Stand Strong in the Word
Stand Strong in the Word is a weekly bible study that teaches through the Bible verse by verse in chronological order. For more information, visit www.standstrongministries.org.
Stand Strong in the Word
#304 “Belonging to Christ: The Power of a Called Life” (Romans 1:5-7)
What does belonging to Jesus Christ actually mean and how does that transform our entire approach to life? In Romans 1:5-7, we discover a profound truth: the gospel saves and commissions us to live out and share it. I hope you’re ready, my friend, as we are challenged to live out God’s divine calling for our lives.
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What does belonging to Jesus Christ actually mean and how does that transform our entire approach to life? In Romans, chapter 1, 5 through 7, we discover a profound truth. The gospel saves and commissions us to live it out. I hope you're ready, my friend, as we are challenged to live out God's divine calling for our lives. So turn to Romans, chapter 1, and let's stand strong in the word together. Well, hey, there, my friends, welcome to Stand Strong in the Word. Podcast, jason Jimenez with you as always. Blessed to be with you.
Speaker 1:Guys, as we continue our study here in the book of Romans, we're going to be specifically looking at verses 5 through 7, and the title is Belonging to Christ, the Power of a Called Life. Isn't it amazing to know that Jesus Christ himself not only has saved us from sin and death, from separation from him, from alienation from him from hell, from him from alienation from him from hell, but he's also, in his redemptive plan, given each and every one of us a divine calling to not only have fellowship with him, but also to convey this message that we have, this intimacy that we have with him, to others, to let people know that there is no sin, there is no principality, there's no ruler, there's no dimension in where it is more powerful than God's redemption, than God's forgiveness. Stop and think about that. That is the message that Paul is bringing to the Corinthians and now to the Romans. So, as always, if you've missed any previous episodes, make sure that you check those things out, and while you do that, I would greatly appreciate if you guys took the time to leave us a review, one of the things we're looking at it, with all the numbers coming in, we have a huge amount of people who listen and I know sometimes you just you kind of move on. But we would love, and so greatly appreciate, if you would just take the time to share with people what this podcast is doing in your life, how it's helping you stand strong in God's word. So let me just give that shout out, but also send my love to you guys, so appreciate that.
Speaker 1:So, as we now are transitioning into verses five through seven, remember we have to take verses 1 through 17 as a whole. What that means is that it is a breakdown into the consistent layout, if you will, the thorough breakdown, or outline comprehensively, of the entire rest of his letter, and so it's important for us to understand that. And so when we see the beginning here now, in verse five, where Paul says these words and again let me just jump back real quickly because this is important in connection where it says in verse four and was declared, remember, appointed to be the son of God in power, according to the spirit of holiness, by his resurrection from the dead, jesus Christ, our Lord, and then he says in verse five so one of the first things I want to say on the front end, and we'll work our way through this verse and also verse six and seven you belong to Christ. In this generation of loneliness and despair, we need to be teaching you guys. When I said in the opening, we are commissioned to live the gospel out not just to believe in it but to live it out and that we are worthy of the gospel, we have to be telling people out there you belong Now. If they're not followers of Jesus Christ, that doesn't mean that they can't be given an opportunity. When we say you belong, number one, we say this to the church If you're indwelled with the power of the Holy Spirit, jesus Christ is your savior, he is your bridegroom. We say you belong, you belong to him and as such, we belong together, and that's one thing that my wife and I have certainly seen through the ministries this belonging that we have in the church. Not because of any deeds that I've done in order to arrive at a certain status or acceptance, or that I developed my own cliquish ministry where I pick and choose who belongs. No, absolutely not.
Speaker 1:Thank the Lord that we are saved through grace. And there's many times I look at my life thinking Thank the Lord that we are saved through grace. And there's many times I look at my life thinking, lord, thank you for being so long suffering towards me. In fact, that's something I was praying just this morning. When you do look at your frailty, when you do look at corruption and wickedness in our heart and you're beating your chest saying, lord, forgive me, for I am a sinful human being, there's that grace that he bestows upon you each and every day when you simply humbly ask for it, not in pride, you know, he gives grace to the humble. And so here we see this translation through whom we have received grace. We belong, my friends, because we have received his grace.
Speaker 1:Now this phrase, let me just say through whom again, and we're connecting this to verse four, where he lays out, jesus doesn't become god. So again, if you missed that or you forgot some of that, go back to when we talked about the God-man revealed. But in verse four he declared he's appointed him above all kingdoms and powers. Now what that means is, if you actually go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, and I'll explain again through whom in a minute. And then I just had a thought, so I want to jump to this passage. Let me just share this with you. In 1 Corinthians 15. And again, we covered this verse by verse several episodes ago. So if you haven't heard our study in 1 Corinthians, I encourage you to jump into that.
