Pastor’s Pen Pulpit Romans

September 11, 2005 #4 in series

THE GOSPEL THAT PAUL PREACHED

Part 3

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We now come to the Roman recipients of the Gospel. Through the resurrected Christ, Paul had received two important virtues with regards to his service for the Lord: Grace & Apostleship.

Grace provides God’s power and ability to accomplish his mission. Appostleship defines Paul’s official status as representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So Paul begins by stating his commission. Note carefully that grace comes before apostleship. Salvation must come before service for the LORD. The Lord Jesus says, “come unto me” before He says, “go unto all the world.” We might say that commitment to the truth of God must preceed commitment to the task of God. As John Phillips well says, “Many well meaning people have failed to see this. John Wesley was on his way to the mission field before discovering that he himself was an uncoverted man in need of a Savior.”

These virtues were designed for one single purpose: to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake. Obedience must follow true faith. If you really believe something you will commit to following what you believe. Paul then faithfully reminds the Roman believers that they are among the called of Jesus Christ. If you are a believer and reading this pen pulpit, you are indeed a called one of the Lord Jesus.

He says the Roman believers are “called saints.” A saint is simply a “set apart one.” You don’t have to wait hundreds of years after you die in order to qualify to become a saint. That is hersey! The moment you receive Christ as your Savior you are called out of this world system and joined to the living Christ. At that point you become a saint (I Cororinthians 1:2). The Corinthians were very carnal believers yet Paul says they were sanctified in Christ Jesus – saints by calling.

Paul then includes his familiar Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s characteristic greeting combines grace and peace. Grace (charis) is a Greek emphasis. Peace (shalom) is the traditional Jewish greeting. The combination is especially appropriate because Paul’s message tells how believing Jews and Gentiles are now one new man in Christ.

The grace mentioned here doesn’t seem to be saving grace for these folk were already saved, but the grace that equips and empowers for Christian life and service. Peace is not so much peace with God, for these folk already had that aspect of peace, but the peace of God reigning in their hearts while they were in the midst of a turbulent society. Grace and peace came from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, strongly implying the equality of the Son with the Father. William MacDonald writes, “If Jesus were only a man it would be absurd to list Him as equal with the Father in bestowing grace and peace. It would be like saying grace and peace from God the Father and Abraham Lincoln.”

One more thing to notice. Grace must always preceed peace. There can be no real peace of God or from God until there is first the grace of God in the life. So beloved, has God’s marveleous grace touched your life today?