Romans 1:1 ¶ Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I love Paul’s understanding of his identity, calling, and purpose.
Paul acknowledges here that his identity is that of a bondservant to Christ and that he was called to be an apostle. Paul did not decide he was going to become one. Jesus called him to be one. Paul didn't put in a request to be saved or to be an apostle or to be seperated. All of these began with God and were in accordance with the will of God. Paul was merely a recipient of the working of God in his life through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul received grace when Jesus knocked him off his horse and revealed Himself to Paul. Paul had no intentions of serving Jesus he was out to kill those who did. But Jesus had other plans. He planned to make an enemy a bondservant.
The working of grace in a persons heart unites them to Christ, and it is always at work drawing them to Him, it never pushes them away. If someone were to say to me they have received Christ and are walking in the fulness of His grace while they are moving further and further from intimacy with Jesus then they are obviously deceived. The work of grace produces fire and longing for Christ and a yearning for His purposes to be fulfilled in us, if this is missing then grace is not effectually working in them. Grace turned Paul into a love slave to Christ. An identity that someone who truly comes to know Jesus properly should experience.
Anyone who claims to have been born again should experience the strong urge to please the Lord out of love for Him. When faith enters our hearts and grace goes to work in us raising us from the dead spiritually and making us alive in Christ we should desire to be like Him, to want to learn of Him more and more. This is always first and foremost because when we come to Jesus we are children of God before we are anything else. I do not think it an accident that this identity gets first mention in Paul’s statement.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
