Romans 1:1-7. Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)
A quick look at any newspaper, a radio update or TV newscast, reminds us that in our world most news is bad and seems to be getting worse. What is happening on a national and worldwide scale is simply the magnification of what is happening on an individual level. As personal problems, animosities, and fears increase, so do their counterparts in society at large.
The essence of Paul’s letter to the Romans is that there is Good News that is truly good. The apostle was, in fact, “a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest of the gospel of God” (Rom. 15:16). He brought the good news that in Christ that sin can be forgiven, selfishness can be overcome, guilt can be removed, anxiety can be alleviated, and life can indeed have hope and eternal glory. In his Romans letter Paul speaks of the Good News in many ways, each way emphasizing a uniquely beautiful facet of one spiritual gem. He calls it the blessed Good News, the Good News of salvation, the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Good News of God’s Son, and the Good News of the grace of God. The letter begins (1:1) and ends (16:25–26) with the Good News. With 7,114 words, Romans is the longest of Paul’s letters. The length and theological orientation of this prescript are due mainly to the fact that Paul was introducing himself to a church that he had neither founded nor visited. (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 40). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Each of us naturally as human beings are in the hold of a terrifying power that grips everyone at the very core of our being. Left unchecked, it pushes people to self-destruction in one form or another. That power is sin, which is always bad news. Ours is an age not too much interested in theology; but correct theology—in this case, the person of Jesus—is vital to salvation and to Christian living (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 55). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Beginning in the explanation of the Good News of the Gospel, in Romans 1:1–7 the Apostle Paul unfolds seven aspects of the Good News of Jesus Christ. He first identifies 1) The Preacher (Romans 1:1) and Promise (Romans 1:2), the 2) Person (Romans 1:3-4), 3) Provision , Proclamation, Purpose (Romans 1:5), and finally the 4) Privileges of the good news (Romans 1:6-7).
Believers in Jesus Christ can have hope as seen through:
1) The Preacher & Promise of the Good News (Romans 1:1-2)
Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, (ESV)
God called a unique man to be the major spokesman for His glorious good news. Paul was God’s keynote speaker, as it were, for heralding the gospel. He was given the name Saul at birth, and he is called that until his conflict with Bar-Jesus at Paphos. At that time Luke wrote, “Then Saul, who also is called Paul” (Acts 13:9). From then on, he was called Paul in Acts. As Saul, he was raised a strict Pharisee, from the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5), born in Tarsus and educated in Jerusalem under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Though born to Jewish parents, Saul was also a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27–28). In fact, we know him best by his last name, since Paul (Greek, Paulos) was probably his Roman surname. He would have been formally introduced as Saul Paul (Saulos Paulos). Out of this diverse background, God formed and called a valuable servant. And God used every aspect of Paul’s upbringing to further the spread of the gospel (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (pp. 1–2). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
• The more we learn of biblical characters the more we can appreciate how Gods timing in calling them is perfect. He uses their experience, skills and background in His service. Don’t discount God using all these of you for His work.
In the first verse Paul discloses three important things about himself in regard to his ministry: his position as a servant of Christ, his authority as an apostle of Christ, and his power in being set apart for the gospel of Christ. Paul described his position as a: “Servant/bond-servant” (Doulos) carries the basic idea of slave. There were an estimated 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire; and a slave was looked on as a piece of property, not a person. In loving devotion, Paul had enslaved himself to Christ, to be His servant and obey His will.( Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 514). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.) Because he was called and appointed by Christ Himself, Paul would never belittle his position as an apostle or even as a child of God. He plainly taught that godly leaders in the church, especially those who are diligent in preaching and teaching, are “worthy of double honor” by fellow believers (1 Tim. 5:17). But he continually emphasized that such positions of honor are provisions of God’s grace. No matter who we are—pastor, teacher, office worker, corporation president—if we are to be productive for God, we must be servants—“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45) (Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven (p. 17). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.).
