March 25, 2001

Romans 1:1 “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,. . .”

This is Paul’s classic introduction whereas he identifies his total submission to Christ as A Bond-Servant.

A. His Submission “Paul, a bond-servant . . .”

(Pau`lo" dou`lo" Cristou` jIhsou`,);(dou`lo) from deoµ, to bind, a slave, originally the lowest term in the scale of servitude, came also to mean one who gives himself up to the will of another. In calling himself a ‘bondslave of Jesus Christ,’ the Apostle Paul intimates (1) that he had been formerly a bondslave of Satan, and (2) that, having been bought by Christ, he was now a willing slave, bound to his new Master. W.E. VINE

Paul came upon this submission to God in a rather difficult and abrupt manner. See Deuteronomy 15:12-17.

Philippians 3:4-6; 4a “ . . . If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”

Acts 9:1-5; 1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who art Thou, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

3. His Bliss

Philippians 2:17,18; 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus . . .”

Philippians 3:7-9& ; 7 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, . . .” 13b “. . . but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

C. His Service “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus,

called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,. . .”

Apostle; (ajpovstolo" is, literally, one sent forth; (apo, from, stelloµ, to send). “The word is used of the Lord Jesus to describe His relation to God, Hebrews 3:1; see John 17:3. Paul, though he had seen the Lord Jesus, 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8, had not ‘companied with’ the Twelve ‘all the time’ of His earthly ministry, and hence was not eligible for a place among them, Acts 1:22. Paul was commissioned directly, by the Lord Himself, after His Ascension, to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles. Acts 9:13,16; 13 The Lord said of Paul to Ananias , “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” We at GFBC are committed to preach this same Good News! How about you, my friend. Are you enslaved to SIN or the SAVIOR? Why not acknowledge your need as a sinner and come to Him for mercy and pardon?

John 1:12,13; 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.