Hello, Saints!

In just a couple of weeks my church is hosting a large missions conference.  We will have missionaries from far-flung corners of the world and also from our own country visiting in our church and in our homes.  I wonder, if some who have never visited our church before, wrote us a letter this week, what that letter would say... It is a question worth considering.

The apostle Paul had never visited the fledgling church in Rome.  Several of his letters were written after he had visited, evangelized and discipled young congregations throughout the Middle and Near Eastern regions.  But, not this one.

Accordingly, in Romans 1:1-7, Paul introduces himself.

From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. 2 This gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,3 concerning his Son who was a descendant of David with reference to the flesh, 4 who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name. 6 You also are among them, called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all those loved by God in Rome, called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

(NET)

Although it is customary for Paul to begin all of his NT letters with an introduction and salutation, let's look at this one more closely.
1.  Slave of Jesus Christ
Why did Paul choose this word?  There were approximately 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire in the first century A.D.  Slaves were looked upon as pieces of property.  This is a step below servanthood, a more serious bonding of one human to another.  Paul chooses to express his relationship to Jesus Christ as that of a slave to his Master, rather than using the term "servant".
2.  Sanctified Apostle
The word "sanctified" means "set apart" (for a specific use).  If I go to the grocery store and purchase food for a particular event, I must be sure to tell my family that it must not be used for any other purpose.  It has been "set apart".  The other aspect of sanctification involves daily, ongoing training by the Holy Spirit, being shaped increasingly to fulfill a purpose.  And, what was Paul's purpose?  It was to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God, with the Gentile world.  The word "nations" in Scripture refers to non-Jewish people groups; and, it was especially to the unreached Gentiles of the world that Paul was appointed messenger of the gospel.

Paul then gives a brief description of the gospel of Jesus Christ in verses 4 and 5.
1.  It originated with God and was prophesied in the Old Testament.
This saving gospel was no concoction of any human being.  God began to unveil his eternal plan to save mankind in Genesis 3:15, immediately after Adam's and Eve's choices that engineered the "fall of man" (from God's grace, into sin).  If you go to your Google browser and search the topic "Old Testament Messianic Prophecies", your screen will fill with references to God's promised Messiah, and you will see that most of those were fulfilled by Jesus Christ, with His first coming (His first advent) here on Earth.  The remainder will be fulfilled when He returns, as conquering King.
2.   In verse 5 Paul names Jesus Christ, (Man, Jew, son of David, and resurrected Son of God)  as the giver of all grace, the heart of the gospel.  It is through Him that Paul received saving grace and his commission to be an apostle.

In verse 6 Paul calls the Roman believers "saints".  Warren Wiersbe explains this so well!

"The believers were called of Jesus Christ, and they were also called saints. (Not 'to be' saints...they already WERE saints!  A 'saint' is a set-apart one, and the person who trusts Jesus Christ is set apart and IS a saint.) Salvation is not something that we do FOR God; it is God who calls us in His grace {2 Thessalonians 2:13-14}.  When you trust Christ, you are saved by His grace and you experience His peace."
{The emphasized words were capitalized by me...}

We are going to see, later on, that the Roman church was comprised of both Jewish and Gentile believers.  It appears that some were meeting secretly in the home of Aquila and Priscilla, a husband and wife we will meet later.  Others were scattered throughout that large city.

Verse 7 is both a "hello" and a blessing.  It highlights the unrestrained, undeserved love of God and His grace (that is, His favor which cannot be earned) to all believers in Jesus Christ.

What if the apostle Paul wrote a letter to your church?  What if he wrote a letter to YOU?  It is a question worth considering.

Would he be able to greet you as a saint?  As one beloved of God?  As one who has received the grace and salvation freely given through Jesus Christ?

Father, I pray for all who read this blog who may not know You as it is possible to know You.  May Your Holy Spirit have mercy on those whose eyes are still cloudy with lack of knowledge and/or unbelief.  Start a holy fire in their hearts; create a holy, ravenous hunger for You.  Please do this so that they may know You as I know You, as Paul knew You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

Wiersbe, Warren W. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2007, pp. 410-411. Print.

http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=wes&b=45&c=1