“Paul, a bond servant of Jesus Christ.” He was not a bond servant of any society or party, but of Jesus Christ. How few can follow Paul in these seven words, and yet how important it should be so, if service is to be acceptable to Christ! Have you thought of this as to the whole course of your life and service? It will make all the difference in the day of reward. “Called to be an apostle” should be, “an apostle by calling.” When the Lord Jesus called him, it was not that he might go to the other apostles, and be educated, or prepared, or ordained to be an apostle; no, he was constituted an apostle at once, and without any human authority whatever; he was called to act and preach as an apostle because he was one, not that he might be one. (Compare Acts 26:15-1915And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: (Acts 26:15‑19); Gal. 1:10-1610For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: (Galatians 1:10‑16).) Thus Paul was “separated unto the gospel of God.” Well did the Holy Spirit know how all this would be entirely reversed in that very Rome. Yes, this very first verse is of the utmost moment to us, if we would do the will of God. Remember, Paul had been an apostle for some time when the Holy Spirit separated him, and sent him to a special tour of service, with the approval of the elders, in Acts 13:1-41Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. (Acts 13:1‑4).
Here, then, we see Paul a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, an apostle by calling, separated unto the gospel of God. Now this word, “separated,” goes a great way. Separated from the world, and from the law, from Judaism, unto the glorious good news of God. It is not the subject of the church in this epistle, but the gospel of God. The church was not the subject of promise, but the gospel was. (“Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures.”) Yes, the scriptures, from Genesis 3, contain abundant promises of the gospel of God, “concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Every promise thus looked on to the seed, which is Christ. It will be well to lay hold of this. The gospel is not concerning our feelings or doings, but “concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” May that blessed One be ever the beginning and the end of the gospel of God which we preach!
There are just two parts, then, in the true gospel: the work accomplished by Jesus in the flesh; and His resurrection from the dead. “Which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” In Him, as Son of David, all promise was fulfilled. What a manifestation of the love of God—the Holy One to be made flesh, to become truly man—to come down from His own eternal glory into the midst of a fallen, guilty race, under sin and judgment, and in that state of sinless humanity to go on to the cross!—Himself all pure, and yet to be made sin, to bear its utmost judgment unto death; yes, to go down into death itself, and deliver us from its rightful power—to be delivered for our iniquities. This we shall find to be one great theme of our epistle—the atoning death of Jesus, in its double aspect of propitiation and substitution. But though made man in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet not Himself in fallen humanity or sinful humanity —not Himself defiled. He was ever the Holy One of God, and was thus determined, or “declared the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
Let us, then, behold the Son of God, pure and undefiled all along His path below; not only His blessed acts, but His nature, holy, according to the Spirit of holiness. Thus, though in the midst of evil, come there in love; for us entering in sympathy into all the sorrow sin has brought; and tempted from without in all points as we are, but in Himself, His holy nature was entirely apart from sin. All this was declared in that, having accomplished our redemption, God raised Him from among the dead. Personally death had no claim on Him—He could not be holden by it. Since He was according to the Spirit of holiness, God in righteousness must raise Him from among the dead, and receive Him to glory. He had glorified God in human nature, and as man He is now raised from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness; and there is now in heaven the Man who has glorified God. It is well to be clear as to what He is in Himself, and then we shall better understand what He has done for us, and what He is for us raised from the dead. These truths we hope to notice more fully further on. From this Holy One raised from the dead, Paul had “received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name.” It is important to notice this; whatever he was as an apostle, it was all grace received. Did not the Lord shine across his path, in pure, free favor, at the very moment he was mad—yes, exceeding mad—against Christ? Did He not call him, and make him His chosen apostle to the Gentiles at once, in free, unmerited favor? Is it not the same in principle in every case? Whatever service we may have for Christ, is it not the same grace, the same free favor? Thus the apostle looked upon the saints at Rome. The same grace had been shown to them. “Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.” Thus grace shines out in all its fullness. He who met Saul on his way to Damascus, even Jesus Christ as Lord, had also called