Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh – Romans 1:1-3
In the opening verse of Romans, Paul introduces himself with weighty titles—servant, apostle, set apart. But almost immediately, the spotlight shifts from Paul to the glory of God. Like the opening credits that give way to the true star of a film, Paul fades from the frame so that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit take center stage. This is what happens when we remember who we were and who God has made us to be—we stop magnifying our own story and start magnifying His. Gratitude rises. Our prayers stop being rehearsals of wants and start becoming songs of remembrance. God arrested Paul on the Damascus road, and now Paul lives as a man marked by purpose, not pride.
Paul emphasizes that the gospel of Jesus wasn’t a new idea. It was foretold—woven through the ancient prophecies like a scarlet thread. Isaiah painted portraits of the coming Messiah long before Bethlehem cradled the Christ. He spoke of a shoot from Jesse’s stump, one anointed with wisdom, might, and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:1–2). Micah pinpointed His birthplace and His eternal nature (Micah 5:2). The gospel isn’t a backup plan—it’s the masterpiece God planned from the beginning. When Paul says Jesus is the Christ, it’s not just a name—it’s the proof that prophecy stepped into flesh. Jesus is the Messiah Scripture has been pointing toward all along.
Paul’s message resets us to the spiritual foundation: the same gospel that changed him is the one that changes us. And the God who promised a Messiah 750 years before His birth is still the same God who says, “Behold, I will do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19). He doesn’t erase our past—He redeems it. Just as Jesus came in the flesh—fully God and fully man—we now carry His Spirit and His mission in our everyday lives. Whether you’re leading in ministry, working in a cubicle, or raising a family, He’s writing a new chapter through you. Strip away the noise, return to the gospel, and rediscover the beauty of beginning again—with Jesus at the center.
“The kingdom of God must be preached by men who have themselves learned obedience by the things which they have suffered.” – A. B. Bruce
surrendered devotions 