Called to Serve
Romans 1:1: Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.
The word Paul used for servant would be meaningful to the Romans, because it is the word slave. There were an estimated 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire; and a slave was looked on as a piece of property, not a person. In loving devotion, Paul had enslaved himself to Christ, to be His servant and obey His will. 1
On the road to Damascus, the Lord said to Paul, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” And Paul replied, “Who art thou, Lord?” He said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” It was at this moment that Paul came to know Him as his Savior. Then Paul’s question was, “What wilt thou have me to do?” (see Acts 9:4–6). This is when Paul made himself a bondslave of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2
Application
- Is there anything keeping you from becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ?
- Do your friends know that you’re committed to living out the gospel of God?
Prayer
Help me Lord to be Your servant and to fulfill Your calling in my life.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor
2. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 1-8) (electronic ed., Vol. 42). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