every believer in Rome. “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called saints: Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The two little words introduced by the translators, “called to be saints,” completely changes the meaning of this important scripture, and has been the cause of serious mistakes in the question of holiness. It is the same word as is used in the first verse, “called an apostle”; or, “an apostle by calling.” As the word, saint, means holy one, so the words mean, “holy ones by calling.” Not called to seek to attain to holiness—the common mistake—but just as Paul was constituted an apostle by the Lord who called him, so all believers in Rome were constituted holy ones by calling. This was the ground on which they were exhorted to walk in accordance with what they were. Every believer is a saint by calling, holy by calling. He is born of God, partaker of the divine nature, which is holy. By new birth he is holy. He is dead with Christ, risen in Christ—yes, Christ who has passed through death, and is the resurrection and the life, is his life. “He that hath the Son, hath life.” Now, if he has the life of the Holy One of God, that life of which he is now a partaker is as holy as it is eternal. All believers have eternal life, therefore all believers have a holy life. To seek by any means to attain to one or the other for acceptance, is to totally misunderstand our calling and high privileges.
All scripture bears out this truth. The exhortation to be holy is on this principle: “As OBEDIENT CHILDREN...as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:1414As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: (1 Peter 1:14)). Yes, it is because they are begotten again unto a lively hope: kept by the power of God, because they are born of God; as children, having purified their souls in obeying the truth. In a word, as they were holy by calling and nature, and having the Holy Spirit, they were to give all diligence to be holy in life and conversation.
John brings out the holiness of the new nature as born of God. He that is born of God does not practice sin. In each epistle the holy calling will be found first, and holy walk, as the result, follows. (Compare 1 Thess. 1:11Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:1) with 1 Thess. 5:2323And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23).) It is important to notice the place the word has, applied by the Holy Spirit, both as to the new birth, and also in practical holiness. “Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth” (James 1:1818Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18)). “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” How sad it is in this day to see all this set aside, and men by thousands seeking to be holy by sacraments and ceremonies; and not only they, but many who write and teach on holiness entirely overlook what every Christian is constituted by calling and new birth, and the indwelling of the Spirit. There is no doubt this is the cause of great weakness and mistake and low walk. Let us not lightly pass over those other precious words: “Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a change from Judaism!—the free favor of God our FATHER, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and peace to all the beloved of God in Rome. Do our souls enter into this? Instead of law justly requiring perfect obedience from man, now we have perfect peace with God, on the principle of free, unmerited favor. Israel, if faithful, could only have known God as Jehovah; we know Him as Father. We shall see in this epistle how His grace and peace can flow out to us unhindered in perfect righteousness.
As this epistle reveals the ground of a sinner’s standing before God, we notice that the first thing for which the apostle gives thanks to God, through Jesus Christ, for them all, is this: “Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” Thus faith has the first place. Beloved reader, is your faith well known, or is it doubtful whether you really believe God? This is the first point to be settled; all will follow in order after that. We shall find that if you believe God, then you can say, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Can you with confidence say so? Then drink of that stream of grace and peace ever flowing from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What real heart work it was with Paul! He says, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.” What deep love to those he had never seen! This was no mere outward service, but “with my spirit.” All done to God in the gospel of His Son. Is it so with us, or mere cold imitation? Was not this the secret of Paul’s success? If lacking with us, must there not be failure? Paul greatly longed to see the saints at Rome, but hitherto he had been hindered. We see here proof of the wisdom and foreknowledge of God. Had Paul or Peter founded the assembly at Rome, what a plea this would have been for so-called apostolic succession! There is no evidence as to whom the Holy Spirit used in the forming of that important assembly. No evidence that any apostle had been there at this time, though the faith of this assembly, or rather of all the called saints, was thus spoken of and well known. It is also remarkable, they are not addressed as the church at Rome, as in other epistles.
Paul desired to have mutual fellowship with them, and to bear some fruit amongst them, whether this might be in the conversion of souls, or in the imparting of some spiritual gift to those already brought to Christ. Having so great a treasure committed to him as the gospel, he felt himself a debtor to impart it to all, both Jews and Gentiles. He could say, “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.” What entire readiness, yet the most real dependence on God alone. Had he been the servant of men, he might have needed a call from them to preach at Rome, or have a human appointment of some sort: but there is no such thought. Why should it not be so now? If we had more divine energy it would be so. Paul could say, “I am ready.” Yes, yes, the world behind his back: “I am ready as soon as my God shall open the way.” Oh, where are Paul’s successors? May our God awaken us by the consideration of the path of this devoted bond-slave of God.
We now begin to approach the question as to what the gospel is. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The reason why he is not ashamed of the gospel is stated clearly. The law commanded, but had no power to deliver from sin; no, it was given that, not sin, but the offense might abound. But in direct contrast, the gospel is the power (not of man, but) of God unto salvation. There is a vast meaning in this. We will seek to make this plain to our young readers by a few illustrations.
You may have read and heard much that undermines this truth; for there is much preaching that tells the sinner that he must give up his sins, and forsake them before he can come to God and get forgiveness of sins and salvation. This looks very reasonable and plausible. Take this illustration. Let us take our stand a little above the Niagara falls. How calmly the mighty river flows on, smooth as glass to look at, and the nearer the falls the smoother it flows along. A boat is seen gliding down amid stream. There are two men in it. They hear the every-moment increasing roar of the fearful falls. One is awake to his danger: a few minutes and the boat must be over. The other seems stupefied. Both are alike helpless; both in the same boat rushing on so smoothly to utter destruction. Now hail them; try the gospel of man. Tell them to forsake that boat; to give up that mighty river; to come to the bank or shore before they are over, and you will help them! Man, you tell them to do the impossible. Is it not only to mock them? Is it not cruel thus to mock them? One, two minutes and they are over. What is needed is power to save them.
Is not the sinner on the stream of time, hasting to far worse destruction? Yes, he says, The power of sin carries me along. He awakes to his danger, death and judgment close at hand. He hears the roar; but can he save himself? Can he leave the river? If he can, he does not need a savior. It would be glad tidings to that man, gliding on the fatal stream, to hail him and assure him there was One ready and able to save him to the uttermost. Yes, and thus God speaks to the helpless, guilty, perishing sinner, as we shall find further on: “For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Take another illustration. You hear the sudden cry of Fire, fire! You have not proceeded more than a few yards, and you see a house on fire. Flames issue from all the windows on the lower basement. There are some persons known to be in the fourth story, and they are either asleep or stupefied with smoke. If they have power to escape, there is no need of the fire escape. The ladder is placed against the upper window. Now watch that bold and able fireman. What does he do? Does he merely tell the inmates that they must first leave the burning house, and then he will save them? He mounts the ladder, breaks in the window, and enters the scene of danger. He brings them out: they are saved. It is the same in a storm at sea. The helpless wreck is drifting fast to utter destruction, carrying its helpless crew. What would be the use of a life-boat, if the captain remained on shore, telling the perishing men that they must first leave and give up the wreck, and come to shore, and then the life-boat would save them? Such is the gospel of man. Man must save himself; and then Christ will save him. And strange to say, men love and accept such folly as this. Now the gospel of God is the very opposite of this: He sent His beloved Son to seek and to save that which was lost. Yes, lost, as those even in the boat, so near the roaring falls of the river. Lost, as the inmates in a burning house. Lost, as those sailors drifting on the wreck. Yes, if men only knew, and owned their lost and helpless condition, they must then own that gospel to be utter folly that bids them save themselves, and that then God will save them.
