Eager for Service

So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Romans 1:15

Are you happy and eager to fulfill the responsibility God has committed to your care? As you can tell from today’s verse, that was Paul’s attitude. He was consumed with doing the work of the ministry. His personal life was never the issue. Life had only one purpose for him, and that was doing the will of God. He was always eager to preach.

Paul was like a racehorse in the gate or a sprinter in the blocks—waiting to gain the victory. God had to hold him back once in a while because he was so ready to go. Are you as eager? Is that the kind of service you render, or does someone have to prod you along with all their might just to get you involved? If your service to Christ comes from your whole heart, then you will be eager.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 42). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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An Obligation to God

I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise.

Romans 1:14

A young man once asked me what motivates me to study week after week. I told him that sometimes, the Scripture passages are so exhilarating that I can’t wait to get to Sunday to preach. But then there are other times when I battle against priorities that crowd out my study time, and my ministry doesn’t seem that exciting then. I really have to fight my way through those times because I know I have a debt to God.

What if I see a house on fire, and the family inside is unaware of their dire situation? I cannot stand on the curb and wonder if they’re worth saving. Because they are in need and I have the information that can save them, I have an obligation to them.

If you are involved in Christian service only when you feel like doing it, you haven’t learned the kind of service Paul described in today’s verse. When facing a tough period in ministering to people, sometimes all you can rely on is your obligation to God.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 41). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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The Pressure of Ministry

The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the fruits.

2 Timothy 2:6

A person who serves with his whole heart will be content only with spiritual fruit. Yet some will only be content with prestige, acceptance, or money.

In the past, Satan has tried to put that thought into my mind. At times he’s tried to make me question why I care about the people I minister to. His approach is to make me secure in the knowledge that I’m saved and going to heaven, that I’m well paid in a good job with a lot of security. But that is Satan’s lie.

It’s very easy to let Satan pressure you into settling for less than God’s best. When Satan plants thoughts like that in my head, my reaction is: I am not content to simply be taken care of or appreciated. What matters is bearing fruit. Make the focus of your ministry spiritual fruit.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 40). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Give Yourself

We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives.

1 Thessalonians 2:8

I had the privilege of attending seminary to study for the ministry. I learned much from the books I read, the notes I took, and the papers I wrote. But I learned far more from the lives of the men who taught me. Rather than focusing on what they said, I concentrated on why they said it.

That is what Paul did with the Romans. He, in effect, said, “Before I give you my theology, let me give you myself.” Paul is a model for all who serve Christ. Follow Paul’s example and begin giving yourself.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 39). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Something of Eternal Value

I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established.

Romans 1:11

Some years ago, a young woman in our church who was a student at a local university said to me, “I learned a great lesson from one of your sermons on love. I always told myself that I loved the little girls in my fourth–grade Sunday school class. They all have small, frilly dresses and the cutest smiles.”

She went on to say, “One Saturday I was attending a football game at my school—something I do every Saturday—and the Lord convicted me about not adequately preparing my Sunday school lesson. Because I attended the games on Saturday, I was in the habit of teaching a lesson on Sunday morning that was very shallow and superficial. God pointed out that I didn’t really love those girls the way I thought I did because I made no sacrifice in my own life to give them something of eternal value.”

She ended our conversation by saying, “So from now on, I will not be attending any more football games until my lesson is completed and I feel I can impart to them something of eternal value.”

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 38). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Is Anyone Listening?

I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

2 Corinthians 12:15

There have been times in my ministry as a pastor that I’ve wondered if anyone is listening to what I’m teaching. Do people really appreciate me or the teaching of the Word? It’s easy to fall into that kind of woe–is–me complex.

Maybe you’ve felt the same way in your ministry. If so, you must remember that as long as you look at the ministry you’re in as something you give, you will never have that problem. But if you look at the ministry as something you get, you will end up with a twisted view of what real ministry is.

If you’re ever tempted to view your ministry with a selfish attitude, adopt the attitude Paul exhibited in today’s verse. Even if the people hated him, he would still love them. The main characteristic of love is unselfish giving.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 37). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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It Doesn’t Seem Right

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I preach notthe gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward.

