Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection - Hi!
First, introduce yourself. Tell those you care about and those who are your neighbor a little bit about yourself. Tell them your name and one or two of your core values. No need to dwell on your occupation alone, but more about what matters the most to you; then introduce yourself.
Paul states his name and that he is a servant of Jesus and called to be an apostle. Paul tells us that he has been set apart. Now that you have introduced yourself, it's time to become passionate about your call. Paul loves to do this. He takes off with passion on a tangent to his introduction towards proclaiming the gospel of Jesus and salvation through grace.
So, introduce yourself and tell about what you really care about and then take off towards the gospel and move the one you are speaking to away from you and towards Jesus. It's not a trick. It's a passion for the gospel. It's a love for the person you are addressing. It's an excitement to share some news that has radically changed your life. It's all about God and what God has done for all of us through Jesus.
How did this Jesus come to be? How did God send him into this world? How has Jesus made an impact on your life? What has changed since you have become a disciple of Jesus? Why did you turn or return to God? How have you seen God's presence this day, in your life, or in any place or time? Why is being a disciple of Jesus important to you? How has Jesus changed your life? --- You could go on and on directing your conversation towards the central figure, Jesus. And you are speaking about things you know about. I'm not talking about memory, I'm speaking of personal experiences that explain Jesus relationship with you.
Something happens here... something happens when the person you are communicating with get to witness some of Jesus in the flesh... your flesh, and some of the Spirit in the passion of your telling of the relationship with Jesus... your spirit. And in no way is this a phony gimmick. This is true love and a response of what God has done for you.
God came to you in flesh and spirit. God come to you and to all people in Jesus. God came full of grace and love rather than death; God came with life. And in the life of Jesus... you too now live. That's a BIG deal! That's what has changed it all! God is no longer hidden in a Holy place behind a curtain; but God is out in the open for all to see. Now that we see God in Jesus we live by the faith of the grace shown and given to us. We live bold lives of passion for a God that comes to us to rescue us and comes into relationship with all people and with each person in the flesh. We become a community in communion with God in flesh and spirit and love and grace.
Hi, I'm (Bill or your name), a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.
Prayer
What a privilege it is, Lord, for you to come to me and to rescue me. As I see your glory and grace, I can't help myself but to follow you, to serve you, to love you. Use me this day in all my greetings to show, tell, demonstrate and live that response only you could cause a person to have that proclaims your flesh and spirit to all the world... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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