June 5, 2025 -- Romans 1:1a -- Devotion to Jesus

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus…
Romans 1:1a
 
In New Testament times a letter writer identified himself first and then gave greetings to the person or people on the receiving end of the letter. Kind of like what we do with email today. The advantage is the read immediately knows who wrote the letter. Paul is writing a congregation that knows of him but doesn’t know him personally. His self-introduction is awesome and the importance of it is easy to miss.
 
First, he is a servant of Christ Jesus. In Greek it means both slave and servant. A slave can’t leave the service of his master. An Israelite who fell into debt could sell himself into slavery to a fellow Israelite so that his debt could be covered. If that slave loved his master, the law (Exodus 21:6) provided the opportunity for that man to declare his love for his master and his intention to remain his master’s slave for life. He’d then continue in service to his master instead of being released in the seventh year. There might well be the sense that Paul knew all his debts were atoned for in Christ Jesus and he openly declares he loves this master so deeply he chooses to give his life to Jesus forever.
 
Dr. M. Kruger, in his excellent video commentary on Romans, noted that the construction of our text today is identical to how Old Testament men of God were identified. For example, Moses the servant of the LORD is the expression used in Deuteronomy 34:5. Paul is identifying himself with Old Testament prophets and showing the continuity of the work of God. Like the Old Testament servants, Paul is a servant of God. That also means the Old Testament God, the LORD, is at work now through His Son, Jesus. The meaning is clear Jesus is God. The Father, who revealed Himself the Old Testament, continues His work through His divine (truly God) Son. There is continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
 
When you meet someone, what is it you tell them? “Hi, I work at the corner store.” Or “I’m married to Carolyn, and we have this many children.” Or you meet someone at a sporting event and you both realize your shared enjoyment of that sport, which clearly tells the other person something about your life and interests. From the very start, Paul wants his audience to know he is all-in for Jesus. His most important identifying trait is he belongs to Jesus, and he loves to declare Jesus. Do the people in your life know you love Jesus? Is it obvious to everyone you meet You love Him? Do your words and actions reveal your dedication to Jesus shining out with fervor that shows the most important thing about you is your identity in Christ?
 
Father in heaven thank You for revealing Yourself in creation, and in the Bible, and then most perfectly revealing Yourself in Jesus Christ. Spirit of the Living God, let my life, work and play, day and night, ever more fully reflect the truth that Jesus has made me His own. In view of that beautiful fact, Spirit of God teach me to forget what lies in my past, so that I don’t park there. Empower me to strain forward to the prize of ever more fully, in every area of my life, making Jesus mine. Jesus as my prise. Jesus as my life’s reward. Jesus my joy and salvation. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/8wfhhFHMgxY?si=8uTKP3SP0WKdKt5N Jesus is Mine
 

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