Speaker 1:But 1 Corinthians 15, verse 20 says but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, that is obviously Adam. This can be cross-referenced to Romans 5.12,. By man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive, but each in his own order. Christ the firstfruits, meaning there's only been one person who was sinless, who died for the sins of mankind. That's what it means is Christ the firstfruits, which is also fulfillment of the feast of firstfruits. So there's a connection there, the Jewish theology.
Speaker 1:Then it says then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. So in one sense we got to understand what he's saying is that he has freed us, he's made a way, a ransom. That is Then in verse 24, it says then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God. So when then comes the end, which obviously hasn't take place yet the father, after destroying every rule and every authority and power Verse 25, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. And the last enemy we know it says in verse 26, is death.
Speaker 1:So when you go back to Romans, chapter one here, and it says according to the spirit of holiness, by his resurrection from the dead, jesus Christ, our Lord, he defeated sin and death. He also defeated all the principalities and rulers. We're told in Colossians 2.15 that he triumphed over them by the cross, through the cross, that he didn't stay dead, but he rose again because he's the first fruits, and the day will come when he will destroy all of that. This, my friends, is the son of God in power, according to the spirit of holiness. So Jesus Christ is the son of God, he reigns victorious. And then it says through whom? So this God that we serve, we belong Because it's through whom we have received grace.
Speaker 1:So now let's go back to this phrase through whom, because this is referring to Jesus Christ, go back to verses three and four, and what it's doing is remember Paul is emphasizing his role. He is our mediator, he is our savior and he is personal. He personally came, he personally died, he personally rose from the dead, he personally stayed for 40 days. He personally gave them the great commission. He kept emphasizing, over and over and over again, the divine calling that he was going to give his disciples. And so when we see the phrase in which Paul's laying out the authority that he has it's in the risen Christ, and Crawfield, in his commentary speaking to this very thing in the book of romans, he says this is highlighting the divine initiative in jesus christ is one that laid it out.
Speaker 1:And so notice, we have received the plural. We is including paul and all of the people who have put their faith and trust in jesus. He's experienced this, but it's not only that. He's experienced salvation. He's also experienced an apostleship. He's been given, through God's divine grace, a divine calling, and this is something that he doesn't deserve. This is encompassing all of the salvation benefits that you have and also the empowerment.
Speaker 1:Now, obviously, we know in context apostleship is this divine right, this calling that he had been given. Thomas Schreiner he argues closely that this is linked to a specific calling, but what we do is we take that and realize that the truth that we see, in principle, is that we all have a divine calling. Now, in terms of the apostleship, what we would say is not the exact anointing of the office, because there are certain requirements that Paul and the other apostles had, but when it's referencing other people as apostles, it's not the same office. What it's just highlighting is that commission, the calling that we have through his grace, that he, in love for his people, choose to use you and me. So here Paul's describing something very significant.
Speaker 1:Jesus had called him to preach the gospel to the Jews and to the Gentiles. In fact, the majority of his ministry was to whom? It was actually to the Gentiles. In fact, if you look at Romans, chapter 11, verses 13 through 14, paul says now I am speaking to you, gentiles. In as much then, as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them. So in his ministry to the Gentiles, it was a way to draw Jews to hear the message of the gospel.
Speaker 1:Now here's another interesting phrase that Paul uses, and that's one thing we're going to continue to run into in the book of Romans, and I'm already going to tell you guys, I'm going to warn you guys, I said this in my first episode in the book of Romans, there have been pastors who taught this for years. In fact, I mentioned a individual who passed away years ago, but he had preached each chapter for a year, so for 16 years he preached the book of Romans. We're not gonna do that on this podcast, but the thing that's so amazing about the book of Romans is these phrases that he uses over and over again. So this will take us some time and even then, even as I'm gonna share what this obedience of faith means, I had like two full notes and then I had stopped and figured okay, this could become like a three or four or five part you know episode on just this phrase obedience of the faith. But notice the context he says here. He says through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about.
Speaker 1:Isn't that interesting? To bring about what? The obedience of faith? Why, for the sake of his name, that is so beautiful? Because this obedience of the faith in the Greek is hypokon pistios. Okay, pistis is the former, you know phrase that we see, of faith, but this is, it's almost like, the obedience of faith. So this is the object, and NT Wright emphasizes that this is not meaning works, righteousness, but faith that transforms life. It has to do with aligning with God's covenant purposes. So it's not about us, it's about God using us as his instruments and the whole purpose. So if you think about anything you're doing right now for the glory of God, as you belong to Christ and as you're serving him in this divine calling, volunteering at church, volunteering in a ministry that you and your family support, whatever the case may be, is about the obedience of faith for the sake of Christ's name. So when you actually see in Greek, this subjective genitive of what this means, is this phrase is it's.
