_‘A SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST’_ ‘A servant of Jesus Christ.’ Romans 1:1 It is the highest title that is known in earth or heaven—‘a servant of Jesus Christ.’ Service is based on love. Can you help to love Him Who has done all for you?—to love Him dearly? and, loving Him, must you not wish to prove... [ Continue Reading ]
_OUR CALLING_ ‘Called to be saints.’ Romans 1:7 St. Paul is not writing to great, well-known people. The Church of Christ in Rome did not number many of the high and mighty in the world. Most of its members were of the low and despised class, many even slaves, but whether high or low, slave or fr... [ Continue Reading ]
_MARKS OF SPIRITUAL SERVICE_ ‘God … Whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son.’ Romans 1:9 Here is a remarkable expression—‘Whom I serve _ with my spirit_ in the gospel of His son.’ St. Paul was a model servant. We profess ourselves to be Christ’s servants. Let us take a lesson from th... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE SPHERE OF SPIRITUAL SERVICE_ ‘I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise, … I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.’ Romans 1:14 To whom was the Apostle sent? We are lost in wonder at his greatness. Natural prejudices, cla... [ Continue Reading ]
_NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL_ ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.’ Romans 1:16 What are we to understand the Apostle to mean when he says, ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ’? I. THE WORDS MAY BE TAKEN IN TWO WAYS. (_a_) _ Men may be ashamed of the gospel because of the dislike or... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE GOSPEL AND LIFE_ ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.’ Romans 1:16 ‘The power of God unto salvation.’ The words come home to us with a personal and intimate appeal. And many of us must add here also, ‘I am not asham... [ Continue Reading ]
_MISSIONS TO JEWS_ ‘To the Jew first.’ Romans 1:16 I. WHY ARE MISSIONS TO THE JEWS SO OFTEN NEGLECTED?—Is it suggested that the gospel is not for them? Do people, consciously or unconsciously, limit the offer of salvation thus? II. THE ACKNOWLEDGED DIFFICULTY OF JEWISH WORK may be advanced in... [ Continue Reading ]
_JEW AND GREEK_ ‘To the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ Romans 1:16 The Jew and the Greek were respectively the loftiest and the noblest exponents of the races and religions of the East and the West. St. Paul shows the fitness of the gospel to meet and to satisfy the needs and requirements of... [ Continue Reading ]
_JUSTIFYING FAITH_ ‘For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.’ Romans 1:17 After affirmation of his not being ashamed of the gospel, the Apostle states his reason for making it his glory: ‘It is the power of God unto salv... [ Continue Reading ]