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THE CREDENTIALS OF PAUL THE APOSTLE
Ro 1:1-7

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. NKJV

Intro: This book has been called

"The Constitution Of Christianity"; "The Christian Manifesto";

"The Cathedral Of The Christian Faith".

God uses the Book of Romans to convert many people to Christ. The Roman Road has been used by many to explain the way of salvation.

Some very influential Christian were drawn to Christ through the Holy Spirit's use of this Book of Romans.

In September of 386 AD God touched the heart of Augustine as he read in the Book of Romans.
    Rom. 13:13-14.      
        13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust,
        not in strife and envy.  14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision      
        for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. NKJV

1,000 years later, a Roman Catholic monk of the Augustinian Order named Martin Luther, who was a professor at the University of Wittenburg in Germany, was teaching his students the Book of Romans. As he studied the text, his heart was arrested by the theme of justification by faith, in
    Rom. 1:17  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,
    "The just shall live by faith." NKJV

The Holy Spirit used this verse to bring Luther to Christ and the Reformation to the world.

A few hundred years later, an ordained minister in the Church of England named John Wesley coming home from service as a missionary to the colonies was traveling on a ship with some Moravian Missionaries. A fierce storm arose and Wesley register his fear with one of the Moravian Missionaries; who asked, "John are you saved?" That question haunted John and when he arrived back in London during a Bible study of the Book Of Romans by Martin Luther Wesley was saved.

John, along with his brother Charles, would be the men God would use to bring the great Wesleyan revivals to the world.

So obviously this is a great book with a powerful message of salvation.

1. THE . . FACTS ABOUT THE MESSENGER. 1:1
1 Paul, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

A. His Condition -

1. A Bond-slave. 1:1a      
        a. Ex 21:5-6 5 But if the servant plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,'  6 then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever. NKJV

        b. 1 Co 6:19-20 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
         you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  20 For you were bought at a price;
         therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. NKJV

B. His Calling -

    1. An Apostle.         
        ". . . Called to be an apostle,. . ."

        a. One Sent Out.         
        b. God took His Chief Of Sinners and made him His Prominent Preacher.

C. His Commission -
    ". . . separated to the gospel of God."

Illustration I first saw this illustration in a book by Donald Barnhouse.
An old story from France. It seems that there was a young Frenchman who was loved very deeply by his mother. However, when this young man reached adulthood, he fell in love with a very wicked young woman who was able to gain his total devotion. When the young man's mother tried to turn her son away from this wicked and ungodly relationship, the young woman became extremely angry. She told her lover that if he really loved her, he would prove it by going to his mother's home, killing her and returning with her heart to prove that he had done the deed. This young man resisted, but his girlfriend continued to pressure him, until one night in a drunken stupor he went to his mother's home, killed her and cut out her heart. As he returned to his girlfriend's home. As he entered the door, he stumbles and fell to the floor. When he did, the heart is said to have cried out, "Son, are you hurt?")

THE . . FACTS ABOUT THE MESSENGER. 1:1 Note also"

2.    THE . . FOUNDATION OF PAUL'S MESSAGE. 1:2-5
        2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,

A. Foundation Of Jesus The . . Promised One - 1:2
2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

        1.     The Old Testament Scriptures speak of the Lord - John 5:39.

        2.    The Old Testament is filled with types and symbols that point to the coming Savior -
                Note especially, Adam, Ark, Manna, Tabernacle, Sacrificial system,

        3.    The sacrifice of the Messiah is plainly foretold in the Old Testament - Isa. 53:1-12.

B. Foundation Of Jesus The . . Powerful One. 1:3-4
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

        1.     His Position - 1:3a            
                ". . . His Son . . ."         
        2.     His Person -    1:4
            ". . . Jesus Christ our Lord,". . ."

                a. Paul takes three titles of the Lord and piles them one upon the other to tell us more
                    about Him.

                a.    He is Jesus - This is His human Name. The title of His humiliation. (It is interesting
                        to note that demons always referred to Jesus Christ by this name alone.)

                b.    He is Christ - The words means "the Anointed". This name is His official title. It
                         portrays Him as Prophet, Priest, and King,

                c.    He is Lord - This is the title of His exaltation. This word reminds us that He is the victor
                         over death and the grave and that He is the resurrected and exalted One. He is to be
                         honored, feared, obeyed and served. He is Lord, Acts 2:36.

        3.    His Pedigree -
                The last portion of verse 3 and all of verse 4 tell us about this man named Jesus. In
                these verses we are given His pedigree. Paul gives us, in these verses, the credentials
                of the Lord Jesus.

                a.    His Human Credentials -
                        Paul tells us that He came from the kingly line of David. As such,
                b.    His Heavenly Credentials -
                        While Paul says that Jesus was the son of David, that is, a man, he also tells us that
                         there is proof that Jesus is the Son of God. There are 2 proofs given in verse
                         4 that declare His Heavenly Credentials

                   1)  His Righteousness - The very fact that Jesus was born without sin, that He lived without
                         sin and that He died without sin proves that He was heavenly in His origin.
                        (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 1:19; 1 Pet. 2:22.)
                    2)    His Resurrection - Just as His righteous life proved His heavenly origin, so too does
                             His resurrection from the dead. You see, death could never hold Jesus!

C. The Foundation Of Jesus The . . Performing One. 1:5
    5    Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all
         nations for His name,

      1. He Preforms In The Giving . . Grace.      
        2. He Preforms In The Giving . . Gifts.

The Facts About The Messenger - Also,       The Foundation Of His Message - And Now

3. THE . . FOCUS OF HIS MINISTRY. 1:6-7
        6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;  7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. NKJV

    A.    The Focus Of Jesus . . Calling To Salvation. 1:6

        1. Sin Taken Away - John 1:29; Col. 2:13-14; Psa. 103:12

        2. Declared righteous by God - 1 Cor. 6:9-11

    B. The Focus Of Jesus . . Calling To Be Sons. - 1:7a
        7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God,. . ."

    C. The Focus Of Jesus . . They Are Called To Be Saints - 1:7b
        ". . . called to be saints:. . ."

You see, the word "saint" means "holy, set apart, sanctified." It carries the idea of being totally set apart and dedicated to the Lord's service.

I AM SAINT JAMES. LEAN OVER TO THE PERSON NEAREST AND CALL THE SAINT WHAT EVER THEIR FIRST NAME IS:

On one occasion a pastor asked the congregation to do that, and his wife was sitting by a guest she had never seen before but she leaned over toward the man and said, "I am saint Beverly. He said I am saved but I don't want to participate in this exercise. The lady tried to persuade him but to no avail. After church she asked him his name. He said, my name is Barnard.

1. THE FACTS ABOUT THE MESSENGER

2. THE FOUNDATION OF HIS MESSAGE

3. THE . . FOCUS OF HIS MINISTRY.

I gleaned much of the material for this sermon from this web site of pastor Alan Carr.

http://sermonnotebook.org/romans/Rom%201_2-7.htm