Paul's Greeting to the Romans

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be 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 descended from David according to the flesh 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, 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, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

Romans 1:1-6 

To begin our study of Romans, we will take a look at Paul's greeting. Deep theological truths are prevalent in the greetings in Paul's other epistles, but none more so than in Romans. Here, Paul outlines the whole gospel in a single paragraph, a feat that many people would not be able to do in a single page. But of course, Paul was writing through the direct work of the Holy Spirit. 

Paul identifies himself as "a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God". Paul wants his readers to know that he has given his life over to the Lord. He is no longer a slave to sin, but to the Lord. In identifying himself as an apostle, Paul means that he has been sent directly by Christ Himself. Christ appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus and called him to be set apart as a minister for the gospel--the good news of Christ. This good news that Christ brought was the same one that was promised through the prophets in the Old Testament. It is the promise of a Messiah that would save God's people from their sins. This was not a revolutionary message that went against Scripture, as the Jews had accused. This was a message that had been foretold by Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others.

Christ Jesus, the Son of God, was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies because He is a blood relative of David (II Samuel 7:12-13, Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38). But not only that, He proved Himself to be the Son of God by His resurrection from death. In coming to earth, Christ submitted Himself to the will of the Father by voluntarily giving up His throne in heaven to become a man, born through a sinful woman. It was the Holy Spirit that guided and directed Christ during His ministry on earth. It is that same Holy Spirit that directs and guides God's people today. Through Christ's death and resurrection, His people receive grace through their faith. This grace is not given through our own meritorious works, but through the love and sovereignty of God. 

Since the grace of Christ is given through faith, therefore it is granted to all who believe, regardless of race. This is the supreme theme of this epistle. Those who are called, or the elect, of God are of many colors, cultures, and people groups. John MacArthur notes, "the 'call' of God refers to God's effectual call of elect sinners to salvation, rather than the general call to all men to believe. Salvation comes to those whom God has elected for Christ to save. 

The Transforming Effect of the Gospel

A couple of months ago, I drove past a well-known Christian church on the South side of Indianapolis. The church had a sign out by the road that read "Transforming lives, one at a time". I was curious as to what this church meant by "transforming lives". Who does the transforming? How does the transforming occur? What happens after the transforming? So I decided to call the church and ask them what is meant by "transforming". The church secretary answered the phone and told me that the transforming "means lots of things". I pressed her about what she meant by "lots of things". She again replied that the transformation can mean many different things. I replied, "My wallet needs transforming. Can you help me with that?" She chuckled and said that they have programs that can help me financially. She asked me if I was interested in filling out a form for financial help. This church secretary had an awesome opportunity to share the Gospel with me. She could have told me about the life transformation that comes through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. She also could have explained the transformation that occurs though the sanctification process of the Holy Spirit. But instead, she asked me to fill out a form. The fact is that she had no idea what is meant by transformation.

I heard a commercial on the radio this morning from a Baptist church. It talked about the physical way Steve Jobs changed the world. Then, it descibed the spiritual and emotional changes made by Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, and the Apostle Paul. The commerical discussed the positive changes made by these leaders and rightly described how the changes made by these people were greater than those made by Steve Jobs. The commercial was headed in the right direction, but then it stopped. It never even mentioned Jesus Christ, the ultimate earth changer.

Life transformation and change does not involve conferences, workshops, how-to-books, motivational speeches, or paperwork. According to Romans 12:2, we are "transformed by the renewal of your mind". This begins by studying God's Word. We are to meditate on His Word, applying it to our own lives. Everything in the Bible is applicable to our lives. Second Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness".

Transformation can also occur by getting rid of sin in our lives. When we rid ourselves of sinful habits and behaviors, our steps toward Christlikeness become stronger.

Finally, transformation occurs through the Holy Spirit. God chooses us for salvation, Christ cleanses us, taking away our sin, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and makes us holy. The Holy Spirit is our conscience, giving us the ability to recognize right from wrong, and convicting us when we engage in sin.

These two churches have the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to thousands of people, one through a sign on a busy road, and another through a commercial on a secular radio station. I pray that the Lord will open their eyes to show them the true transforming and life changing Gospel that only comes through Jesus Christ.