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And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:6

Having introduced himself (a servant and called apostle) and his message (the gospel of God), Paul now turns his attention to greet his readers.

His description of them is fascinating. Although in the final chapter of the letter he does greet several of the Christians in Rome by name, in this opening section his focus is quite different. Rather than greet them by name, he describes them in the most significant terms possible: they have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.

There’s that word again: called. Paul has been called to be an apostle. His role involves calling people to the obedience of faith. Now he introduces his readers as those who have been called to belong.

The Christians in Rome no doubt had numerous claims upon their loyalty. They belonged to the Empire (if they were citizens) and shared in its benefits and responsibilities. They belonged to their extended families. If they were slaves, they belonged literally and legally to their masters. Craftsmen belonged to guilds and to their patrons by ties of loyalty and economics.

Paul, himself a Roman citizen, was aware of these claims to loyalty that his readers experienced. His gospel, however, supersedes all such human ties. His hearers have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Christian conversion, for Paul, was much more than adopting a set of personal beliefs. It was not about living by a new set of rules. Nor was it a matter of merely “receiving Christ as personal Saviour.� Paul’s understanding of the gospel was that through it, people were called to a fundamentally new ownership. They formerly belonged to Rome, or their families or their trade guilds. Now they belong to Jesus Christ.

He is their owner. Jesus is the ruler of these called people. Their term for him was totally appropriate: they called him the “Lord Jesus�.

A Christian has experienced a change of ownership. They belong to Jesus Christ.

How about you?

Have you experienced this wonderful call?

Has there been a change of ownership in your life?

Is Jesus Christ your Lord ?

And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:6

Posted in Bible | Christian | God | gospel | Jesus Christ | New Testament | Paul More Important Than Anything | | | | 369 reads