• What is your attitude toward Christ, your Master? Our willingness to serve and obey Jesus Christ enables us to be useful and usable servants to do work for him—work that really matters. Obedience begins as we renounce other masters, identify ourselves with Jesus, discover his will, live according to it, and consciously turn away from conflicting interests, even if these interests have been important to us in the past (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (p. 3). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
Paul next establishes the authority of his ministry, based on his being called to be an apostle. Since he was “called to be an apostle” his authority was not of his own doing. He did not volunteer for that office, nor was he elected by fellow believers. He was divinely called by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as the Lord Himself appeared to him on the Damascus Road (cf. Acts 9:15, 22:14-15, 26:16-18; 1 Cor. 9:16; Gal. 1:1, 10). Apostle translates apostolos, which has the basic meaning of a person who is sent. It referred to someone who was officially commissioned to a position or task, such as an envoy or ambassador. In its broadest sense, apostle can refer to all believers, because every believer is sent into the world as a witness for Christ. But the term is primarily used as a specific and unique title for the thirteen men (the Twelve, with Matthias replacing Judas, and Paul) whom Christ personally chose and commissioned to authoritatively proclaim the gospel and lead the early church. The task of proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” was not something that he took upon himself; his call to Christian discipleship became a further call to apostolic office, a commission to preach to the Gentiles (11:13; cf. Gal 1:15–16) (Fitzmyer, J. A., S. J. (2008). Romans: a new translation with introduction and commentary (Vol. 33, p. 231). Yale University Press.).
Because Paul was called and sent by God as an apostle, his whole life was set apart (aphorizo) in the Lord’s service. This is a PERFECT PASSIVE PARTICIPLE which implied that he was set apart by God in the past (cf. Jer. 1:5 and Gal. 1:15) and this continued as a state of being (Utley, R. J. (1998). The Gospel according to Paul: Romans (Vol. Volume 5, Ro 1:1). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.). Throughout the Old Testament, God provided for the setting apart of His chosen people. To the entire nation He declared, “You are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine” (Lev. 20:26). Paul the slave served Christ Jesus willingly, from his heart. His compulsion was grounded in love, not fear (2 Cor 5:14). Not only did he say, “I am debtor” or “I am obligated” to preach (1:14), but he also declared “I am ready” or “I am eager” to preach the gospel (1:15). His heart was in it, and he would not have had it any other way. (Cottrell, J. (1996). Romans (Vol. 1, Ro 1:1). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.)
• How do you see your calling as set apart for the work of Christ? Is it just a duty, what’s expected of you? Or do you see yourself set apart from what is worthless to a joy beyond measure?
Even a person who has been called by God to a special type or place of service cannot be effective if they are not also separated unto God for the gospel of God. The term gospel (euangelion) is used some sixty times in this epistle. It is the good news that God will deliver us from our selfish sin, free us from our burden of guilt, and give meaning to life and make it abundant. The most important thing about the gospel is that it is of God. The fact that it was of God meant that God was the source of it and it is God’s good news for His redeemed. One cannot help wondering why God would condescend to bring good news to a world that rejects and scorns Him. No one deserves to hear it, much less to be saved by it. ‘God is the most important word in this epistle. ‘Romans is a book about God. No topic is treated with anything like the frequency of God. Everything Paul touches in this letter he relates to God … There is nothing like it elsewhere.’ So the Christian good news is the gospel of God. The apostles did not invent it; it was revealed and entrusted to them by God (Stott, J. R. W. (2001). The message of Romans: God’s good news for the world (p. 48). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
The gospel, which originated with God, is not a divine afterthought, nor was it first taught in the New Testament. It does not reflect a late change in God’s plan or a revision of His strategy. It was, as verse 2 indicates, promised by God beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, that is, in what we now call the Old Testament. Perhaps especially for the sake of his Jewish critics, Paul emphasizes in the very beginning of the epistle that the good news did not originate with him or even with Jesus’ earthly ministry. He was frequently accused of preaching and teaching against Moses and of proclaiming a revolutionary message unheard of in ancient Judaism (cf. Acts 21:20ff). But here he makes clear that the good news he teaches is really old news of the Hebrew Scriptures. The gospel comes in fulfillment of a promise. In Genesis, God spoke of the heel of the woman’s offspring crushing the serpent (Gen 3:15). Messianic psalms portray the coming deliverer (Pss 45; 72). Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant (Jer 31:31–34). The Old Testament continually points beyond itself to a time of fulfillment, the age to come. (The Gospel is now fulfilled and completed in Jesus Christ). ( Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 60). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Please turn to 1 Peter 1
