Romans 1:1 (ESV)
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, …
What does it mean to be set apart?
It calls to mind holiness: being made for an express purpose; separate from the everyday and mundane.
To see it as an honour and a privilege rather than a burden.
And the gospel?
Well we know that’s the good news about Christ Jesus: His birth; His life; His crucifixion; His resurrection; His ascension.
But this gospel needs to be shared.
It’s no use keeping this good news to ourselves. It should be shouted from the rooftops. Proclaimed to all: ‘ … the wise and the foolish.’ (1:14)
If we, like Paul, are to be true ‘servant[s] of Christ Jesus’ (1:1) then we too need to ‘live by faith’ (1:17) as we promote the gospel.
To see it as our God-given role as Christians rather than the responsibility of only a select few.
Kim+
prayer : help me to embrace my role as a servant of Christ Jesus as I too promote (and proclaim) the gospel
action (New Year’s resolution): develop the habit of a more consistent prayer life