"Servants, Saints, Sons" October 26 Readings: Romans 1

Today's Reading: Romans 1

Background

Donald Grey Barnhouse was the pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia for decades. He spent many of those years preaching verse by verse through Romans and compiled a wonderful set of commentaries on the book.

This raises a crucial problem as we begin reading Romans. Chapter 1 has so much depth, I could do devotionals from this chapter for a month and not run out of topics, and we are reading it in ONE DAY. After the introductory greetings, Paul sets his theme. "I am not ashamed of the gospel." "The righteous will live by faith." We relate to God not on the basis of our own works, but by God's grace, by the righteousness Christ won for us at the cross.

Having set that theme, Paul begins to systematically develop that theme - righteousness by faith. He begins by explaining human sin and depravity, the reason we need a righteousness from God. He will go on to teach the glories of our salvation and of the Christian life, all the way through the end of chapter 11.

If it took Dr. Barnhouse 30 years and several volumes of commentary to teach Romans, I am certainly not going to do it justice in these devotionals.

It was during his stay in Corinth (Acts 20:2-3) that Paul wrote to the church in Rome, a church he'd never visited. He did have many personal ties to the church. It seems likely that his friends Prisca (Priscilla) and Aquilla may have been among the founders of the church.

Devotional - Servants, Saints, Sons

Since Paul was not known to many of the Roman Christians, it was important that he establish his identity in writing this treatise. Apostle. Man of God. Leader of the church. Keeper of the mysteries of Christ. There were so many ways that he could have described himself. But he went in a totally different direction.

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus.

A slave. A common household servant - a position of humility, even humiliation that no Roman wanted to accept. The Romans viewed being a servant as intolerable and awful. But Paul embraced it. Serving Jesus was not humiliating, it was glory. He embraced the concept of devoting his life fully to the service of Jesus Christ.

But when it came to describing other believers, he focused on something completely different, in verse 7.

To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.  

When speaking of others, he emphasized their position in Christ, their high status. They were loved by God, adopted into the heavenly family and recipients of the glorious love of God. He also mentions that they are saints, made holy by the work of Christ, set apart for God.

The Roman Christians were also servants of God. Paul was loved by God and called as a saint. But when he spoke of himself, he focused on his own humble place in the economy of God. He is a lowly servant, the chief of sinners who has been redeemed and brought into the service of Jesus Christ. He chose to honor the Romans believers, emphasizing their exalted place in Christ. He humbled himself and honored his readers.

What a great lesson that is for all of us. Our normal, human tendency is to lift ourselves up and often to put others down in the process. He did the opposite. He imitated the humility of Christ during his earthly ministry, who came not to be served, but to serve others, to seek and to save the lost.

Father, may I imitate the humility of Paul who imitated the humility of Christ. May I honor others and serve them in Christ's name. 

Think and Pray

Do you seek the humility of Christ, and of Paul, or do you seek power, status, and authority? We are called to be like Christ (and like Paul who was like Christ!). Examine your heart and your life to see if you are living as a servant.