Paul’s use of prophets refers to the Old Testament writers in general, all of whom were spokesmen for God, which is the basic meaning of prophets. When Paul says “his prophets” he has reference, of course, not only to such holy men of God as Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc., but also to Moses, Samuel, David, etc. (Linking therefore from what is foretold to what is revealed:) The Old is by the New explained, The New is in the Old contained. or similarly: The New is in the Old concealed, The Old is by the New revealed (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Vol. 12–13, p. 40). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
Peter also accentuated that same truth in his first letter:
1 Peter 1:10-12. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (ESV)
• The prophets spoke generally of the anticipated new covenant (cf. Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:25–27) as well as specifically of the Messiah who would bring that covenant (cf. Isa. 7:18; 9:6, 7; 53:1–12).
Paul’s reference to the holy Scriptures was probably to contrast the divinely-inspired Old Testament from the many rabbinical writings which in his day were studied and followed more zealously than was Scripture. In other words, although the rabbinical writings said little or nothing about the gospel of God, the holy Scriptures had a great deal to say about it. They did not originate with men or reflect the thinking of men, but were the divinely-revealed Word of the living God. Most Jews of that day were so accustomed to looking to rabbinical tradition for religious guidance that the holy Scriptures were looked on more as a sacred relic than as the source of truth. We are therefore to bear in mind this firm assertion of the continuity between the Old Testament and Paul’s gospel when trying to make sense of Paul’s subsequent argument. (Dunn, J. D. G. (1988). Romans 1–8 (Vol. 38A, p. 22). Word, Incorporated.)
Hymn: Charles Wesley wrote of all this in one of his grandest hymns, entitled from the first line: “Depth of mercy! can there be Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear? Me, the chief of sinners, spare? I have long withstood His grace, Long provoked Him to His face; Would not hearken to His calls, Grieved Him by a thousand falls”. The wonder of the Gospel is that after all of this God still loves us. How rescuing, how relieving, how comforting, how good is the the good news of the gospel of God. (Barnhouse, D. G. (1952). Man’s Ruin: Romans 1:1–32 (pp. 21–22). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.)
Believers in Jesus Christ can have hope as seen through:
2) The Person of the Good News (Romans 1:3-4)
Romans 1:3-4. 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord (ESV)
Verses 3-4 emphasize the divine sonship of Christ. The word concerning is the little Greek preposition peri—used also in periscope and perimeter—and means “that which encircles.” The gospel is all about Jesus Christ. It is what He has done. It is “concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 1-8) (electronic ed., Vol. 42, p. 23). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
Although He is Himself God and Lord, He is yet the Son of God. Because Scripture plainly teaches both of those truths, the issue has to do not with whether He is the Son of God but in what sense He is God’s Son. Clearly, in His humanness Jesus descended from David according to the flesh. Both Mary (Luke 3:23, 31), Jesus’ natural mother, and Joseph (Matt. 1:6, 16; Luke 1:27), Jesus’ legal father, were descendants of David. In order to fulfill prophecy (see, e.g., 2 Sam. 7:12–13; Ps. 89:3–4, 19, 24; Isa. 11:1–5; Jer. 23:5–6), the Messiah had to be one who descended from David. Jesus fulfilled those messianic predictions just as He fulfilled all others. As the descendant of David, Jesus inherited the right to restore and to rule David’s kingdom, the promised kingdom that would be without end (Isa 9:7). This all relates to the prophecy of 2 Sam. 7. The Messiah was of the royal line of David (cf. Isa. 9:7; 11:1, 10; Jer. 23:5; 30:9; 33:15) from the tribe of Judah (cf. Gen. 49:4–12; Isa. 65:9). In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus is addressed by this title several times (cf. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30), which reflected the Jewish hope of a coming savior (Utley, R. J. (1998). The Gospel according to Paul: Romans (Vol. Volume 5, Ro 1:3). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International).
Please turn to Luke 1
It was at the time that He became a human being, Paul says in verse 4, that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God. Though the plan was eternal, the title Son is reserved as an incarnational term, applied to Jesus in its fullness only after He put on the robe of humanity. He was the Son of God in the sense of oneness of essence and in the role of dutiful, loving submission to the Father in His incarnation. There is, of course, no question that He is eternally God and eternally the second Person of the God-head, but Paul says He was declared God’s Son when He was supernaturally conceived in Mary and was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh. We could say, then, that Christ was the Son of God from eternity in expectation and was declared God’s Son in fulfillment at the incarnation and forever. Horizo (declared) carries the basic idea of marking off boundaries. From that term comes our English horizon, which refers to the demarcation line between the earth and the sky. In an infinitely greater way, the divine sonship of Jesus Christ was marked off with absolute clarity in His incarnation. As a summary of the Gospel, the focus of the gospel is a person, God’s Son (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 44). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
This is how Luke explains it:
Luke 1:26–33. 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (ESV)
• Christ was given and took upon Himself the fullness of the title of Son of God when he divested Himself of the independent use of His divine prerogatives and the full expression of His majesty, graciously humbling Himself and becoming fully subservient to the will and plan of the Father. It is the Son who is “appointed” Son. The tautologous nature of this statement reveals that being appointed Son has to do not with a change in essence—as if a person or human messiah becomes Son of God for the first time—but with a change in status or function (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 48). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Jesus was “was declared to be the Son of God” “in power according to the spirit of holiness which is another way of saying “according to the nature and work of the Holy Spirit.” It was the Holy Spirit working in Christ who accomplished Jesus’ resurrection and every other miracle performed by Him or associated with Him. In the incarnation, Jesus Christ was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of holiness. It is that resurrection that Paul goes on to explain, which is the most conclusive and irrefutable evidence of Jesus’ divine sonship, which was given “by his resurrection from the dead (cf. Acts 13:29–33). By that supreme demonstration of His ability to conquer death, a power belonging only to God Himself (the Giver of life), He established beyond all doubt that He was indeed God, the Son. The resurrection of Jesus did not “make” him the Son of God; it declared and revealed in a powerful way that he was and had always been God’s Son. As a descendant of David Jesus is a human being, but his resurrection from the dead declared to all that he was also the eternal Son of God (Schreiner, T. R. (1998). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 41). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
This Son of God and Son of Man who was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ our Lord, Paul declares. Jesus means Savior, Christ means Anointed One, and Lord means sovereign ruler. He is Jesus because He saves His people from their sin. He is Christ because He has been anointed by God as King and Priest. He is Lord because He is God and is the sovereign ruler of the universe. When NT authors called Jesus “Lord” (“Kurios”) in theological contexts, they were affirming His deity (cf. Acts 2:36; Rom. 10:9–13; Phil. 2:6–11) (Utley, R. J. (1998). The Gospel according to Paul: Romans (Vol. Volume 5, Ro 1:4). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.).
Illustration: The story is told of a very wealthy man who had many valuable art treasures. His only son was quite ordinary but was dearly loved. When the son died unexpectedly as a young man, the father was so deeply grieved that he died a few months later. The father’s will stipulated that, at his death, all his art works were to be publicly auctioned and that a painting of his son was to be auctioned first. On the day of the auction the specified painting was displayed and the bidding was opened. Because neither the boy nor the artist were well known, a long time passed without a bid being offered. Finally, a long-time servant of the father and friend of the boy timidly bid seventy-five cents, all the money he had. When there were no other bids, the painting was given to the servant. At that point the sale was stopped and an official read the remainder of the will, which specified that whoever cared enough for his son to buy the painting of him would receive all the rest of the estate.
That touching story illustrates God’s provision for fallen humanity. Anyone who loves and receives His Son, Jesus Christ, will inherit the heavenly Father’s estate, as it were. The good news of God is that everyone who receives His Son by faith is blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). That is why Paul could exult, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). Quoting Isaiah, the apostle declared that the Christian’s riches include “things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9; cf. Isa. 64:4; 65:17). In Christ, the believer has riches beyond any imagination. The Christian has life that will never end (John 3:16), a spring of spiritual water that will never dry up (John 4:14), a gift that will never be lost (John 6:37, 39), a love from which he can never be separated (Rom. 8:39), a calling that will never be revoked (Rom. 11:29), a foundation that will never be destroyed (2 Tim. 2:19), and an inheritance that will never diminish (1 Pet. 1:4–5).
Believers in Jesus Christ can have hope as seen through:
3) The Provision, Proclamation, & Purpose of the Good News (Romans 1:5-6)
Romans 1:5-6. 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, (ESV)
In verse 5, Paul begins with two important provisions of the good news of God: conversion, which is by God’s grace, and vocation, which in Paul’s case was apostleship. It seems most probable that he was referring to, or at least including, the grace by which every believer comes into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Grace is unmerited, unearned favor, in which a believer does not and cannot contribute anything of worth. (Cf. Eph. 2:8-9) Grace precedes peace. There can be no peace apart from grace (see 5:1; Isa. 57:21; Jer. 6:14; Luke 7:50). Grace is the unmerited favor of God toward sinners. Someone has suggested that the spelling of the English word grace offers a key to its meaning: It is “God’s Righteousness At Christ’s Expense” (see 5:20; 1 Cor. 15:10; Eph. 2:8–9; 2 Pet. 3:18) (Willmington, H. L. (1997). Willmington’s Bible handbook (p. 665). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Another provision of the good news of God is His calling believers into His service, which is a form of apostleship. Paul opens the epistle by speaking of himself, and he resumes his personal comments in verses 8–15. In verses 2–4 he speaks about Jesus Christ. But from the end of verse 4 through verse 7 he is speaking about believers in general and about those in Rome in particular. Paul had already mentioned his own calling and office as an apostle (v. 1), and it therefore seems reasonable to launch from this reference to his apostleship to discuss God’s divine calling and sending of all believers. The Greek term apostolos, which normally is simply transliterated as apostle, has the basic meaning of “one who is sent. He has already explained in verse 1, how God sovereignly chose thirteen men in the early church to the office of apostle, giving them unique divine authority to proclaim and miraculously authenticate the gospel. But every person who belongs to God through faith in Christ is an apostle in a more general sense of being sent by Him into the world as His messenger and witness. In an unofficial sense, anyone who is sent on a spiritual mission, anyone who represents the Savior and brings His good news of salvation, is an apostle. Paul was commissioned to call people of all nations to obedience of faith—that is, to obey the message of the gospel by repenting and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.; p. 1676). Thomas Nelson.)
Please turn to Ephesians 2
Sometimes an athletically inept student will be put on a team out of sympathy or to fill a roster, but the coach will rarely, if ever, put him in a game. God does not work that way. Every person who comes to Him through His Son is put on the team and sent in to play the game, as it were. Everyone who is saved by God’s sovereign grace is also sovereignly called to apostleship. The Lord never provides conversion without commission.
In Ephesians 2 Paul links and explains Grace and general apostleship:
Ephesians 2:8-10. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV) (cf. Eph. 4:1)
• By His grace, God’s bestows favor upon those who have transgressed his law and sinned against him. They are saved from His wrath through faith, which is a confident trust and reliance upon Christ Jesus and is the only means by which one can obtain salvation. No good works can produce salvation, but many good works are produced by salvation. Salvation is not “by works” but “for works.” God has ordained that we then live lives of good works, works done in His power and for His glory. (cf. Jn 15:1-8) (Lincoln, A. T. (1990). Ephesians (Vol. 42, p. 114). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.)
Like Paul, every believer is called not only to salvation and to service but to witness for Christ in order to bring about the obedience of faith in others. A person who claims faith in Jesus Christ but whose pattern of life is utter disobedience to God’s Word has never been redeemed and is living a lie. Faith that does not manifest itself in obedient living is spurious and worthless (James 2:14–26). We are not saved in the least part by works, no matter how seemingly good; but as already noted, we are saved to good works. That is the very purpose of salvation as far as our earthly life is concerned (Eph. 2:10). The message of the gospel is to call people to the obedience of faith, which is here used as a synonym for salvation. (cf. Mt. 28:20; James 2:17-20). At the end of verse 4 Paul stated that Jesus Christ is our Lord. When someone confesses this truth and shows a life conforming this truth, they can have assurance of salvation. But Jesus’ painful warning in Mt. 7:22-27, is that saying the words with a life that denies these words, dams. (cf. Mt. 7:13-14; 22-27; Acts 2:36; Rom.10:9-10; Heb. 12:14). To accept Christ as Savior is to give up all rights to oneself (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 63). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
When the truth of our words positively corresponds with the truth of our testimony, our calling is used by God to draw the lost. Obedience is expected by God “for His name’s sake”. Although His saints benefit from the death of His Son (Jn. 3:16), it must be recognized that the primary purpose of the gospel is not for the sake of humanity but God’s, for His name’s sake. Salvation is simply a by-product of God’s grace; its main focus is to display God’s glory. When people from every nation profess Christ and demonstrate their faith by the obedience it brings forth, then will his name be honored (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 63). Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
The worship of and display of God’s glory is our primary purpose. This was Paul’s calling to the nations/Gentiles (Acts 9:15; 22:21; Rom. 11:13; Gal. 1:16). It is likely that he preached the gospel during his three years in Arabia (Gal. 1:17), but he began his recorded ministry by preaching to Jews. Even when ministering in the basically Gentile regions of Asia Minor and Macedonia, he frequently began his work among Jews (see, e.g., Acts 13:14; 14:1; 16:13; 17:1; 18:2). As with Paul, the calling of every believer is to proclaim Jesus Christ to all, Jew and Gentile, in the hope of bringing them to the obedience of faith. We too, if we are to be committed to world mission, will have to be liberated from all pride of race, nation, tribe, caste and class, and acknowledge that God’s gospel is for everybody, without exception and without distinction (Stott, J. R. W. (2001). The message of Romans: God’s good news for the world (pp. 51–52). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
The believers in Rome to whom Paul was writing in verse 6, were among those who had been brought to “the obedience of faith” (v. 5) and therefore were called to belong to Jesus Christ. And, as has already been emphasized, those called to belong to Jesus Christ, those who are true believers, are called not only to salvation but to obedience. And to be obedient to Christ includes bringing others to Him in faith and obedience. God’s (specific) call is not an invitation but a powerful and effective reaching out to claim individuals for himself. To accept Christ as Savior is to give up all rights to oneself. Christians belong to Christ. (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 63). Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Illustration: After one of D. L. Moody’s sermons, a highly educated man came to him and said, “Excuse me, but you made eleven mistakes in your grammar tonight.” In a gracious rebuke Moody replied, “I probably did. My early education was very faulty. But I am using all the grammar that I know in the Master’s service. How about you?” On another occasion a man came up to Mr. Moody and said, “I don’t like your invitation. I don’t think it’s the right way to do it.” “I appreciate that,” Moody responded. “I’ve always been uncomfortable with it, too. I wish I knew a better way. What is your method of inviting people to Christ?” “I don’t have one,” the man replied. “Then I like mine better,” the evangelist said. Whatever our limitations may be, when God calls us by His grace, He also calls us to His service.
Finally, believers in Jesus Christ can have hope as seen through:
4) The Privileges of the Good News (Romans 1:7)
Romans 1:7. 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)
Among the countless, gracious privileges of the good news of God are those of our being His beloved, our being His called ones, and our being His saints. Paul here addresses all his fellow believers in Rome as those “who are loved/beloved of God”. Those loved/beloved of God, are those which are the undeserving yet grateful recipients of God’s love (Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M., eds. (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2206). Thomas Nelson.)
Please turn to 1 John 3
One of the most repeated and emphasized truths of Scripture is that of God’s gracious love for those who belong to Him (Ps. 25:6; cf. 26:3: 36:7; 63:7; Jer. 31:3; Eph. 2:4-5; 1 Jn. 3:1). Not only is this a truth that should astound us, and that we will spend the rest of eternity comprehending, there is an appropriate response now that shows if we really appreciate this love.
John explained this in Chapter three of his first epistle:
1 John 3:1-3. See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (ESV)
• Why would God be calling for purity as a response to His love? Purity shows what we love. If only our words are that we love God, and pursue everything but, then we actually don’t love God. But if we, as the Great Commandment of Matthew 22:34-40 calls us, as Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” When this is the case, God is glorified and others see that He is worthy of Glory through our love for God and love for them.
Paul further clarifies, that those who have come to Christ by the obedience of faith are also the called of God. Paul is not speaking of a general call to believe, but of the specific way in which those who have responded to that invitation were already sovereignly and effectually called by God to Himself in salvation. Called is here a synonym for the terms “elect” and “predestined.” The references to being called to salvation are always, in the epistles of the New Testament, efficacious calls that save, never general invitations. Thus, calling is the effecting of the plan of election. (cf. Matt. 20:15–16; John 15:16; 17:9; Acts 13:48; Romans 9:14–15; 11:5; 1 Cor. 1:9; Eph. 2:8–10; Col. 1:3–5; 1 Thess. 1:4–5; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:1–2; Rev. 13:8; 17:8, 14). The ultimate purpose of God’s calling is that redeemed humanity becomes like Him in holiness. That single goal directs the life and conduct of every true believer. (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 64). Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Third, believers are God’s saints. Saints is from hagios, which has the basic meaning of being set apart. Whether under the Old or the New Covenant, saints are “the holy ones” of God. Under the New Covenant, however, such holy things as the Temple, priesthood, Ark, and tithes no longer exist. God’s only truly holy things on earth today are His people, those whom He has sovereignly and graciously set apart for Himself through Jesus Christ. The new temple of God and the new priesthood of God are His church (1 Cor. 3:16–17; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9). Paul embraces them as fellow heirs in the mission, not as inferiors (Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Ro 1:7). InterVarsity Press.).
Finally, in a beautiful benediction to his introductory remarks, Paul says, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The only people who can receive the marvelous blessings of grace and peace are those who are the beloved, the called, and the holy ones of God. Only they can truly call God their Father, because only they have been adopted into His divine family through His true Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace (charis) was the gentile form of greeting, while peace (shalom) was the Jewish form of greeting. Paul combined them. (When one is in Christ through faith, we are all one) (McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 1-8) (electronic ed., Vol. 42, p. 28). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
The preacher (v. 1), the promise (v. 2), the Person (vv. 3–4), the provision (v. 5a), the proclamation (vv. 5b-6), and the privileges (v. 7) of the good news of God are all given for the express purpose of glorifying God. All of redemptive history focuses on the glory of God, and throughout eternity the accomplishments of His redemption will continue to be a memorial to His majesty, grace, and love.
Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans (pp. 1–29). Chicago: Moody Press.