Speaker 1:This phrase is carrying idea that obedience springs from the faith. So we are to live an obedient life. So when somebody puts their faith in Jesus Christ, one of the major things you should see in their life is obedience. It's obedient living. It's not saying well, I get to pick and choose how I want to live my faith. This is one of the things that I address in my book Hijacking Jesus to a lot of the progressive Christians. They don't like rules. In fact they think that doctrine are these rigid rules, so they concoct and make up their own quote ethical, not only dilemmas, but ethical principles. And that's not obedience of the faith. And that's one thing we see. What Paul's talking about here is because faith naturally produces obedience, because it's aligning yourself to who Jesus Christ is, understanding who you serve. It also speaking to Christianity, to our belief systems and having adherence to such things. You can't just make things up as you go. That's ambiguity, that's inconsistency and that's not what we have with Christianity. And so we have to understand that.
Speaker 1:When he's saying this obedience of faith is, you're seeing right living, you're seeing transformation, this represents the desired outcome to believe and to walk according to the truth in the ways of Jesus Christ. The NIV application commentary says this quote faith, if genuine, always has obedience as its outcome. Obedience, if it is to please God, must always be accompanied by faith. Or put it this way, in Romans, chapter 15, verse 18, paul says for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed. And then he says in Romans, chapter 16, verse 26, but has now been disclosed and, through the prophetic writings, has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith. So now let's take this is the same book, same letter, romans 16, verse 26, where he says according to the command of the eternal God. And then it says to bring about the obedience of faith. And remember he's talking about all nations. He's saying it again. So this is the cool thing about you see what Paul says in the opening and then you see him bring it to closure in the last chapter, in the context.
Speaker 1:Here he's saying to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations. And notice the command of the eternal God. So we obey because it comes from God, who's eternal. We put our faith in him because he's the object. It's not faith in and of itself that is worthy, it's for his sake.
Speaker 1:So right now I say, jason, why are you in full-time ministry? Why are you a pastor? Why do you blah, blah, blah? And it's not because, oh, I love what I do and you know I'm very gifted in it. No, at the heart of it, and may we never forget this is for his sake, for his name. I do it because the eternal God called me to serve. And let me just be clear even though I've been doing this for a long time my entire life has been in full-time ministry I feel more unqualified than ever before and I just will tell you guys, it's by his grace.
Speaker 1:You know, yes, you and I can compare ourselves to other people, but the reality is I'm just grateful to do this podcast with you guys, the privilege to study his word and to help people. I was just speaking somewhere with a great ministry that I am very fond of and I love so many people there and it's a great honor to present and teach a biblical worldview. And several people had come to me afterwards saying we love your podcast, we love apologetics, but we're so grateful that we also have someone like you who's in apologetics, who teaches God's word, and that's the focus here on this podcast. So you do it for the sake of his name, because when you look at actually this phrase now the next one, sake of his name the Greek word is hyper, for the sake of points to Paul's ultimate reason for his mission, which is our ultimate mission and focus, is to proclaim the glory of Christ. Are you doing that in your life, my friends? You belong to Christ? You believe that he has called all of his children to partake in the great commission?
Speaker 1:To some extent, some people have more talents than others, but whether God has called you to reach a community or your family, or that individual down the street or that individual in your work, or to preach around the world, are we glorifying him? See, paul was willing to endure persecution and suffering. We may believe that we have a divine calling, but what are you willing to do to live it out? Obedience also is speaking to doing things that we in our nature in the flesh don't want to do. Our nature in the flesh don't want to do.
Speaker 1:Paul clearly didn't want to be persecuted and to be suffering all the time to carry out the name of Jesus to the Gentiles, because he knew what his people, the Jews, would think of that, and we saw what they thought of it. They would either be controversial or they would create a riot, or they would travel about to try to discourage him and to whisper lies in people's ears so they could turn against Paul. They used all of their weapons, all their ability, to try to ruin this individual's life, but he had a divine calling and God protected him because he belonged to Jesus Christ. And you and I, my friends, we belong to Jesus Christ, so he says, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of a for the sake of his name. It's all about him among all the nations, including you, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:So oftentimes what happens is people, they can fixate on the calling and I've been there. You can just get so inundated on the day-to-day stuff and the titles and the things that need to be done. Well, this is my calling, this is what I'm called to do, this is what our ministry does, but you lose sight of belonging to Christ, amen. And so know the calling, but, first and foremost, never forget who you belong to, who you love, who you obey, and this is why I will always tell you, guys, for me, if I'm not in the word, if I'm not seeking the Lord and I love to spend time with him and to study his word. If I didn't have that ministry would have destroyed me. It would have destroyed me because on this side of heaven, even though there are people who are doing things for the being of the faith, for the sake of his call, they say they belong to Christ.
