(A) Introduction. Read Rom1v1to7.

Paul, in his rather elaborate salutation, tells us something about himself, the writer of the letter, his message and the people to whom he is writing.

(B) Paul's identity.

Sometimes it is necessary to say a few words about yourself. For example: When you go to preach at a church for the first time, in the preface to a book you have written or the introduction to a website.

If asked to introduce myself at the beginning of this series of expositions on Romans I would write something like this: I believe in Jesus. I trust in his sacrificial work on the cross for salvation and am committed to obeying and serving him. I am the elder of a small Grace Baptist Church and felt called on retiring from teaching Geography to set up a website devoted to Biblical expositions. I accept the Bible is the inspired word of God without necessarily believing it is inerrant in every particular.

So how does Paul introduce himself? He describes himself as:

(1) A slave of Christ Jesus.

This means Paul was:

(a) Possessed by Christ. He told the Corinthians: You are not your own; you were bought at a price. 1Cor6v20. Paul would include himself in this description.

A Christian is not his own man - independent and free to do just as he or she wishes - any more than a Roman slave was. We are the property of Christ.

(b) At Christ's disposal. This means he was more than committed - which is what I would say I am. Parents are committed to their children, children to their parents, a wife to a husband and so on. A father wouldn't say that he was the slave of his children - although a mother might feel a bit like one sometimes!

Paul was Christ's slave; he would go anywhere, do anything, brave any danger, spend and be spent for Jesus. He was all things to all men to save some. The little apostle was no hypocrite. When he told the Philippians: For me to live is Christ, (Phil1v21) he meant it and practiced it.

We have a long way to go to emulate Paul. A consciousness of our lack of dedication should keep us humble!

(2) Called to be an apostle.

When Paul used the word 'called' he meant more than invited, selected or even chosen. It is instructive to look at how we use the word today. It may have one of three meanings:

• An initiative requiring a response. An authoritative summons or order such as occurs when reservists are called up to active service, an ambassador is called home, a hospital consultant is called to an emergency.

  The call is not irresistible as Douglas J. Moo claims in his commentary. A reservist may disobey the call and go into hiding. Jonah, called to warn Ninevah of impending doom, chose to run away to sea. The rich young ruler called to discipleship walked away from Jesus.

• A strong desire to take up a certain activity or role. A person might be called to medicine, teaching, motherhood or caring for a sick relative.

  Moses felt called in early middle age to represent his enslaved people. Nehemiah experienced a strong desire to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

  Calls like this may or may not be influenced by the Holy Spirit. I felt called to care for my sick father after my mother died even though it meant giving up teaching for a couple of years. I was motivated by pity and the strong belief that God's servants should be cared for in weakness.

• Overwhelming awareness that you are where God wants you to be and doing what he wants you to do. There may not be much intent. You may not have planned to be in the situation you are in. But you become sure it is God's intention. God called you to it.

  I think Esther discovered that she was where God wanted her! I got invited by Pastor John Skull to go to Pioneer Camp as a worker. I agreed - because I had attended camp as a youngster and I had a long summer holiday stretching before me. I wasn't aware of a strong call from God at the time - but I came to realise it was a work I was called to.

Paul had an authoritative summons to be an apostle to the Gentiles. We might say today he was appointed and ordered to be God's special envoy to the Gentiles. In this respect he was like Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah of the Old Testament.

If God calls you to a work as he called Paul, the call imparts great authority to carry it out.

(3) Set apart for the gospel of God.

Although Paul had been summoned by God to be his special messenger to the Gentiles by taking the gospel to them, and he had a strong desire to do so, he had to wait 8 to 10 years until the church at Antioch set him apart for the work. See Acts13v1to13.

I believe it is very important for the church to confirm a man's calling. Unfortunately many are deluded as to their calling. It is by no means unknown for a man or woman to feel called to tasks that they are not suited to or equipped for. The prayerful judgement of the church is a safeguard against vainglorious feelings and egotistical desires.

The church needs to take its responsibility in this regard very seriously. Care needs to be taken and prayer made for sound judgement. Christians should beware of having a plank in the eye. Jesus wasn't thought highly of in his home town and uttered those sad and dispiriting words: "A prophet is not without honour save in his own country."

Much is always made of the response of J.R. Ryland when William Carey raised the question of whether it was the duty of all Christians to spread the Gospel throughout the world at a minister's meeting of Particular Baptists. He is said to have retorted: "Young man, sit down; when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid and mine." The impression is sometimes given that Carey ignored the put down and was on the next boat to India.

This is far from the truth. Instead he worked to overcome opposition to missionary enterprise and eventually the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen (subsequently known as the Baptist Missionary Society and since 2000 as BMS World Mission) was founded in October 1792, including Carey, Andrew Fuller, John Ryland, and John Sutcliff as charter members. They then concerned themselves with practical matters such as raising funds, as well as deciding where they would direct their efforts. A medical missionary, Dr. John Thomas, had been in Calcutta and was currently in England raising funds; they agreed to support him and that Carey would accompany him to India.

Carey only went to India AFTER his call was confirmed by the association of churches to which he belonged.

I am only too well aware of the disadvantages of 'going it alone.' I felt called to produce the website of which this exposition is a part. However I was not backed by my church let alone the association of churches to which it belongs. As a consequence it took many years before a sizeable body of users built up and it still tends to be accessed randomly.

Paul's message.

Paul had 3 items of good news about Jesus to share with others:

(1) He is the long promised Messiah of Scripture.

