Thoughts on Romans 1:5

Romans 1:5

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus called The Apostles. That is what makes them The Apostles. The word means sent forth and the 12 disciples and Paul were sent by Jesus directly. They were sent with a message, and Paul tells us that the message was obedience to the faith and that it was for all nations.

It is easy to read the word obedience and immediately think that there must be some difficult work to do. This obedience is the heart of the Gospel message. The Apostles have been sent to tell people about the obedience that comes from faith. Another way to say this is that faith is what pleases God (see Hebrews 11:6), so believing Jesus is obedience. Jesus tells us in John chapter six that believing in Him is the work and the will of God.

The message of the grace of God is for everyone. When the angels appeared to the shepherds in Luke chapter two, they said their message was for all nations. Jesus is for everyone, not just for some.

We are also called by Jesus. We are loved by God and we are saints. We do not need to blanche at being called saints. The word means holy ones. When we were reborn, we became holy. We were placed into Jesus, and Jesus came to live in us by His Spirit. Nothing unholy can exist in Him and He does not live in any unholy place. His very presence makes us holy.