The Apostle and the Gospel of God (1)
Romans 1:1–17
Brothers and sisters, today we come to the opening of the book of Romans.
Romans is one of the greatest books in the Bible. Many believers have been saved, helped, established, and even revolutionized through this epistle. But when Paul begins Romans, he does not begin with a doctrine. He does not begin with a theological system. He does not even begin first with man’s need. He begins with a person — not himself as the center, but himself as one who has been captured by Christ and separated unto the gospel of God.
The opening of Romans is very important because it shows us not only what the gospel is, but also what kind of person the gospel produces.
Paul introduces himself in Romans 1:1:
“Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.”
In just one verse, Paul tells us three things about himself. First, his position: he is a slave of Jesus Christ. Second, his identity: he is a called apostle. Third, his ministry: he is separated unto the gospel of God.
In verse 5, he tells the purpose of his ministry is to bring about, is unto the obedience of faith
Then later in verses 14 to 16, he tells us his inward mentality of his doing the work of his ministry:
“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. So, for my part, I am ready… For I am not ashamed of the gospel, ”
So today, the title of this message is:
The Apostle Paul and the Gospel of God
The burden is simple: before Paul preached the gospel, the gospel first possessed Paul. Before Paul carried the gospel, the gospel first captured him. Before Paul became a messenger of Christ, he first became the slave of Christ.
And this is not only for Paul. Paul is not an exception in God’s heart. Every person saved by grace belongs to God and should be given to God. The gospel does not merely save us from judgment. The gospel brings us under the ownership of Jesus Christ.
1. Paul’s Position: A Slave of Jesus Christ (what is he?)
Paul begins:
“Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ.”
The word “slave” here does not merely mean a volunteer, helper, or religious worker. It means a bondslave — one who belongs entirely to his master.
This is very striking. Paul could have introduced himself in many ways. He could have said, “Paul, a great teacher.” He could have said, “Paul, a Pharisee trained in the law.” He could have said, “Paul, a man who saw the heavenly vision.” He could have said, “Paul, the founder of many churches.”
But he says first: “Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ.”
That means Paul’s first consciousness was not his ministry, not his gift, not his knowledge, not his work, but his belonging.
He belonged to Jesus Christ.
This is very important for us today. Many Christians first ask, “What can I do for God?” But Paul begins with another question: “Whose am I?”
Before doing anything, there is belonging. Before service, there is ownership. Before ministry, there is consecration.
A slave does not have independent rights. A slave does not say, “My time is my own. My future is my own. My ambition is my own. My body is my own. My education is my own. My career is my own.” A slave belongs to master.
But here we must understand something very important. In Romans, Paul tells us that no one is truly independent. No one is absolutely free in himself. Every person serves something. Every person belongs to some master.
In Romans 6:16, Paul says:
“Do you not know that to whom you present
yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of
sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? “
In other words, the question is not whether we will be slaves. The question is:
Whose slaves will we be?
Paul says there are two possibilities:
“whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.”
So man has to make a choice. Either we present ourselves to sin, and become slaves of sin; or we present ourselves to God, and become slaves of obedience.
This is not only a doctrine. This is our daily experience.
When a person says, “I want to be free to do whatever I want,” very often he is not actually free. He may be under the slavery of temper, lust, pride, bitterness, anxiety, ambition, comparison, entertainment, money, or self-love. He thinks he is free, but actually something is ruling him.
Paul tells us plainly: if you yield yourself to sin, you become a slave of sin.
But praise the Lord, Romans 6 does not stop there. Paul says:
“'But God be thanked that though you were slaves of
sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of teaching to which you were
delivered. " (Rom.6:17)
This means salvation is not only forgiveness. Salvation is a transfer of
slavery. Once we were slaves of sin, but through the gospel we obeyed from the
heart. We were delivered from one master and brought under another.
Romans 6:18 says:
“And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. "
This is the true Christian freedom. Freedom does not mean I belong to nobody. Freedom means I am delivered from the wrong master and brought to the right Master.
Then in Romans 6:22 Paul says:
“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life."
Here Paul shows us the result of the two choices.
To be a slave of sin has one result: shame and death.
Romans 6:21 says:
“What fruit did you have then in the things of
which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. "
But to be a slave of God has another result: fruit unto holiness and the end
everlasting life.
Romans 6:23 says:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
So Paul’s word in Romans 1:1, “a slave of Jesus Christ,” is not a sad word. It is not a word of bondage in the negative sense. It is a word of deliverance. It is a word of joy. It is a word of freedom.
Paul is saying, “I am no longer a slave of sin. I am no longer a slave of myself. I am no longer a slave of the world. I am no longer a slave of my old ambition, my old pride, my old religion, or my old life. I am now a slave of Jesus Christ.”
This was Paul’s free and joyful choice.
Christ had conquered him on the Damascus road, but Paul did not live afterward as an unwilling captive. He willingly gave himself to the One who had loved him, saved him, and claimed him.
This is the slavery of love.
Paul’s slavery to Jesus Christ was not forced, bitter, or servile. It was voluntary, grateful, and joyful. He had discovered that to belong to Christ is better than belonging to himself. To be ruled by Christ is better than being ruled by sin. To serve Christ is better than serving ambition, religion, or self-glory.
The world tells us, “Freedom means I belong to myself.” But the gospel tells us, “True freedom means I no longer belong to sin, to self, to the world, or to Satan. I belong to Jesus Christ.”
Many young people today are searching for identity. Some look for identity in school, career, success, relationships, culture, image, or social media. Many adults also ask, “Who am I? What is my life for? What am I building? What am I becoming?”
Paul’s answer is clear: “I am a slave of Jesus Christ.”
That sounds low, but spiritually it is very high. To belong to Christ is higher than to belong to yourself. To be owned by Christ is better than being ruled by your own desires. To be under His will is better than being driven by ambition, fear, insecurity, or comparison.
Paul is saying, “I am not my own. I have been bought. I have been redeemed. My life and my powers belong to my heavenly Owner.”
This is the first mark of a gospel person.
The gospel does not only give us forgiveness. The gospel transfers ownership. Once we were slaves of sin. Now we are slaves of Jesus Christ.
And these two slaveries have two very different results.
If I choose sin, the result is shame, corruption,
and death.
If I choose obedience, the result is righteousness.
If I become a slave of sin, the end is death.
If I become a slave of God, the fruit is holiness and the end is eternal life.
So we must ask ourselves: Do I merely believe in Jesus, or do I belong to Jesus? Do I only ask Jesus to help my life, or have I given my life to Him? Do I only want the benefits of the gospel, or have I come under the claim of the Lord of the gospel?
Paul’s first word is not “apostle.” It is “slave.”
This means every true servant of God must first be possessed by Christ.
Before Paul was sent by Christ, he was owned by
Christ.
Before Paul preached the gospel, he had obeyed the gospel.
Before Paul called others to the obedience of faith, he himself had become a
slave of Jesus Christ.
And even before Paul, our Lord Himself took this way.
Before the Lord saved men outwardly, He
took the form of a slave before God inwardly.
Before He carried out the work of redemption, He stood in the position of
absolute obedience.
Before He went to the cross, He lived as the One who could do nothing out of
Himself.
Before He became the Savior in His work, He took the slave’s form in His
relationship to the Father.
Therefore, to be a slave of Jesus Christ is not a lower Christian life. It is the way of Christ Himself.
And this is where the gospel must begin in us also.