Paul’s Letter to the Romans Opens With 3 Traits for Us to Ponder
Paul begins his letter to the church in Rome by giving them an overview of his situation. He shares three characteristics about himself, his mission, and his calling.
Though he does this to establish credibility for his message, and thereby encourage the recipients to take his words seriously, the attributes seem like a mini-biography, one with spiritual importance.
In Paul’s self-assessment, he says he is:
A Servant of Jesus
I like to call myself a follower of Jesus—as opposed to the more general description of Christian, which means different things to different people.
Being a follower of Jesus shows commitment, yet it still implies I have some say in the matter, that I made a choice.
Being a servant, however, carries with it a deeper commitment. I need to move my mindset from being a follower to becoming a servant. Maybe you do, too.
Called to be an Apostle
Instead of focusing on the meaning of the word apostle, which could suggest a missionary, a church leader, or a passionate adherent (all of which describe Paul), let’s instead focus on the word called. What does it mean to be called by God?
While we may not have a calling at the same high level as Paul, all Christians are called, first to follow Jesus (as in “Come and follow me,” Matthew 4:19) and then to obey him (John 8:51).
As we serve him he will tell us to do other things, too. These are our callings, even if we’re not traveling around the world as his missionary.
Set Apart for the Gospel
While being set apart could be a Spirit-led summoning of the highest order (Acts 13:2), it could also be a simple command to set ourselves apart from the world, to not be conformed to it (Romans 12:2).
Everyone who follows Jesus should be set apart in this way, while being open for him to also set us apart for something greater.
If we are a true Christian (as opposed to being one in name only), we will do well to adopt the attitude of Paul: that through Jesus we are his servant, called, and set apart.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Romans 1-4, and today’s post is on Romans 1:1.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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