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Romans 1:10 – Focused on Serving

Posted on July 23, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:10

making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.

Truth to Learn

Paul’s singular focus in life was serving God.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “making request” is deomai. This appears to be a middle voice (subject acting upon himself) of the word deō, meaning “to bind.” In that sense, therefore, it indicates a person being personally bound up. It is interpreted by most Greek scholars to imply a lack for oneself and, therefore, is often translated as “to make a request for one’s own needs.” Therefore, the translation “making request” makes a lot of sense.

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is a continuation of yesterday’s verse. You really need to read the last phrase of verse 9 along with verse 10, thus:

that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.

As we mentioned in our study of the previous verse, Paul is a real prayer warrior. We don’t know if Paul regularly prayed at a particular time of the day (every morning or every evening) of if he simply prayed all day long. Certainly, he had to take some time to study the Old Testament scriptures, the writings of other Apostles, and he had to take time to prepare the marvelous messages that he preached. It is entirely possible, however, that whenever he was not specifically engaged in some other spiritual activity, Paul was praying, and he always prayed for the Roman Christians.

One of his constant prayers regarding the Christians in Rome was,

making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.

Paul had never been to Rome, therefore he asked God to fulfill that lacking which he felt. He really wanted to see and meet the Christians in Rome, possibly because of the reputation they had regarding their faith. More likely, as he says in the next verse, it was because he had further teaching that he wanted to impart to them. Personally, I would love to go to Rome, to see all the historical places, but that’s not what was on Paul’s heart. His heart was for the believers in Rome. Once again, I am humbled by his singleness of purpose. Paul was so sold out to God that serving Him was all he cared about.

As we learn in the book of Acts, God answered Paul’s prayer, and he finally got to see Rome approximately three years after writing this letter. However, it surely wasn’t in the manner that Paul expected, for he arrived in chains. In spite of the ignominy of Paul’s condition, however, many Roman Christians came out and walked the last day or two of the trip with Paul as they welcomed him with honor into their city.

Application

Is your devotion to God and your desire to serve Him so strong that you can think of nothing else? Or is your desire for everything else so strong that you seldom think about serving Him?

That’s something that we all need to pray about … without ceasing!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 1:9 – Unceasing Prayer

Posted on July 20, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:9

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,

Truth to Learn

Paul was a prayer warrior and prayed for others constantly.

Behind the Words

The word “witness” is translated from the Greek word martus from which we get our English word “martyr.” The Greek word means “one who has information or knowledge of something, and therefore, one who can give information, bring to light, or confirm something.”

“Serve” is the translation of latreuō, the basic meaning of which is “to minister.” Hence, Paul’s service is really a ministry performed for God.

The word “with” is a translation from en, which is a preposition which denotes position and, by implication, instrumentality. Therefore, a more natural translation would be “in.” Paul is saying that he serves God in his spirit; in other words, he is claiming that this is a spiritual service over and above a physical service.

“Without ceasing” is from adialeiptos, which means “continually or without omission.”

Meaning Explained

This verse tells us that Paul prayed constantly for the Roman believers. He starts out by saying, “For God is my witness.” Paul is making a very strong appeal that the following statement is, indeed, true. He calls on the witness of Him who has knowledge of all things, God himself. Obviously the readers of this letter can’t check out the facts of his statement by asking God, but that’s not the point. The point is that Paul does not swear, since the Lord Jesus himself taught that swearing is wrong (see Matthew 5:33-37); rather, he appeals to a reliable witness.

Paul then states that he serves God in his spirit. He is saying that his service to God is not just on the surface but is with the very essence of his being, his spirit. Paul then explains that his service is in the gospel of Jesus Christ whom he describes as God’s Son.

Finally, he tells the Roman Christians that he prays for them constantly. Paul was known for being a prayer warrior. He prayed a lot and a lot of his prayers were for churches, both those which he helped start and those he had never visited (like the Roman church). Evidence of Paul’s prayer life is also found in Ephesians 1:15-16; Philippians 1:3-4; Colossians 1:3-4; and 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

Application

How does your prayer life stack-up against Paul’s? If you’re like me, you feel woefully inadequate compared to him. Paul apparently had a daily routine that included considerable time in prayer, and it wasn’t because he had nothing else to do. With everything we pack into our days, it seems silly that we can’t even find 15 minutes each day to pray for ourselves and for others.

Why don’t we do something about that?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:8 – World Renowned Faith

Posted on July 19, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:8

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Truth to Learn

Living as a Christian in the midst of paganism takes faith.

Behind the Words

The word “first” is translated from the Greek prōton men. The word prōton is an adverbial form of a word that means “foremost in time, place, order, or importance.” So we might easily interpret this as “of primary importance.” However, the word following prōton is men, which is often translated as “on the one hand” and is usually followed by a secondary clause indicated by the Greek word de, meaning “on the other hand.” The use of men with the word proton indicates that Paul means to say “Before I say anything else, I thank God for your faith.”

The word translated “spoken of” is katangellō, which is composed of kata, used as an intensifier, and angellō, which means “to declare a message.” Put together the word means “to proclaim loudly or to announce with celebration.” It’s not something that is just casually mentioned, but proclaimed!

Meaning Explained

Having completed the salutary portion of this epistle to the Christians in Rome, Paul now says a prayer of thanksgiving for them. He is thankful to God, through Jesus Christ, that the faith of the Roman Christians is a world renowned faith. Imagine that, a group of people with such a strong faith that it has been celebrated through the known world. Now that’s a witness!

Notice that it is God (the Father) that Paul prays to through Jesus (the Son). Paul does not pray to Jesus, but through Jesus. The Greek text is very clear that Paul is thankful to God through Jesus Christ. In the book of Matthew, when Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray, he instructed them:

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9)

We know that God listens to the heart, not to the words. But when someone begins their prayer with “Dear Jesus,” I suspect their intentions are good, but they are misinformed or uninformed. We are to pray to the Father, not the Son. There is a distinct order set-up within the Godhead with the Son willingly submitting himself to the Father and the Spirit willing submitting Himself to both the Father and the Son. It serves as an example to us of how we are to submit to authorities both within the church and in civil government. Therefore, though the Father and Jesus are equal, God has set-up a specific order. We should be directing our prayers to God the Father in the name of Jesus (with His authority) or, as Paul says it, through Jesus.

The primary subject of Paul’s prayer here is the faith of the Roman Christians. What we often overlook is that the Christians in Rome were living in one of the most pagan, Christian-hating societies that ever existed. To live a life of Christian faith in the midst of that society took a lot of faith.

Application

The world we live in today is becoming more and more like first century Rome every day. Everywhere we look we see signs of pagan humanism and a bias against true Christianity. To live in a world like this, submitted to the one true God, takes faith and not just a little bit. How strong is your faith?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:7 – The Called Saints

Posted on July 16, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:7

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth to Learn

All Christians have been called by God, and we are saints.

Behind the Words

“Beloved” is translated from agapētos, meaning “one who is loved.” It is from the verb agapaō, which means “to love with a self-sacrificing love.”

The word translated “saints” is the Greek word hagios, which means “something which is pure and set-apart for God’s use.”

Meaning Explained

As I said when we looked at the first verse of this letter, it is customary for such a letter to contain a salutation in the opening portion identifying both the sender and the intended audience. Paul identifies himself right away, but not until verse seven does he identify his intended recipients. This epistle was written to the Christian believers who were at that time living in the city of Rome, center of the great Roman Empire. This letter was written around the year 58 AD, which would be very early in the reign of Nero (the Christian hater) as Emperor.

From the English translation it appears that Paul is saying that he is writing to everyone in Rome, proclaiming them to be beloved of God and to be given the title of saints. That’s not what the Greek sentence construction says, however. It says, “to the ones who are in Rome, who are beloved of God, who are saints that are called ones.” In other words, the letter is to those people in Rome who are both beloved of God and who are called. This is the same calling that is referred to in the previous verse.

For those of you who don’t believe in the doctrines of election and eternal security, I want to be very clear. The Apostle Paul believed in both of these doctrines and taught them as truth. He believed that genuine Christians are those who were “chosen in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him” (Ephesians 1:4). We are not Christians because we did something; we are Christians because God did something. For that reason, Paul says that we are “saints” who have been called by God.

And yes, every Christian is a saint! It does not require special canonization by the church for us to be saints. The Bible teaches very clearly that all believers are saints. I want to emphasize, as we pointed out in the previous verse, that Paul is not saying that the beloved of God are referred to as saints, rather that we are called by God to be saints.

Paul then completes this verse with a standard blessing of grace and peace from both God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Application

The thing I want us all to take away from today’s verse is the privilege and honor we have as Christians that we have been specifically selected by God and called to a life of holiness and service to the King of Kings. What a great honor! Anything less than complete submission and obedience to Him does not meet His expectation of us and is a waste of time and effort.

Humbling, isn’t it? Are you up to the challenge?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:6 – God’s Saving Call

Posted on July 15, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:6

among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

Truth to Learn

Every Christian is one of God’s special called ones.

Behind the Words

The word translated “nations” in the previous verse is ethnos, (from which we get the English word ethnic) meaning “a race of people,” and in the New Testament it implies a “non-Jewish people.” Hence, it is sometimes translated as “gentiles.”

“Among” is translated from the Greek word en, which denotes “a fixed position in place, time, or state.” It implies a condition at rest, not changing or moving.

The words “The called” are translated from the Greek word klētos, meaning “those who have been called.”

Meaning Explained

The “among whom” in this verse refers to “all nations” from the previous verse. Paul is making a subtle, but very profound, statement about the Roman Christians in this verse. They were Roman citizens, which means that they were among the most powerful and dominant people of their time. The Roman people of that day knew this to be true and were likely to be arrogant about it, just as Americans have been for the past 70 to 80 years.

Spiritually, however, Paul tells them they were simply “among” the other nations. He is telling these people that politically they may have been the elite, but in terms of spirituality, they were not of the chosen tribe of Israel; therefore, they were no better off spiritually than any of the other gentiles. But he immediately makes a different distinction about them spiritually. He refers to them as “the called.”

When we think of calling someone today we simply think of calling out their name without any implication as to their response or lack thereof. This Greek word, however, has a different meaning. It carries with it the notion of a command with the implication that there has been a positive response. Paul explains this calling later in this letter. In Romans 8:28-30 he says:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

It is very clear from this passage that those who have been called by God (the called of Jesus Christ) have already been justified (saved) as well. Hence, we see that Paul is telling these particular Roman citizens that although they are no better spiritually than any other nation due to their heritage, they are very special to God because they are among his “chosen” ones.

Application

Anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is one of God’s chosen ones. Rather than making us lazy in our Christian walk, though, it should both humble us and motivate us to commit ourselves to Him and the work He has for us to do.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:5 – Working for God

Posted on July 14, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:5

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,

Truth to Learn

Paul received his salvation and apostleship from Jesus.

Behind the Words

The word translated “obedience” is hupokoē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and akouō, meaning “to hear.” So, literally it means “to hear under.” This is a picture of a student learning from his teacher. It carries the idea of one who is “listening attentively and obeying what he is taught.”

The word translated “to” is the Greek word eis, which means “to or toward.” The root meaning of this word is “rendering something to or toward an end point or conclusion.” It focuses the attention not so much on the process as on the end result.

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ. He now says, “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship.” This grace has been shown to all of us who are saved, as he tells us in Ephesians 2:8:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Not only did Paul receive grace just as you and I did when we were saved, but he claims that he received apostleship from Jesus as well. We find this described further in Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians:

But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), (Galatians 2:7, 8 )

The next phrase in today’s verse is a little bit awkward in English: “for obedience to the faith among all nations” In the original Greek text there is no definite article (the) before the word “faith.” Based on this and on our interpretation of the word eis (see Behind the Words), we sould translate this as, “resulting in obedience of faith among all nations.” That is, God’s plan for Paul’s salvation and apostleship is ultimately to produce obedience and faith among all nations.

Finally, Paul gives the credit and glory to whom it belongs, “for His name;” Paul recognizes that the whole purpose of the Christian faith is not our personal glory or satisfaction. It is not simply to obtain a free ticket into heaven. In the final analysis it really has nothing to do with us at all; it has everything to do with God! It is for the glory of His name. The whole purpose of our salvation–totally underserved and freely given to us by the grace of God–is to bring praise and glory to God Himself.

Application

As Paul tells us in the Ephesians verse quoted above and the verses that follow, we have been saved by grace. Our salvation is a gift from God. We didn’t do any works to deserve it. In fact, God’s purpose for our salvation is that we will do works for His glory.

So our sole responsibility as Christians is to be hard at work for Him, and He will get all the glory. That should humble us all.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:4 – Divine Resurrection Declaration

Posted on July 13, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:4

and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Truth to Learn

Jesus was resurrected from the dead, declaring that He is God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “declared” is the Greek word horidzō, which means “to mark out the boundaries or limits, as of a field.” Hence, it means “to determine, constitute, ordain, or decree.” As used here it means to designate someone for an office or function or to declare that designation.

“Power” is translated from the Greek dunamis. It describes “something that is powerful.” It is the word from which we get our English word “dynamite.”

The word “dead” is translated from nekros, which refers to “a dead person.” It is expressed here in the plural, however. This, coupled with the lack of the preposition ek (out of) tied to the word “dead” indicates that the translation should be “of the dead (ones)” not “from the dead.”

Meaning Explained

Yesterday’s verse was one in which the Apostle Paul declared the humanity of Jesus. In today’s verse he declares the divinity of Jesus. This verse starts out with, “who was declared the Son of God.” The three persons of the Godhead determined in eternity past who would be the Father, who would be the Son, and who would be the Holy Spirit. Paul’s statement here is not a reference to that determination, but to the declaration of that determination. And, this declaration was done “with power.” The way in which Jesus was declared to be the Son of God was with a powerful act.

The next phrase “according to the Spirit of holiness” is not a reference to the third person of the godhead (the Holy Spirit) as may be implied by the capitalization of the word “spirit.” This expression is grammatically tied to the expression “according to the flesh” in the previous verse. So we see that Paul is conjoining the fact that Jesus was a descendent of David (demonstrating his humanity) and the Son of God (demonstrating his divinity).

Finally, the declaration of his divinity was demonstrated by a powerful act: the resurrection of the dead. However, there are several people in the Bible who are described as having been resurrected from the dead, including Lazarus and the widow’s son who was resurrected by Elijah. But these people eventually died again. Jesus did not. His resurrection to eternal life is the declaration that He is the Son of God. And because He is alive, we know that His promise of our own resurrection from the dead is real. The fact that He remains alive is our assurance that some day we, too, will be resurrected unto a life that will never end!

Application

There are many today who do not believe that Jesus was a real person. There are also many people who believe that Jesus was a real person, but they don’t believe that He is God. They deny that He was resurrected from the dead; therefore, they don’t believe the good news (gospel), and they are destined for an eternity in the lake of fire for their unbelief. But we know that Jesus did rise from the dead and He is alive today! That is the glorious message that we have to proclaim to all. He’s alive!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:3 – Son of a King

Posted on July 12, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:3

concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

Truth to Learn

Jesus, the focus of the gospel message, the Christ, the Messiah, is descended from King David.

Behind the Words

The words “was born” come from the Greek, “tou genomenou” which means “the one who was brought into being” or “the one who became.”

The word translated “seed” is the Greek word, “spermatos’, which is both revealing and self explanatory.

“according to the flesh” comes from the Greek, “kata sarka’, which means, “with respect to that which is flesh and bone.”

Meaning Explained

In verses one and two, Paul talked about the good news that God promised through His prophets. But even more important than who proclaimed this message in the past is who this good news is about. In today’s verse, He tells us who this gospel is about, “His (God’s) Son, Jesus Christ.” The importance of this verse cannot be overlooked. Paul is making it very clear from the start of this epistle who the central figure is.

He now goes on to declare the pedigree of the one he is talking about. Paul says that Jesus “was born of the seed of David;” that is, Jesus Christ took on human flesh as a descendent of King David (of the sperm of David).

The expression “according to the flesh” is an interesting one in that it is used of no one in the Bible except Jesus. But why is this never used to describe anyone else? Saying that he came into being with respect to flesh and bone implies that there is another aspect (another nature) of His being that is not flesh and bone that already existed. This is only true of one who existed before He became flesh and blood and that is not true of any man except Jesus, who is eternally God. He has always had His divine nature and He took upon himself a human nature.

And why is it important for Paul to establish that Jesus was a direct descendent of King David? Because the Jews have been waiting for the One who was to come and rule eternally. This One was predicted numerous times in the Old Testament, most notably in David’s instruction to his son Solomon shortly before his (David’s) death which is recorded in 1 Kings 2:1-4. In order for Jesus to be declared the Christ, the Messiah of the Old Testament, He must be a descendent of King David.

According to the nineteenth century preacher Albert Barnes, “To a Jew there could be scarcely any honor so high as to be descended from the best of their kings; and it shows how little the Lord Jesus esteemed the honors of this world, that he could always evince his deep humility in circumstances where people are usually proud; and that when he spoke of the honors of this world, and told how little they were worth, he was not denouncing what was not within his reach.”

Application

And yet we, who have so much less to boast about in our own lineage, find it so hard to be as humble as He who had so much about which He could have boasted!

That’s something to think about!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:2 – The Promised Gospel

Posted on July 9, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:2

which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

Truth to Learn

The good news of Christ was promised to us in the Old Testament.

Behind the Words

The words “promised before” are translated from the Greek proepangellomai. This is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or place” and epangellomai, which is itself a compound word made up of epi, used as an intensifier and angellomai, meaning “to announce.” Hence, epangellomai means “to make a public proclamation or promise.” With the prefix pro added, this word means to announce or promise ahead of time.

Meaning Explained

Paul says in today’s verse that it was promised beforehand, but what is the “it” he is talking about? Paul is referring to “the gospel of God” which he mentioned in the previous verse. In yesterday’s study we learned that the word “gospel” means “good news,” but what, specifically, is the good news? In 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 Paul states very clearly what he means by the “gospel”

And, brothers, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and in which you stand; by which you also are being kept safe, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the Twelve.

There are two key elements to this “good news.” The first is that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Though He is 100% God, He also became 100% man and lived a sinless life. He, therefore, did not need to die to pay for His own sins, since He hadn’t committed any. As a result, He could die a substitutionary death to pay for the sins of others. The proof of His death is the fact that He was buried.

The second key element of the gospel is that He rose again. Only God can give life, and only God can raise someone from the dead. The resurrection is the power behind the death. It is, in effect, the verification that his life was sinless and, therefore, worthy of paying for the sins of others. The proof of His resurrection is the fact that He was seen by Cephas (Peter) and by the other disciples.

Paul tells us that God promised this good news beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures. He is not introducing a new doctrine. He is about to present the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, which was clearly taught in the Old Testament, and he will demonstrate so in this letter.

Application

The real question for us is not so much, “Do you know the gospel?” as it is, “Do you believe the gospel?” To know the historical fact that Jesus was crucified some 2000 years ago is really inconsequential. To believe the gospel, to accept the fact that you are a sinner and need payment for your sins, which payment Jesus Christ gave for you when He was crucified, is life giving salvation. And not mere physical life, but spiritual life, for eternity!

Do you believe?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:1 – Our Master’s Slave

Posted on July 8, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:1

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

Truth to Learn

All Christians need to recognize that they are God’s slaves.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “bondservant” is doulos, which means, “a slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another.”

The words “called an apostle” are translated from kletos apostolos. Kletos is an adjective meaning “one who is called, invited, or appointed.” The word apostolos means “one who has been sent with a message.” Hence, Paul is saying that he was specifically called out by God and sent with a message.

The word “gospel” is the Greek word euangelion, which is a compound word made up of eu, meaning “good” and a form of angellō, which means “to proclaim a message.” Hence, the word translated “gospel” really means “good news” or “a good message.”

Meaning Explained

Paul starts off his epistle (letter) in the manner which was customary for a teacher or person of authority, that is, by identifying who the epistle is from. Usually within the opening phrase, the writer and the intended audience were both identified. Paul deviates from this, however, by giving a thorough treatise on why he is the appropriate person to be sending this doctrinal letter. He doesn’t get to who this epistle is written to until verse seven.

You will notice that he uses his Greek name (Paul) rather than his Hebrew name (Saul). This is either because he wants to show that as a result of his conversion to Christianity he is a completely new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), or because he is the recognized apostle to the Gentiles and he is writing to Christians in the Gentile world of Rome.

He, like other New Testament writers, refers to himself as a slave. We Christians all need to remember that we have been bought with a price and we are no longer our own, but we are the property of our Master. That’s easy to forget when we wander through this life seeking our own satisfaction, but we need to remember whose we are and constantly submit our will to His.

The thing that I want us all to take away from today’s verse is the fact that even the great Apostle Paul recognizes and makes a specific point of the fact that he is not the master but the servant. Our sin nature, along with the lustful “pride of life” stimulated so strongly by worldly advertisements, is constantly trying to make self the master, not the slave.

Application

Anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior not only receives salvation but, at the same time, gives Lordship to Jesus Christ. In other words, when we were saved from our sins, we became the permanent property of our Lord, and we should not be seeking our own desires and will but His. His will is that we obey Him and submit to Him.

Are you a submitted slave today?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –