Romans 1:1-7 NASB
Paul doesn't waste words. He knows who he is in Christ, and identifies himself.
- He is a bond-servant of Jesus. Some translations use the term "servant" or "slave". I prefer the term "bond-servant".
- A servant works for another for pay. It is a job which he is free to leave at any time and for any reason.
- A slave is indentured into service; forced to work against his will.
- A bond-servant willingly offers himself into service to pay a debt. Once the agreement for service is reached, the bond-servant is not free to walk away. He must pay back the debt in full to redeem himself. The debt we owe Jesus is our very life. We may choose to be His bond-servant, or we may choose not to be, but we can never pay back the debt in full. In short, when we choose to be His, we are His forever. This is also the most common translation of the greek word 'doulos'.
- He is called to be an apostle. You can think of an apostle as a bond-servant with authority. This is not a position he chose out of personal ambition, but because he was called.
- He was set aside to preach the gospel concerning Jesus.
Regarding Jesus
- He is a descendant of David
- He is the Son of God
- This is declare to be so by the resurrection from the dead.
- Confirmed by the Holy Spirit
Apply these verses to your life by emulating Paul. Be a bond-servant of Christ, and fulfill your calling, whatever that may be.
Lord, I thank You that You have called us to Your service. I pray that you will give us wisdom to know our calling, and enable us to fulfill it.
1 comment:
The bond-servant explanation was interesting. Never saw that before.
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