1 Corinthians 9:16–17

There is a story of an old missionary who was returning home from Africa. He was on the same ship with President Teddy Roosevelt who had been in Africa for a big game hunt. When the ship docked in New York, great crowds greeted the president, but the old missionary and his wife walked off the ship unnoticed.

“It just doesn’t seem right,” said the missionary to his wife in a rather bitter tone. “We give our lives in Africa to win souls to Christ, and when we arrive home, there’s no reward or anyone to meet us. The president shoots some animals and gets a royal welcome.” As they were praying before they went to bed, the missionary sensed that the Lord was saying to him, “Do you know why you haven’t received your reward yet? Because you’re not home.”

That’s what Paul had in mind in his spiritual service. He didn’t want to receive superficial or temporal acclaim. He was willing to wait until he went home—his ultimate home—to receive what God had promised him. Are you willing to wait?

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 36). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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A Thankful Heart

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Philippians 1:3

A thankful heart is essential for true spiritual service. If you are trying to serve the Lord without gratitude in your heart for what He’s done for you, then you are serving in the flesh with improper motives. One who is thankful realizes that God has a cause for everything that happens. One who serves externally, legalistically, or ritualistically will not find very many things to be thankful for in his life because he is not grateful for the things God has already done for him.

Do you have a thankful heart? Are you overwhelmed with thanksgiving for what God has done? If you are, then you will be free from bitterness or resentment toward God or anyone else.

There is so much to be thankful for. The devil often tempts us by saying, “You deserve better than that. You don’t have to be thankful.” But when he does, make sure you remember how much you have to be thankful for!

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 35). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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True Thanks

I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Romans 1:8

One thing we know about the apostle Paul: he had a thankful heart. In almost every one of his epistles, Paul expressed thanks for the people who would receive his message. Though he knew that each church needed correction, he didn’t just send instruction; he also sent a word of thanks. He was always able to see God’s purposes being accomplished. Paul expressed what is in the heart of all true servants of God—an attitude of gratitude.

Unfortunately, some people go through life dwelling on the negative. They refuse to be grateful for the good that God is doing in someone else’s life. If it isn’t happening to them, then they think it’s bad. Paul didn’t express his thanks by saying, “I’m so thankful for what God has done for me”; rather, he said, “I thank God for you.” He received as much joy from someone else’s success as he did from his own. May the same be true of you as well.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 34). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Service as Worship

Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 12:1

When many people think of worship, they envision stained–glass windows and pipe organs. But in the Bible, the same word that is used to describe worship also means service.

The greatest worship you ever render to God is to serve Him. For Paul, service meant a total commitment.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience” (2 Tim 1:3). Paul was saying that you could look deep inside him and see that he served God with his entire being. Paul’s service was an act of worship. It was deep, genuine, and honest. That is the real measure of true spirituality. The only way to serve God is with total commitment.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 33). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Wholehearted Commitment

God is my witness, whom I serve with my Spirit.

Romans 1:9

Nowadays, we use the word spirit in the same way the apostle Paul used it in today’s verse. We may watch an athlete go all out in his performance and then comment that he exhibited “spirited” play, which means that his whole being was involved in his effort. When I was in college, the “Esprit de Corps” award was given to the football player who gave the most effort on the field. That is the way in which Paul served the Lord.

Paul never served the Lord without a wholehearted commitment. In so doing, he distinguished himself from the hirelings whose labor was external and insincere (John 10:11-13). So be like Paul—give a wholehearted effort in your service to Christ.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 32). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Why God Saves

That grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:15

Many people think the main reason God saves people is so that He can keep them out of hell, or so that they can experience His love or lead happy lives. But all those reasons are secondary.
God saves people because it is an affront to His holy name that someone should live in rebellion against Him. That people experience salvation is not the main issue with God—it is His glory that is at stake.

The apostle Paul said of Jesus, “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11). Salvation is for God’s glory.
God is glorified when people believe His gospel, love His Son, and accept His diagnosis of their greatest need, which is forgiveness of sin. You certainly benefit from God’s provision of salvation, but you exist for the glory of God.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 31). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Known by Obedience

According to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith.

Romans 16:26

Did you know it’s not faith plus obedience that equals salvation, but obedient faith that equals salvation? True faith is verified in your obedience to God.

Because Jesus is Lord, He demands obedience. There is no faith without obedience. Paul said to the Roman Christians, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Rom 1:8). And why was their faith spoken of throughout the world? Romans 16:19 explains: “Your obedience has become known to all.” In the beginning, it is your faith that is spread abroad, but in the end it is your obedience.

Faith that excludes obedience won’t save anyone. The delusion that it will causes many people to take the broad road that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13–14). That’s like building a religious super–structure on sand (Mat 7:21-29).

Build your life in obedience to Christ. Then you’ll know that you belong to Him.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 30). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Compelled to Serve

Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

Ephesians 4:1

Do you have any idea of what a high calling it is to serve Christ?

Paul said, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). He also said, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph 4:1).

In ancient times, a victor at the Olympic Games once asked, “Spartan, what will you gain by this victory?” He replied, “I, sir, shall have the honor to fight on the front line for my king.” May that be your response to the call of your King.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 29). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Get in the Game

Run in such a way that you might win.

1 Corinthians 9:24

Because I was athletic as a boy, I played on many different teams in various sports programs. I remember many boys with little or no athletic ability who would try out for these teams. Every once in a while, a coach would feel sorry for such a boy and place him on the team in spite of his performance. He would give the boy a uniform to make him feel that he was a part of the team even though he would never let the boy play in a game.

Fortunately, the opposite is true in the Christian life. The Lord doesn’t place us on the team just so we can sit on the bench. He intends to send us into the game. It is His grace that calls us to salvation, and it is His will that sends us into the world to witness for Him.

We are all like the boy who had no ability. God graciously puts us on the team, not because of our own ability, but purely by His sovereign grace. And He gives us the ability to play the game. So get in the game and give thanks for the holy privilege of serving Jesus Christ.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 28). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Undeserved Favor

Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

Romans 5:20

Salvation does not come by confirmation, communion, baptism, church membership, church attendance, trying to keep the Ten Commandments, or living out the Sermon on the Mount. It does not come by giving to charity or even by believing that there is a God. It does not come by simply being moral and respectable. Salvation does not even come by claiming to be a Christian. Salvation comes only when we receive by faith the gift of God’s grace. Hell will be full of people who tried to reach heaven some other way.

The apostle Paul said, “The law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 5:20-21). The first provision of the gospel is grace, which is neither earned nor deserved.

Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse said, “Love that gives upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace.” God has stooped to give us grace. Will you receive it?

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 27). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Grace from the King

Being justified freely by His grace throughthe redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:24

Every believer receives the grace of God as a result of responding to the good news. And the good news is that salvation is by grace.

The apostle Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8-9). The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people. It is offered totally apart from anything we could ever do to receive God’s favor. It is the unmerited favor of God, who in His mercy and loving–kindness grants us salvation as a gift. All we have to do is simply respond by believing in His Son.

We enter the kingdom of God only by the grace of God. There is no place for self–congratulations or human achievement. Remember to thank God for granting you such a gracious salvation.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 26). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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A Mysterious Union

Taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:7

The humanity and deity of Christ is a mysterious union we can never fully understand. But the Bible emphasizes both.

Luke 23:39-43 provides a good example. At the cross, “… one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’”

In His humanness, Jesus was a victim, mercilessly hammered to a cross after being spat upon, mocked, and humiliated. But in His deity, He promised the thief on the cross eternal life, as only God can.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 25). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Raised Through the Spirit

God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.

John 3:34–35

Jesus took on a role requiring voluntary submission, and He did the will of the Father through the power of the Spirit. That is an amazing act of love and humility from One who is fully God and always will be throughout eternity.

