Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 63

March 3;   Romans 1:1;   118/260(I);   ‘Called & Separated’

Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 

The Word ‘servant’ in the King James Version and ‘bondservant’ in the New King James Version has very powerful meanings: #1 one who gives himself up wholly to another's will #2 devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests.  This is what Paul declares himself to be.  Once he became a Christian, he was ‘all in.’  Paul understood who the Lord Jesus was and what the Lord Jesus had done for Paul.  It did not take long for the Apostle Paul to change from a Christian persecutor to a champion for the cause of Christ.  Once we hear the gospel it need not take long for us to become very serious about Jesus’ work as well.  The Lord had a ministry for Paul and he intended to do the Lord’s work with all of his heart.  Paul tells us that the Lord called him to be an apostle.  That is what Jesus did, He called Paul.  ‘Separated to the gospel of God,’ is what Paul did.  We are all called to fulfill the Lord Jesus’ ministry that He has for us.  All of us are ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) and He has specific ‘jobs’ that He has called us to do.  The Lord Jesus calls us to these ministries and it is up to us to separate ourselves to accomplish what He has called us to do.  No one can make you do the Lord’s work.  It must be important enough to you. You must consider how important it is to you to see the Lord’s work done by you and through you.  We have the incredible honor of being used by the Lord to make an eternal difference in the lives of people.  The truth is that you will never be truly fulfilled in life until you separate yourself to do His work.  Thank the Lord for the calling, separate to do it.