Romans 1:1
Paul was a Christian superstar. He met Jesus personally on the road to Damascus and Christ commissioned him to be an evangelist to the gentiles. He planted churches and spread the gospel throughout the gentile world. He wrote the largest portion of the New Testament. He suffered beatings, mistreatment and prison yet remained faithful. It is reasonable for us to believe that we could never be like Paul; it is reasonable but incorrect. In his letter to the Romans, Paul introduces himself first as “a servant of Christ Jesus.” I believe he puts this first because without it nothing else matters. If Paul were not a servant, everything else would have been impossible.

The United States is a special country for many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is that our founders believed that God created all humanity equal. The U.S. constitution recognizes that a rich man and a servant are equal under the law and in the eyes of God. This belief finds its origin in the teachings of Paul found in the New Testament. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(NIV)” When he calls himself a servant, he is using a Greek word that has two definitions. The first definition is a “slave,” belonging to an owner and having no freedom to leave. The second definition is a “servant,” one who willingly chooses to serve another. Paul is not Christ’s slave; he serves Christ willingly out of love and thankfulness.

Few Christians will ever be superstars, but we can all be like Paul when we choose to serve Jesus. Paul served by preaching the gospel to the gentiles. Our service will take a different form. We may serve by ministering to the sick, teaching children, or living a Christian example on the factory floor. Our service to Christ will take many forms, but all Christian service serves humanity. When we serve Christ, we serve others.