Speaker 1:But sometimes the ministry itself, and the entity, if you will, and the structure and the size of things, and the outlets and the platforms, and then, of course, the sinfulness of people or just the burdensome nature of ministry. If you truly care for people, then you're going to come alongside them and carry their burdens, as the Bible tells us to do. But at the heart of everything is I belong to Jesus, he loves me, he forgives me, and so it's in that relationship where he says and guess what? I've called you, my son, my daughter, to share with other people the love that I offer the world. I sent my son because I love the world, and the world has fallen away and it's groaning to be reunited with its maker. And I'm choosing you with, you know, with the power of my holy spirit in you, to proclaim god's truth. So belonging to christ, my friends is at the heart of what we're sharing right now.
Speaker 1:I like what the first century study bible says regarding this. It says it's important to note that paul's primary was Gentile Christians, who are likely worshiping and or interacting with the Jewish community in Rome, some of whom were believers in Christ, others who were not the church probably met in homes and worshiped in the synagogue. This reality is essential for understanding the specific tone and instructions that Paul gave to the Gentiles and his warnings against Gentile arrogance over and against the Jewish community. So that really puts things in perspective. Or, like he says in Romans 6, 19,. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as what? As slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. So as you and I belong to Christ, we are presenting ourselves as slaves to him. Remember that's obedience of the faith.
Speaker 1:And so these are very rich phrases that Paul is using, because then he says in verse seven to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints so it's feeding off of these phrases that he just had talked about when he's saying to them you've received grace. It's about obedience to the faith. It's for his sake, for his namesake, it's belonging to Christ. And then he says you're all loved by God, you're all called to live holy lives. And he says grace to you and peace from God, our Father in the Lord Jesus Christ. This word, holy hagio, saints, holy ones, is actually a picture of Israel being set apart for God. You see this in Leviticus, chapter 20, 24 through 26,. To be holy as he is holy. Leviticus, chapter 11, 44 through 45. So what he's saying here is you guys are God's holy children. And again this grace to you and peace. This is known as twins, the twin theology, because you can't have one without the other. You have charis, grace and peace, shalom.
Speaker 1:And this is an invocation that Paul is doing. He's echoing the Aaronic blessing from Numbers, chapter 6, 24 through 26. So in this one verse what Paul is saying is the gospel has reached the Gentiles. You are called to be holy, as God had called his people, israel, to be holy. And then you see the priestly prayer to the Jewish people and Paul is acting as a priest in his divine calling to say to them the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you and the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. And that is it, my friends.
Speaker 1:When you and I, as a Christian, know that we are called to share our faith, we're not to let fear and what if? What if this happens? What if that happens? But instead we belong to Christ and through his grace we're his children and through his grace we're his children. And as his children, we are set apart to be holy. And as you're living that out, people will see the difference, they'll see the transformation, they'll see the light, they'll see you living out the truth.
Speaker 1:And if they ask, we are to give an answer to those who ask us for the reason, the hope that is within us that they may see our good works and glorify our father in heaven, that when we speak, that we're our speech, our conversation season with salt, that we're light bearers, but that we never forget that we belong to Christ and grace and peace is bestowed upon us and we are loved by the father. And that's something that I have to be reminded of and it's not just trying to be reminded but convicted and to sit in this and say Lord, thank you that your wrath is no longer on me, but I belong to you and may my life as an instrument of righteousness, not a slave to impurity. That was the past, as Romans 6, 19 says, but I am now presented as a member, as a child, as a slave of righteousness that's leading to sanctification. So I pray, my friends, wherever you're at, in your faith and in your calling right now. I pray this helps you. You belong to Christ and in that intimacy, in that relationship, then go forth, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to do the work that he's called you to do. So thank you guys for listening, thank you for taking this time. I so thoroughly enjoy sharing with you guys God's word and I just pray that it's convicted you as it's convicted me, but it's also given me reassurance that I'm loved and that I belong to Christ, and so do you if you're a child of God.
Speaker 1:So if this ministry has blessed you guys, just this podcast alone, or you go to stanceronministriesorg and you can see our mission statement and all the resources that we have made available for you guys, whether it's in podcast form, it's in video form articles that I've written or books that I've written and even speaking, if you've heard me speak somewhere in your church or you want me to come speak at your church. You can contact us by sending an email info at stanstrawministriesorg. Or you can go to stanstrawministriesorg and click on the speaking and you can fill out the form there. But also, if you find this ministry to be such a blessing and you wanna see it continue to expand and reach more people, I encourage you guys to also. When you're on the website stanstrongministriesorg, click on donate and become a Stan Strong supporter.
Speaker 1:Whatever you can give. How often we trust the Lord? But it's because of faithful donors stand strong supporters who pray for this ministry and give what God has laid on their heart to give. We are able to do the work that we are doing and I'm so thankful for that. So I encourage you guys to join the team today. Love you guys. Until next time, keep standing strong in the word of God.