Romans 1:1-7 The Calling Of God With Grace And Peace To All – Romans Message 1 Series

Romans 1:1-7 THE CALLING OF GOD WITH GRACE AND PEACE TO ALL – Romans Message 1

[A]. BONDSERVANT AND APOSTLE

{{Romans 1:1 “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.”}}

Romans has been called the Gospel according to Paul and I love that designation because it is very true. It was the book that promoted the Reformation. It is the book that keep theologians occupied in discourses and disputes. The little group of Christians meeting simply in Rome would have been joyed to have gotten this letter from Paul that explained to them the wonderful truths of the gospel. In this message to you I am not interested in delving into the date and background and all that technical stuff. We just want to see what glorious facts Paul is presenting to the Christians in Rome and of course to all through the church ages if they really want to study this book.

Paul’s whole ministry after being converted was to be set aside only for the gospel. He wanted to know nothing else and did not get himself entangled in the affairs of daily life like we do. He had a singular goal but we have many goals. Paul had the better way I think. By being set apart, he became a bond servant, a term known well to the Jews. A dedicated servant would bind himself to his master by having his ear pierced through by an awl at the doorpost. It was the mark on his body of full time binding to, and service for his master. Paul bore the marks of a bond servant in his body as well, for ill treatment and persecution placed those marks on him.

There is mission in the word “Apostle”. It just means a sent one, and those who were sent for a purpose were apostles but here, Paul was sent by the Lord Himself, and that commission was given to him on the Damascus Road. An Apostle also had to have seen the risen Lord.

[B]. THE PROMISED GOSPEL THROUGH DAVID’S DESCENDED SON

{{Romans 1:2 “which He PROMISED beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures

Romans 1:3 concerning His Son, who was born of a DESCENDANT OF DAVID according to the flesh”}}

Verses 2 and 3 explain in more detail the gospel mentioned in verse 1. We are told the gospel was promised in the Old Testament. It was not detailed as such and the promises may have been a bit obscure but they are there. The New Covenant was taught as was blessing that would come to the Gentiles, as was the suffering of the Servant of God, such as we find in Isaiah. Acceptance by God, by coming through faith, was a paramount teaching. Although the prophets wrote of such things through the Holy Spirit who inspired them, they still did not understand all they wrote.

Peter wrote about that matter and here is a bigger quote from his letter – {{1Peter 1:8-12 “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things into which angels long to look.”}}

Verse 3 explains further. It concerns David’s Son and this too is stated in the Old Testament. Maybe we could look at two verses.

{{Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign as King and act wisely, and do justice and righteousness in the land.”}}

{{Psalm 132:11 “The LORD has sworn to David a truth from which He will not turn back: “I will set upon your throne one from the fruit of your body.”}}

[C]. DECLARED THE SON OF GOD THROUGH HIS RESURRECTION

{{Romans 1:4 “Jesus Christ our Lord who was declared the Son of God with POWER according to the Spirit of holiness by the RESURRECTION from the dead.”}}

Power = The Greek work “dunamos” can mean power in some usages, but better translated as authority in other usages but here the word means both. The resurrection was powerful, displaying the power of God over death to be able to raise one from the dead. You have heard people say I am sure that the word is the one from which dynamite got its name. However the other meaning authority is just as applicable because without the resurrection, Jesus Christ would have gone down in history as an influential man who met death and that was the end. The resurrection stamped all God’s authority on the ministry and the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus. It was the ultimate authority.