Opening Illustration: God has used this book to cause the conversion of some of the most significant figures in church history. Saint Augustine, the greatest theologian of the first 1000 years of Chris-tian history, was converted while reading the 13th chapter of Romans. Martin Luther recovered the doctrine of justification by faith from reading Romans 1:17, and went on to lead the Protestant Reformation. While listening to the reading of Luther’s Preface to Romans, a discouraged missionary named John Wesley found his heart “strangely warmed” and then and there trusted Christ and Christ alone for salvation. He went on to lead the great evangelical revival of the 18th century. A tinker named John Bunyan was so inspired by reading Romans as he sat in the Bedford jail that he wrote the immortal Pilgrim’s Progress.
Introduction: Has your teacher ever asked for your help? How about your mom or dad asking you to help with chores around the house? What are some of the projects that have needed your attention? What have you been asked to do to help out?
Being asked to help is an honor because the person asking for your help believes that you have the ability to do what is needed. As you help others, you will discover ways to use your special talents. And, we all have talents!
In the Bible Paul tells us that he was called by God to be an apostle. An apostle is a missionary who tells others about Jesus Christ. Paul used his talent as a speaker and a writer to tell others about the love of Jesus. That became his purpose in life.
Paul tells us that God calls all of us. There is something special for each one of us to do. Paul tells us that we "are also called to belong to Jesus Christ" (1:6) which means that each one of us is invited to be a part of the Christian family. Our Christian family needs the special talents that each one of us has. We just need to say, "Yes, I'll help. What may I do?"
God's call is specific for us as well. Although God's call to service is general and for all believers, God's call is specific regarding one's position and location in the harvest field. Some may be sent as missionaries to Africa, some may be called to be evangelists, and some may be sent to a particular local churches as pastors. Some may be Christian educators. Others may be called upon to stay at home as laymen, living for the Lord and serving faithfully in and through the local church. What is important is not how or where we serve the Lord, but that we serve the Lord faithfully to the best of our abilities in the places and capacities of His choosing.
What is every Christian’s calling?
1. Called to be SEPARATED to the gospel (vs. 1-4)
Something else that Paul said of himself was that he had been separated unto the gospel of God. This, of course, refers to the message that Paul was commissioned to carry - the Gospel of God. Perhaps the words "separated unto" might lead to some interesting cogitations and indications. There is nothing special about the word itself - it means what it appears to mean. But following the nine times that it is used in the New Testament opens some interesting doors.
Separated unto the gospel of God implies that Paul had devoted his entire life to the proclamation of God's good news, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day from the dead according to the Scriptures (I Corinthians 15:3-4). Separated unto also implies separated from things which are sinful, wrong, or bad in themselves. Separated unto also implies separated from things which are good but which would hinder one from doing what is best.
The idea of separation is both positive and negative. One of the best illustrations of separation is what occurs in marriage. One of the vows in any marriage which I perform is I take thee only unto me as long as we both shall live. I take thee . . . unto me implies a positive separation unto one's mate. Without this there is no point in being married. At the same time the use of the word only implies that this is an exclusive relation. There are many fine ladies available for marriage who will make good wives and mothers, but when I married my wife, I separated myself not only unto her, but I also at the same time separated myself from all others.
Similarly, when I separated myself unto the Lord to live for him, I automatically separated myself away from all other things which would get in the way and which might deter me from living my life completely for the Lord. In Paul's case this separation was particularly unto the Gospel. In your case or in my case, within the specific will of God for our individual lives, our separation might be to something else such as Christian music, Bible study and Christian writing, teaching and preaching the Bible such as a Bible college professor, Christian education, or prayer such as a George Mueller. At the same time we will still be interested in witnessing and in seeing people saved, but God has not called all of us to be evangelists. We might also move from one stage to another as life progresses.
2. Called to be OBEDIENT to the FATH in Christ (vs. 5-6)
The direction of Paul’s apostolic efforts was to win obedience to the gospel—an obedience which comes about by faith—and this he hopes to achieve among all the Gentiles. Here we have one of the many universalistic statements of Paul concerning the scope of the offer of salvation in Christ (cf. e.g., 1:16). Though Jesus came as the fulfillment of OT promise he is not for the Jew only (cf. 3:27-31), but indeed for all the Gentiles as well (i.e., not just the God-fearers). His name is that of YHWH and he is Lord over the entire world (10:9-10).
Further, his call as an apostle was to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name. The expression obedience of faith has been variously interpreted. Some likely suggestions include:
• “Obedience which springs from faith”
• “Obedience in the faith where faith refers to the doctrinal commitments of Christianity (Jude 3)
• “Obedience which is faith.”
Since the epistle begins with “obedience of faith” (1:5) and ends with the same expression in 16:26, we may well conclude that what comes in between—in chapters 1:18-15:13—is directly related by way of elaboration and clarification. That is, the intervening chapters, chalked full as they are with ideas of sin, justification, and practical holiness “unpack” for us what the expression “obedience of faith” means. Therefore, we ought not to separate “obedience” too far from “faith,” (option #1) nor “personal faith” from “doctrinal commitments” (option #2). Undoubtedly, the vagueness of the expression is meant to capture the breadth of our Christian experience in terms of coming to faith in Christ initially, the nature of true faith as obedience, as well as doctrinal commitments believed for those in the faith and living obedient lives. All this is covered in Romans 1:18-15:13 and alluded to in this “short-hand” expression.
Paul makes it clear that the particular sphere of ministry assigned to him by the Lord was the Gentiles. His mission in life was to reach all the Gentiles with the gospel, a task he had been given for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, for Jesus’ glory and honor.
3. Called to be SAINTS (v. 7)
The Roman Christians are also called to be saints. The term “saints” means to be “set apart.” In this case it is not something that the Roman Christians did by attempting to grow in holiness, but something God did for them when he saved them. He set them apart to himself and his purposes. Thus the term refers more to a positional idea than a practical, ethical idea, though the two are related and must not be separated too far (cf. Romans 6:19). God called them to be set apart for himself; this leads to the logical conclusion that a changed life is in order. Generally speaking, that’s what Romans 5-8 and 12-16 are all about.
The two designations, “loved by God” and “called to be saints,” recall God’s commitment toward and relationship with Israel in the Old Testament. Once again Paul has drawn an organic connection between the OT and the present work of Christ; this time it is not in terms of the promised Son, but in terms of the promised people who will come into being as a result of the work of the Son.
Paul’s greeting of grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ may have been common for him (in one form or another it appears in all his letters), but it was non-existent in the non-Christian world of his day. It is connected uniquely to the person of God the Father and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (8:14-17, 32). The grace of God for those who stand in it (5:1) leads to peace with God, objectively, as well as the subjective apprehension of that peace.
Jesus metaphorically described his people's divine calling in John 10:27: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
Paul emphasizes the point that even our response to God is the result of His seeking and calling us. In our fallen, spiritually dead natural state, we would not seek Jesus. God himself calls us from eternity. He puts in our shriveled spirits a desire for truth, a desire for acceptance and cleansing, and our response to Jesus is the result of His seeking and finding us while we were lost and dead.
The "called" and chosen are those who say "yes" to the desire for truth that our Creator awakens in us. God in his sovereignty knows those who are his from eternity. He reveals himself through creation, so all men are without excuse (Romans 1:18-20), and he gives every human a chance to respond to his call.
Application: Knowing the general call of a believer, we must also focus on our specific calling. Spending much time in prayer, worship and meditation on God’s Word, will make it clearer. Let the body of Christ assist you in that call and help position you so that you can be very effective for Christ’s ministry.