It is important to recognize the Spirit’s work in the ministry and resurrection of Jesus because it indicates that the entire Trinity was involved in the redemption of mankind. The greatest affirmation that Jesus is who He claimed to be is that the Father raised the Son through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 24). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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A Treasure Store

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with everyspiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

There is no way to comprehend the riches God has provided for those who love His Son. The treasures He has prepared are infinite. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field” (Mat 13:44). The apostle Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah when he says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).

The good news is, if we love the Son of God, we inherit all the riches of the Father. If we believe in Christ, we have treasure beyond imagination.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 23). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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The Affirmation of God’s Son

Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness,by the resurrection from the dead.

Romans 1:4

Jesus Christ had to be more than a man; He also had to be God. If Jesus were only a man, even the best of men, He could not have saved believers from their sin. If He were even the right man from the seed of David, but not God, He could not have withstood the punishment of God the Father at the cross and risen from the dead. He could not have overcome Satan and the world but would have been conquered as all men are conquered.

If there was ever any question that Jesus was the Son of God, His resurrection from the dead should end it. He had to be man to reach us, but He had to be God to lift us up. When God raised Christ from the dead, He affirmed that what He said was true.

As clearly as the horizon divides the earth from the sky, so the resurrection divides Jesus from the rest of humanity. Jesus Christ is God in human flesh.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 22). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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The Historical Jesus

God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

1 John 4:9

Many people doubt whether Jesus ever really existed, but many historians have written about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Around A.D. 114, the Roman historian, Tacitus, wrote that the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, was put to death by Pontius Pilate in the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius (Annals 15.44).

Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to the Emperor Trajan on the subject of Christ and Christians (Letters 10.96-97).

In A.D. 90, the Jewish historian Josephus penned a short biographical note on Jesus: “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call Him a man, for He was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over to Him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ” (Antiquities 18.63).

The Talmud refers to Jesus of Nazareth (Sanhedrin 43a, Abodah Zerah 16b–17a).

Jesus was a man in history. And His claims were true. Do you still doubt His ability to save you?

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 21). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Our Consistent Gospel

He promised [the gospel] before through His Prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

Romans 1:2

Did you know that the Old Testament is completely consistent with the New? That’s because the good news is old, not new. The Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi, or anywhere in between, is all about the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that the Scriptures give testimony about Him (John 6:39). In speaking to men on the road to Emmaus, Jesus said, “ ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

Why is that important for you today? So you can be confident that the Scripture holds God’s promise of good news in Christ.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 20). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Fulfilling the Law

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Jesus faced much opposition during His ministry when He didn’t agree with contemporary Jewish theology (Mat 15:1-3). Because it was hypocritical, He denied the Pharisees’ so–called devotion.

Many in His day were saying, “Is Jesus saying new truth? Is He really speaking for God? He doesn’t say what the Pharisees say. He, in fact, says the opposite of what we’re taught.”
Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Mat 5:17). Jesus did not condemn Old Testament law, but He did condemn the tradition that had been built up around it. The religious leaders had so perverted God’s law that Jesus declared, “I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:20).

Whose righteousness are you depending on? Your own or Christ’s?

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 19). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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A Few Words

Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:21

Only 297 words are required to sum up in English all of God’s moral law in the Ten Commandments. God distilled it even more when He said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mat 22:37-39). Only sixty–five words make up the definitive teaching on prayer—the Lord’s Prayer—in Matthew 6:9-13.

Man doesn’t have that capacity for essential brevity. There once was a governmental study to regulate the price of cabbage that ran over twenty–six thousand words!

Thank God for the provision of His profound Word.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 18). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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The Incomparable Christ

He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Colossians 1:17

Jesus Christ is the most incomparable personality of all human history.

Socrates taught forty years, Plato fifty, and Aristotle forty. Jesus’ public ministry lasted less than three years, yet the influence of His life far outweighs the combined 130 years of the three greatest philosophers of all antiquity.

Jesus never painted a picture, yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and many other artists found in Him their inspiration.

Jesus did not write poetry, but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets have been inspired by Him like no other. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that the name of Jesus “is not so much written as ploughed into the history of this world.”