Jesus fulfilled all the lovely Old Testament prophecies that referred to him. For example just consider a few extracts from Psalm 72: The royal son: he will judge your people in righteousness; he will defend the afflicted among the people; he will endure as long as the sun; he will be like rain falling on a mown field; he will take pity on the weak and needy; all nations will be blest through him and they will call him blessed. See exposition on Psalm 72.

Jesus is wonderful confirmation that God keeps his promises. The sentiments of Phillips Brooks Christmas carol are so true:

The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

This should hearten us because there are many other important promises to be fulfilled - like Jesus' promise to his disciples: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. Jn14v3.

(2) He is truly man.

Jesus was the true descendent of David. Mary wasn't a surrogate but Jesus' biological mother. The Holy Spirit took her ovum and fertilised it miraculously.

It is vitally important that Jesus was truly man. Only another man could suffer in our place and stead. This is the message of Heb2v14to18.

Only a man could be our sympathetic Great High Priest in heaven sharing as he did the human condition with its trials and temptations. See the wonderful verses: Heb4v14to16.

Only a man could by rising from the dead be the first fruits of them that sleep. See 1Cor15v20and21.

(3) He is the mighty Son of God.

Verse 4 is difficult to translate. I prefer William Barclay's version: Who as a result of his resurrection from the dead, has been proved by the Holy Spirit to be the mighty Son of God.

This means Christ's power and effectiveness is assured by his resurrection. He rose in power and reigns in wisdom and power. He sits at the right hand of God waiting For his enemies to be made his footstool. Heb10v13.

How Christians love to sing the Easter hymn:

Up from the grave he arose,
With a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain
And he lives for ever with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

(4) He is worthy of our obedience.

Paul's task was to call people from among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. v5.

Faith in Jesus is not just for salvation or for the privileges attendent on being adopted into God's family but also for obedience and service.

We can easily read, without taking in, Paul's words in 2Cor5v14and15: For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefor all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

I think it is possible to remember ever day that Christ died for us but to forget that as a consequence we should live for him.

(D) Paul's inclusivity.

Paul never founded the church at Rome. Some might have been there who came to faith through his ministry, like Aquila and Priscilla, but others had a different testimony to tell. There was probably a real mixture of Christians in the capital city - but Paul does not doubt their status in Christ. He wasn't sniffy about the teaching that they had received. He doesn't grudgingly acknowledge that they might be Christians.

We can be too quick to dismiss people who differ from us in practice and doctrine as 'not real Christians'. I had an email a few weeks ago from a woman who concluded I wasn't a Christian at all from the first 200 words I had written about Judas Iscariot on my website. She leapt to a damning conclusion on the basis of little evidence! After I had remonstrated with her the woman was quick to apologise! We should be glad to acknowledge that people from many different traditions holding a variety of opinions are true believers in Jesus Christ.

Paul acknowledged that the members of the church at Rome:

(1) Belonged to Jesus.

Jesus was his Lord and their Lord. He also wrote: You also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. v6.

I wouldn't put it like that! I would have written: "You are among those who believe in Jesus." I think I could write this of members of all Christian denominations. Equally there are those in all denominations who don't believe in Christ. However, Paul the evangelist is writing. The evangelist does call men and women to Jesus. He speaks authoritatively, summoning lost sinners to belief. Paul did more than invite people to believe in Jesus. If as a consequence of his preaching a person exercised faith in Jesus as both saviour and lord then that believer did belong to Christ.

If we belong to Jesus we come under his guardianship. We can expect his protection and provision. We also have obligations to him - to love, serve and obey. Or as Philip Doddridge put it:

My gracious Lord, I own Thy right
To every service I can pay;
And call it my supreme delight
To hear Thy dictates and obey.

(2) Were beloved.

Paul wrote to all in Rome who are loved by God. v6.

It is wonderful to be loved - if only just a little. I came out of Bury St Edmunds library last week when a middle aged woman stopped me and said, "Why hello, Mr Reed." She then proceeded to hug and kiss me. It was 45-year-old Tarnia who I once taught. It is even more wonderful to be loved by a close friend - or even better a good wife - but best of all to be loved by Jesus. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. 1Jn3v16. So we sing:

Jesus my Lord will love me for ever,
From him no power of evil can sever,
He gave his life to ransom my soul,
Now I belong to him:
Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time along,
But for eternity.

It is salutary to remember and acknowledge that our fellow Christians are beloved. They may not seem very loveable or even likeable but Jesus loves them. If that is the case it ill behoves any one of us being contemptuous of, dismissive of or condescending to another believer.

(3) Were called to be saints.

By this phrase Paul conveys his expectation that the Christians in Rome outshine the world. They should be different but not by adopting a narrow Pharisaical legalism. Paul makes it abundantly clear in his letter to Timothy that Christianity is not about rules and regulations. See 1Tim4v3. Rather it is about living virtuously and displaying the fruit of the Spirit. Paul told Timothy: But you, man of God ...... pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, endurance and gentleness. 1Tim6v11.

Christians are still called to differ from the world in their style and quality of life. Our tragedy is that we are so often indistinguishable from unbelievers.

(4) Were beneficiaries of God's grace and peace.

Every Christian is a beneficiary of grace. We are saved by grace. It is what God willed and Jesus accomplished. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God. 1Jn3v1.

If we have assurance of salvation and Christ's abiding love for us this should give us peace - a steady and lively sense of well being.