My Name Is…
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, I bow in worship before You today. You are the Risen Lord and the mighty ruler of all.
Read ROMANS 1:1-7
[1] Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God- [2] the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures [3] regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, [4] and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. [5] Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. [6] And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. [7] To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What does Paul teach about Jesus in this introduction?Paul is introducing himself to the church in Rome. He hasn’t yet visited them, but hopes to do so on his way to Spain (15:24). He’s going to ask for their support as he takes the Gospel to Europe, so he’s wise to offer them his credentials.
However, these opening lines are much more than a formal introduction. As soon as he describes himself as set apart for the Gospel, he launches into a description of what that Gospel is and how it is centered entirely on Jesus Christ. Notice what he regards as important: Christ is the Son of God; the Old Testament points toward him; he is both human and divine; he rose from the dead, and he is Lord.
Paul’s identity is wholly caught up in who he understands Jesus to be. To what extent is that true for you? Paul was convinced that his life was to be lived under the call of God. For Paul that meant being a servant/slave of Christ (true for us all); he was sent to preach the Gospel and he was an apostle. Belonging to Jesus affects our understanding of who we are and of our purpose in life.
Apply
Do you view your life as Paul does his? How might you show how central Jesus Christ is in your life?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I pray that You’ll become more and more central to my life and that will be obvious to everyone.
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