A Bond Servant and Apostle
Paul wrote his inspired letter to the Romans prior to his missionary journey to Rome. He knew that he was called to preach the gospel in the center of the secular Roman Empire. After Pentecost there were believers who lived in Rome and returned to their city to start Christian house churches. In Romans 16, Paul acknowledged specific Christians in Rome who were standing together as likeminded followers of Christ.
Paul addressed this inspired epistle in Romans 1:1 with these words: “PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,”… Paul’s life purpose was to serve as a bond slave of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament law according to Deuteronomy 15, a slave could be purchased to serve his master for six years. Most slaves couldn’t wait to be freed from their obligation to serve. However, some slaves after being freed chose to continue to do their master’s bidding. A bond servant does not serve his master by obligation. Rather, he serves his master from a heart of love. A bondservant was marked with a permanent mark in his ear. This earmark identified him as a willing and loving servant who belonged to his Lord and Master. Paul was a bond servant dedicated to serve his Lord Jesus Christ as a willing slave for his Master bound by the bond of love.
Paul was called by his Lord Jesus Christ to be an apostle. An Apostle is one who is sent by his master to serve his Lord in word and deed. Historically, an apostle was one who had followed Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. Paul was called to be an apostle on the road to Damascus where he had a life changing encounter with the risen Christ.
Paul understood his purpose and his calling. Salvation, being born again is a one-time event. However, working out your own salvation with fear and trembling is a lifelong journey. Paul knew that in order to follow his Lord, he had to forsake the world and the trappings of this world.
Paul also knew that hardships awaited him along his missionary journeys. When he purposed to go to Jerusalem, he was warned that persecution awaited. Paul said, “I’m set aside for the gospel of God.” According to Romans 1:16 Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power God unto salvation to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles.”
In America, it used to be an advantage to profess Christianity. In days gone by, most Americans believed that we were a Christian nation. Church attendance and participation was considered honorable for all upstanding American citizens. Today, America has become increasingly secularist. It has become “politically correct” to ridicule Christians for their so-called “puritanical and close-minded beliefs.”
Jesus said, “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” In the Garden of Eden, the serpent was the most crafty and cunning of all of God’s creatures. We’re encouraged to be shrewd and wise according to the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:25-26 Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Jesus sent the comforter, the holy spirit to come along side to help us and to teach us the all truth.
Jesus said, “fear not the ones who can kill the body but rather fear, respect, awe and reverence the one who has the power to kill the soul.” If you’re to be afraid, then fear the Lord. In the movie Patton, General George S. Patton said, “the Americans will lose their fear of the Germans. Hope to God they never lose their fear of me.” Ye are slaves to whom ye obey. As Joshua said to the children of Israel, “chose ye this day whom ye shall serve. As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.”
God has called each of us to profess our Lord Jesus Christ. The English word “profession” or “confession” is from the Greek word homologeo. Homo means “same” and Logeo means “word.” When we confess Jesus as Lord, we make his word our word and his will our will. Profession also means that our words and actions are the same. It means that we’re practitioners of His Word…that we walk the talk and talk the walk. Like Paul, God has sent us to be “living epistles” known and read of all men. We are the only Bibles that some people will ever read. We who are called of God are God’s love letters written not with ink or in tablets of stone, but in “the fleshly tables of the heart.”
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael