Choice Gleanings from the Book of Romans

By Dr. Agness Chisanga Tembo

The book of Romans elucidates God’s plan of salvation and His relentless grace for both the Jew and the gentile. God’s love and faithfulness are vividly revealed through the sacrifice of Jesus His only begotten son as an atonement for our sins. Emulating God’s love, Paul yearns for his kinsmen’s salvation as he continues to preach the gospel. In summary, the book of Romans is a powerful toolkit for salvation and Christian living.

 

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jan 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781400325962

Dr. Agness Chisanga Tembo

Dr Tembo is passionate about the Lord Jesus and the gospel. Like Paul, she is not ashamed of the gospel because it is God’s power for salvation…. Dr Tembo believes in the Lord’s faithfulness and grace to all who trust in Him. Most of all she is passionate about living for the Lord and spreading the gospel.

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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

The book of Romans was written by Paul to the church in Rome when he was completing his third missionary journey. He planned to visit Jerusalem and then Rome. It is not very well known why Paul wrote this letter, but it is assumed that he might have written it in preparation for the visit.

The theme of the letter is righteousness. He teaches that no human being is righteous, Jesus Christ is perfectly righteous, we are freed from the power of sin by having faith in Jesus, and that we should live lives that are holy and pleasing to God.

Read Romans 1: 1–17, NIV

In verse 1 Paul identifies himself as "a servant of Jesus called to be an apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God. What is the significance of the terms ‘servant,’ ‘called,’ and ‘set apart’?

SERVITUDE

From his letter, Paul identifies himself as a servant of God as an elucidation of his humility and honour as an immediate attendant in the kingdom of God. As a servant of God, Paul surrenders himself to serving God through the dissemination of the Gospel as well as being a servant to God’s people. He was in essence fulfilling or obeying the Lord Jesus Christ’s commandments to serve him by serving His people even as the Lord said, "Whatever you did for the least of my people, you did it for me (Mathew 25:31–46). Servitude is a mark of good leadership. It is a charge which the Lord gave us (Mathew 20:26). The consequences of upholding self-importance and pride as a leader are well known as evidenced by King Jeroboam’s deposal from the throne (1 Kings 12:1–15).

Unfortunately, as Christians most of us want to be served and not serve others. Take a moment, dear brethren, and reflect: when was the last time you stopped to think and ask God to show you the needs of another saint so you could actively serve them? Servitude is evident not only in acts of giving but also in praying for them, saying words of encouragement, etc. You might be wondering if you are a young Christian or even a mature one, for that matter, how you can possibly see to the needs of others when you yourself need to be ministered to. Fortunately we need God’s guidance, the wisdom that only comes from Him to humble ourselves and serve others in humility both to God and to our brothers and sisters. God is always ready to give us wisdom. Thank God that in and of ourselves we cannot fulfil the Gospel; we have to be called to the life of servitude.

CALLED

Paul was literally called by the Lord Jesus (Acts 9:15) and it is upon this fact that he built his authority to minister in the kingdom. He acknowledged being an apostle (1 Corinthians 15:9) and as such an instrument of God through whom the Lord ministered to His people Israel and the Gentiles. As believers we are all vessels or instruments through whom God works more so as leaders in his kingdom here on earth. The Lord used the analogy of the potter and the clay. The Lord is the Porter and we are the clay, and He has moulded us according to his will to fulfil his purposes here on earth. The song Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Worship by Robert Bicknell means more than just song and praise but also servitude in its various forms. For it is through doing everything we are called to as unto the lord be it in formal jobs or home duties that we are called to worshiping God (1 Corinthians 10:31–32; Colossians 3:17). Unfortunately, today’s Christians want to be in the limelight by but not limited to being a song leader or a pastor for only those who can tithe and build the church’s finances. What about the poor, the prisoners, and the sick? For it is for such as these that the Lord came (Mathew 25: 36). Hence whatever we do we need to realise that we are a special people set apart for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. Just as Paul states that we have been called through and for Christ’s sake to obedience that comes from faith (Romans 1:5 and 6).

SET APART

Here again Paul perpetuates the state of devotion to the call to be an apostle by being entirely devoted to the Gospel of the Lord. He highlights a shift from being a devoted Pharisee to being a committed apostle to the authentic word of God whose author is God. In underscoring this point, the authenticity of the Gospel, Paul refers to the Gospel as a promise that was made through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures. He reveals the origin as well as the authenticity of the Gospel and connects it to the Lord Jesus as evidenced in Verses 3–4 where he talks about Christ as the son of David and the son God. By referring to Christ as the son of David and the son God, Paul reveals the human nature of Christ as well as the Divine nature of Christ. Further emphasising the nature of Christ in relation to our position as children of God.

As children of God we are loved by God, and as such we need to reflect that love to others through word of mouth and deeds just as Paul made it known to the Romans that he loved them and that they were loved by God. Now this can be tricky because one may ask, "Is it not natural that as Christians we love one