Jesus wrote no music, yet Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, Mendelssohn, and a myriad of others reached the highest perfection of melody in compositions about Him.

Jesus has affected human society like no other. The incomparable Christ is the good news. And what makes it such good news is that man is so undeserving but that God is so gracious.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 17). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Mankind’s Box

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Colossians 2:9

If we were to think of this world as a time–space dimension, then a closed box could represent it, with God outside of the box. It is impossible for mankind to escape the box because, by definition, the natural cannot enter into the supernatural. That which is confined to time and space cannot escape into eternity and infinity.

Because there is something within man that longs to know what is outside the box, he invents deities into existence, which is how religions proliferate. Different religions become an extension of man’s desire to escape his box, but man’s longing to transcend the box cannot be overcome because he is confined to the box by his very nature.

Is there a way to escape this box? Yes, the good news is there is a way, and it’s through Christ. Christianity acknowledges that you can’t get out of your box but proclaims that God has invaded the box from the outside. Jesus Christ has entered into your world to show you how you can dwell with God forever. Won’t you accept His invitation?

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 16). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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Separation

It is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:16

Do you know you cannot serve God unless you are separated? In the Scripture, that word refers to being set apart for a specific task or purpose.

The Lord said to Moses, “You shall offer up a cake of the first of your ground meal as a heave offering” (Num 15:20). God wanted the firstfruits of the land to be set apart to honor Him.

The Lord also said, “I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine” (Lev 20:26). God took the nation of Israel and separated them from all other nations for His glory.

In each of these passages in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament), the word refers to separation in the fullest sense. The apostle Paul knew that once he was called as an apostle, he would be disconnected from his past. When Paul was the most ardent of Pharisee, he was set apart for—or separated to—the traditions of the Jewish people (Phil 3:5). Now he could claim to be a Pharisee separated to the gospel of God.

Are you separate from your former life?

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 15). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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No More Bad News

Separated to the gospel of God.

Romans 1:1

Thousands of babies are born every day into a world filled with bad news. The term bad news has become a colloquialism to describe our era.
Why is there so much bad news? It’s simple. The bad news that occurs on a larger scale is only the multiplication of what is occurring on an individual level. The power that makes for bad news is sin.

With so much bad news, can there really be any good news? Yes! The good news is that sin can be dealt with. You don’t have to be selfish. Guilt and anxiety can be alleviated. There is meaning to life and hope of life after death. The apostle Paul says in Romans 1:1 that the good news is the gospel. It is the good news that man’s sin can be forgiven, guilt can be removed, life can have meaning, and a hopeful future can be a reality.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 14). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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A Slave for Christ

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:1

The apostle Paul was a “servant” of Christ. It was a role he chose out of love, not fear.
There were perhaps millions of slaves in the Roman Empire. For the most part, they were treated not as persons but as objects. If a master wanted to kill a slave, he could do so without fear of punishment. Though it was a negative term to the Romans, the word slave meant dignity, honor, and respect to the Hebrews, and the Greeks considered it a term of humility. As a servant of Christ, then, Paul paradoxically finds himself both exalted and debased. This is the ambivalence every representative of Jesus Christ must face.

When I think of the honor I’ve been given to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, I am sometimes overwhelmed. There is no higher calling in life than to proclaim the gospel from the pulpit and to be able to teach the Word of God under the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet there is also a paradox that requires a minister of Christ to realize he does not deserve to minister. He must have the proper perspective of being an unworthy slave who has the incomprehensible privilege of proclaiming the gospel.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 13). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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The Power of the Gospel

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation.

Romans 1:16

People want to change. All advertising is based on the presupposition that people want things different from the way they are. They want to look better, feel better, think better, and live better. They want to change their lives but, except from an external standpoint, they are unable to do so.

Only the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to change people and deliver them from sin, from Satan, from judgment, from death, and from hell. Acts 4:12 says, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” And that name is Jesus Christ.

So God’s Word, which is all about Jesus Christ, can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We are sinful and unable to remedy our condition, but from God comes the incredible, limitless power that can transform our lives.

MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 12). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.

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