Take only one more illustration. A man has been tried and found guilty. He is under judgment, locked up securely in the condemned cell. Would you tell him to come out of that cell; to give up his sins and his chains, and the prison, and the sentence already passed on him; and then, but not till then, would he be pardoned? Would it not be cruel mockery to a man in his condition? This is the sinner’s real condition, and therefore “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth.” The question to one who discovers he is gliding helplessly on to the falls, or the rocks, or is a guilty sinner under judgment, without strength, to such, the question is this, How can I be saved? How can I, a condemned sinner, be justified?
This then is the very question taken up and explained in this first section of the Epistle. Yes, the very reason why Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. “For THEREIN is the righteousness of God revealed from faith [or, on the principle of faith] to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” It is not righteousness of man, for he has none. How can he have any if he is guilty under judgment? And if he had, it would be righteousness of man, not of God.
We shall find the righteousness of God to be in direct contrast to righteousness of man. Neither can it be by law, for God cannot be under the law. He was the law-giver. Had it said “the righteousness of Christ,” that would have been another truth. But it is righteousness of God revealed, in the gospel, on the principle of faith, to faith. It was announced repeatedly in the Old Testament, but now explained, or revealed. “And there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside Me. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” “Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength” (Isa. 45:21-2421Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. (Isaiah 45:21‑24)). “In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted” (Psa. 89:1616In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. (Psalm 89:16)).
Let it be noticed that the righteousness of God is the first and great question in our epistle. It is the first subject, and then the love of God. For the love of God will not meet the wrath of God. The question of righteousness is at once raised. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. That wrath is not yet executed, but there can be no doubt of the wrath of God against all the wickedness of men—against sin. It was seen at the flood; in the destruction of Sodom; and on the Holy One made sin for us. It is also revealed that He is coming in judgment, taking vengeance. The wicked will surely be cast into the lake of fire. And am I a guilty sinner? Then what would the love of God alone avail me in the day of righteous wrath against all ungodliness? It must then be evident that the first great question is the righteousness of God in justifying him that believeth. How can God be righteous in accounting such a sinner as I righteous before Him? What a question!
This question, the righteousness of God, is taken up again in Romans 3:2121But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; (Romans 3:21). What then is the object of the Spirit in this large portion of scripture, from Romans 1:1717For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17) to 3:21? Is it not chiefly, in utterly setting aside all pretension of righteousness in man, whether without law, or under law? This must be done, for man will cling to nothing like the efforts to establish his own righteousness. Therefore every claim of man is examined. The eternal power of God was manifested in creation, and again in the flood. God was certainly known to Noah and his descendants. “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.” In a word, they sank into idolatry. They apostatized from God until God gave them up. This is repeated thrice. “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness” (vs. 24); “For this cause God gave them up to vile affections” (vs. 26); “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind” (vs. 28). Read the terrible catalog of wickedness into which the whole Gentile world sank. Where then was righteousness of man? To be given up is the act of God in judicial judgment. He thus gave up the Gentiles, and we see what man became. We also know that when the Jews had fully rejected the testimony of the Holy Spirit, God gave them up, for the present, as a people. Such also will be the end of professing Christendom, “Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 1:1010When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:10)). The fact then that God gave up the Gentiles to the fearful lusts of their hearts, proves their utter apostasy from God. And all profane history corroborates this inspired description of human wickedness.
It may be asked, but were there not rulers, kings, and magistrates, who made laws against wickedness, and punished crime? “Who knowing the judgments of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Thus then, as now, the greatest wickedness is found in the rulers or chiefs. For proof we have only to read any of the ancient historians. If man is left to himself, the greater power he has, the greater is his wickedness. It is overwhelming to contemplate the cruelty and dreadful wickedness of heathenism. Such was that world to whom God in mercy sent His Son. In the Gentile world righteousness was not to be found. Multitudes rushed together in amphitheaters to feast their eyes on cruel wickedness.