Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.
—Romans 1:1
Paul could have opened his greatest letter any number of ways. He had the résumé for it. He could have written, “Paul, trained Pharisee, expert in the law, educated under the finest teachers in Israel.” Instead, the very first word he uses to describe himself is servant.
The Greek word is doulos. It means bondservant, one bound to a master. This isn’t the polished butler you see on Downton Abbey, serving the lord of the manor for a wage and keeping a little independence downstairs. A doulos served whenever, wherever, and however the master required. It was a life of complete belonging to another.
Now remember where Paul came from. He was once Saul of Tarsus, raised in the strictest religious tradition, a Pharisee, an avowed enemy of the church. He was on the road to Damascus to hunt down Christians when the risen Lord stopped him in his tracks. Blinded, on his knees, he asked the question every one of us must answer: “Who are you, Lord?” And from the moment he heard the answer, Saul the persecutor became Paul the bondservant, a man who would change the world.
Notice the three things Paul says about himself, because they tell us who we are too. He was a servant, bound to Christ. He was called to be an apostle, the word means “one sent with a message.” And he was set apart for the gospel. Servant, sent, and set apart. That is Paul’s identity, and if you belong to Jesus, it is yours as well.
You may say, “But I’m no apostle.” Not in the office Paul held, no. But you have been sent just the same. Your calling may not be to Rome, it may be to your neighbor across the fence, to a coworker, to your own children at the dinner table. God has a mission for you, and He has set you apart for it.
So here is the real question, and it cuts to the heart: is Jesus truly Lord of your life? Not just a Savior you call on in a crisis, but Lord, sovereign, the one you belong to. Paul didn’t lead with his credentials. He led with his surrender.
PAUL DIDN’T LEAD WITH HIS CREDENTIALS, HE LED WITH HIS SURRENDER. IF JESUS IS YOUR SAVIOR, IS HE ALSO YOUR LORD?
