Romans 1:5-7 - The Church in Rome

Romans 1:5-7: ⁵ through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, ⁶ among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; ⁷ to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Message: The Church in Rome

Time: Written sometime in AD 57-58, probably from Corinth, at the end of Paul's third missionary journey. 

What the Lord is Saying: I have taken over a week now just to study these key verses. I believe these are incredible verses because in them the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ are clearly spoken. 

Our calling is significant in these opening verses. Jesus has been declared throughout the Scriptures and his position as our Savior and Redeemer was accomplished on the cross and now we are the called ones. 

Verse 5
Our position as His apostles is clearly presented in verse 5, "we have received grace." Grace precedes our apostleship. Before the message can be carried forth, we must have received it. Grace is something we receive. We take it, collect it, accept it. Our acquisition of grace is active on our part. Jesus did it all. It cost God everything. It is a gift. We receive it. 

The "whom" in verse 5 comes from verse 4: Jesus. He was promised by the prophets. He was a descendant of David. The resurrection declared His Power and the culmination of His divinity. The Holy Spirit was there bringing Christ through the resurrection, which ultimately saved us all. 

By receiving grace, we then have a mission in life. Each of us is commissioned. We are not each apostles in the technical NT sense, but we are each charged as ambassadors of His Message.

We are ambassadors of the message of grace. The product of faith is obedience. Obedience does not precede faith. Grace is a change of heart. It is an acknowledgement that Jesus saves. I can't save myself. My works are filthy rags. Obedience is faith and obedience is what follows faith. Keeping Is commandments is the necessary fruit of our salvation. 

Grace occurs. Faith is expressed. Obedience follows. I am the Lord's ambassador. 

It is not that we are obedient to the faith, but obedience is caused by faith. 

And Paul's audience is the Gentiles. This is his mission. And He does it all for God's glory. He does it to praise His name. Everything in life points to Christ: 
(1) Grace is what Christ has done, 
(2) The message we deliver in life is about Him, 
(3) Our faith is in Him, 
(4) Our obedience is to Him (and flows from our faith),
(5) We are sent to the people He calls us to and 
(6) We do all of this For His Name, for His Glory.
(7) Jesus calls us. 

Verse 6
In Paul speaking to the church in Rome, those in the church are specified as the called. John 10:27 states, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me." When I think of the disciples. Jesus called them. They listened, responded and followed. But, their response didn't have an effect on Jesus calling them and yet, calling is significant because the language presents the idea that if Jesus calls a person they will follow. But does this mean they will then have faith. As I think about Him calling the disciples can we say that Judas didn't know Him? Is his turning away confirmation that He wasn't a child of God? Or was it that since He was called he was already saved? It is a tough conundrum.

Verse 5 speaks of the mission Paul had to the Gentiles. And now in verse 6 he states that those in the church at Rome, just like the Gentiles, are also the called of Jesus Christ. In essence the message of verse 5 is also about Jesus' calling.

The Greek word for calling is kletos which literally means the invited, like those that are invited to a banquet.

Verse 7
Beloved means we are loved by God. And this is in the present tense.The called are those who have heard the good news and responded to it by exercising saving faith. The called are virtually synonymous in this way with the elect. The ones who hear and respond and follow Him are the called.

So, perhaps in answer to my above question, it is those that are listening, that are making a response and follow Him--these are the ones that then hear the call and answer.

Saints are those that are set aside from the profane ways of the world to convey Christ. They are the holy ones of God. Every person in Christ by grace is a saint.

We are not called because we are saints or because we were so lovely, but we are saints because we are called. But, before any of this, we are beloved.  Beloved>Called>Saints. Is it not simply incredible the number of times the Gospel is presented in these opening verses. Even, just the simplicity of verse 7 and the remark that we are beloved of God.  And then we are called. And then Christ makes us saints (upon our faith in Him), so that we are then set apart for the purpose of glorifying God and proclaiming Him throughout our world.

"Grace to you and peace." Here Paul offers a simple prayer to those in Rome. This should be a daily prayer in our lives. In my life, it is so simple to pray these 5 words for my family and all those in my life.

Promise: God calls me His beloved. No higher designation for me in life.