Message of Love

Well I travel at the speed of a reborn man. I got a lot of love to give, from the mirrors of my hand. I sent a message of love

Jimi Hendrix

¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ²which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures

Romans 1:1-2

An Introduction

If there is one book of the Bible that is to be considered essential,(for the sake of argument, all books are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are of equal importance to the preaching of the Gospels and the sanctification of the church), that book would be Paul's letter to the Romans. It was the book of Romans that sparked the fire in Martin Luther's life and ignited the flames of the Protestant Reformation. Romans has one central theme. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.

I have read Romans many times throughout my journey with the Lord. Every time I seem to find something that I did not quite see before. Much like Luther, it was the Book of Romans which changed and shaped my own theology. As a christian, I have been all over the proverbial map of theology. Never being discipled and essentially left to figure God out on my own, I live in a world where the Gospel is under attack from the church itself, and it is through this book that God has grounded me in truth. This is a poor attempt to lead others on a similar journey. To see through the shallowness of a gospel that is preached by wolves in sheep's clothing, a gospel that says being happy is a state of mind, that steers clear of the dangers of sin and the vital need of repentance, that tells us we are co-saviors with Christ of our own souls and that God just wants us all to prosper...... materially speaking. A gospel that ignores the root and only deals with the symptoms, leaving many still enslaved to sin and living defeated lives. This is not the Gospel Paul preached!

Concerning Paul's letter to the Romans

In verse 1, we learn quite a few things about the Apostle Paul. First, is his humility. When Paul wrote this letter to the Roman church, he was already esteemed within the church. He was on par with Peter, John, and James. The Roman church was aware of the prestige he carried, yet unlike most of the self serving celebrity pastors of today, he esteems himself as a "servant." The word used in the Greek literally means "slave" or "bondservant". Paul is a slave to Christ, he is writing to promote his master's objective. Martin Luther makes the point that "if it is already disastrous to deny the servants of an emperor honor and respect, what will happen to those who do not receive with due honor the servants of God!"

Not only is Paul a "servant of Christ Jesus" he also an apostle. He mentions his calling and that he was set apart by God. Paul's entire identity is wrapped in Christ. An "apostle" was one who had seen Christ. Today, clergy who consider themselves apostles are ignorant of the office of apostle and may be held in contempt for taking the office of apostle so lightly. It is for this reason, the power that is carried in the office of apostleship, that Paul always starts his letters, testifying to his apostleship as a calling by God. And it is this title that he uses to validate his ministry which was under attack from the Jews and from false teachers that accused Paul of preaching antinomianism, which is "the doctrine or belief that the Gospel frees Christians from required obedience to any law, whether scriptural, civil, or moral, and that salvation is attained solely through faith and the gift of divine grace". In short, it is the belief that because it is faith that saves, we have a license to sin. As to being "set apart", it is important to look at how Paul met Christ recorded in the Book of Acts, chapter 9. It was on the road to Damascus when Christ revealed himself to Paul. Verses 3-6, "Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." Notice there is no negotiation. There is no hoping on Christ's part that Paul will believe and follow. Our testimonies aren't too different. When Christ calls, His people respond. The story of Paul's conversion shows Christ how He really is, a King, who has ransomed and reconciled His people, that He has loved from before the foundation of the world, and who he calls each, individually, to faith. In Jesus' own words from John 10, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice." Jesus says that His sheep listen to His voice. He came to save those that the Father had given Him, and He will not lose one. This Jesus is far different from the Jesus that is preached in churches today. A Jesus that is powerless to save without your permission. This is not the Jesus that Paul was a servant to. Jesus' own words about Paul are recorded in Acts 9:15-16."Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." From that statement alone, does it appear that Paul had any choice in the matter of being a minister and apostle? When it comes to our lives, we have been set apart and called, yet we cling to our own desires and wants. Paul is a picture of true obedience. Let us all exemplify the same devotion to our Master.

This Christ Jesus that we follow was "promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures". When I was young, I didn't see how the Old Testament and the New Testament fit together. In one book, you had history, rules, poetry, and prophecy and in the other you had Jesus and teaching. One book called for the eradication of entire people groups and the other told me to love my enemy. The "Holy Scriptures" Paul is referring to is what we now know as the Old Testament. The entire point of the OT is to show Christ. There is Christ in the history, Christ in the Law, Christ in the poetry and the prophecy. According to Luther, "the most convincing and persuasive proof of the Gospel is that is was witnessed by the Law and the prophets." Because of this, Paul can say with full confidence that the Gospel he preaches is not man made or from human wisdom. Amos 3:7 states, "The Lord God will do nothing, but he reveals his secrets to His servants the prophets." It is a beautiful thing that God has given us His written Word. Because of this great grace on God's part, we can rest in knowing that Christianity "owes it's existence neither to blind chance or to fate, but to the divine predetermined counsel and foreordained purpose" of God.