It felt wrong to leave it behind when I knew there would be notes and prayers to add in the margins). I planned to read for a while, but I felt compelled to slow down and meditate on just the first 7 verses. I want to share the 3 topics that I made notes about in my Bible.

Identity

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

 Paul, who used to be called Saul, went through a name change after his conversion (Acts 13:9). The first thing he tells the church in Rome about himself is that he is a servant. Servants do random tasks for a boss or a master, like clean the house, do laundry, garden, mow the lawn, pick up the kids from school, and cook meals. Paul’s identity is wrapped up in willingly being a servant of Christ Jesus. My flesh doesn’t willingly desire to serve anyone, not even my wife. My flesh says “serve me, I’m important!” Paul obviously knows the battle with the flesh (Romans 7) and I imagine he often preached this to himself every day. “I am a servant of Christ.” Jesus told his disciples in … that if you want to be great, you must be a servant of all. Jesus was submissive to God the Father, he was obedient even unto death on the cross (Phil. 2:8), and Jesus was raised from the dead and sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is Lord, Master, King. Jesus is also the Good Shepherd, savior, and friend.

 Jesus described himself as “gentle and lowly.” Jesus is the kind of Master that I want to serve, proudly letting others know that He is Lord of my life. A master who showed me how to wash a man’s feet before asking me to do it. A master who showed me how to deal with persecution, rejection, abandonment, homelessness, dumb questions, gossip, slander, loss, betrayal, and death itself. Paul was proud to be his servant.

 Paul understood that as a servant, he had specific orders from the master; to be an apostle. Apostles were set apart for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ before it was readily available. Heralds of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. What is your calling in this season? I am child of God, a servant of Christ Jesus, a husband, a father, and a pastor. It is importantly that I keep the order of my roles, otherwise I might start serving myself or another master altogether. In order to serve Christ faithfully, I must do so from my adoption as a son of God. To serve my wife, I must do so as Christ has showed me. To love my children, I remember my Father’s parenting. To shepherd Christ’s church, I must wash feet as Christ did. These all begin with proper understanding of who I am in Christ Jesus. Paul knew exactly who he was in Christ.

The Son of God

3 “Concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh, 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship”

 God the Son, the coeternal second person of the trinity, left heaven, and began to be human by being born as a baby. I say began to be human because he did not cease to be God, not even a little bit. Fully God and fully man. The creed says “truly God, truly man.” Paul’s apostolic work is to declare that Jesus is the Son of God and that he was “declared” to be so because the Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead. The Spirit is also the one who magnifies Jesus, points to Jesus, and filled and inspired the very words that Paul wrote in Romans. Because Christ is not dead but alive, seated at the right hand of power, he must be Lord.

 I don’t know about you, but I need a daily reminder of this gospel. The good news that my sin problem which earned me an eternal sentence of death and separation from God was wiped clean by the blood of Jesus himself. You can’t make this up, it’s too far fetched; nonetheless it’s true. Not only did Christ take my punishment, but his blood has reconciled me back to God and God loves me so much he has adopted me into his Family! My identity has been forever changed because of Christ. When I remember this gospel, I like Paul am happy and willing to be a servant of Jesus Christ.

Obedience of Faith

5 “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ”

 Paul is writing this letter to the church in Rome, meaning they are professing believers in Jesus; that he is God the Son and that he rose from the dead. This faith Paul tells us, has a Spirit powered obedience that flows out of it. Paul’s job as an apostle is to proclaim the good news to those who do not yet know, and also to bring about this obedience in Christians among the nations. He spends all 16 chapters highlighting what this obedience looks like, and what fleshly actions it is replacing.

 Paul brings us back to identity. All of this, Paul’s calling as a servant, is for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ. Nothing else matters. I for one am very grateful Paul served the Lord faithfully, because verse 6 says “including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,” which includes me 2000 years later across the Atlantic Ocean in Orlando, Florida. Paul’s service to Jesus impacted the Kingdom more than he ever could have imagined, and I know that was alright with Paul. Jesus told us himself, greatness is service.

 Christian, remind yourself constantly through prayer and scripture: who God is, who Christ is, what he did for you, who you are in him, and he has called you to serve him by the power of the Holy Spirit.