Romans 1:1-7 (Part 1: A Calling)

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— ² the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³ regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, ⁴ and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. ⁵ Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. ⁶ And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(I have the honor of wearing the title of "Lifegroup Leader" at our colleges BSM this coming year. I am looking forward to leading my girls in Bible study, as well as getting to mentor them one-on-one. We are going to be going through the book of Romans for the upcoming fall semester.)

Romans 1:1-7 is a hefty, though short, passage. In these 7 verses, we see: a calling, the gospel, and a commission. 

The calling seen in v. 1 is beautiful - "I am Paul, and I am Christ's servant. I have been called and set apart. This is my identity."

What a beautiful act of faith.

We see a passion for this identity in Philippians 3:7-11:

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

This is Paul. Persecutor of the early church turned persecuted missionary. A Pharisee turned prisoner for Christ. A man who gave up everything because of a calling.

A calling that asked him to re-write the fabric of who he was.

"Radical", we might say. Yes, very radical. Yet, we are ALL expected to make this change in our lives!

Are you willing to let Christ be your identity? Are you willing to be radically changed? To give up everything you have to follow Christ? To participate in his sufferings? 

Sounds dangerous. Terrifying. Foolish.

Yet wonderful.

He is trustworthy. 

He is the Son of God.

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