paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, [romans 1:1]
remember WHOSE you are.
this has been the ryan family creed for some time.
it was how we sent our kids out of the house the first time and it was how we sent them out the last time before they (will and cade) were both married (to lane and lexy) and began their own families.
remember WHOSE you are.
paul knew WHOSE he was.
he was “a servant of Christ Jesus”.
he would begin this mighty letter that would ring in church history as one of the greatest theological works ever written with this statement of WHOSE he was – a servant of Christ Jesus.
amid all he would say ABOUT God – he knew WHOSE he was – a servant of Christ Jesus.
amid every powerful statement he would make that would raise his stature in the church – he knew WHOSE he was – a servant of Christ Jesus.
amid every truth he wrote by the power of the Spirit that his own heart needed to hear every day – he knew WHOSE he was – a servant of Christ Jesus.
amid every word that would bring him persecution – he knew WHOSE he was – a servant of Christ Jesus.
his anchor in life was the person and power of Christ. it was not his calling, that gets mentioned second. it was WHOSE he was – a servant of Christ Jesus.
WHOSE are you?
do you first and primarily belong to a spouse, to a family, to a career, to a calling, to a ministry, to a dream?
or…
by the purchase of your life by his life – do you first and primarily belong to king Jesus?
if you are his – today …
remember WHOSE you are.
it is your anchor in this world.
if you are not his – you can be today… come, bend your knee and your heart to him now…
but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [john 1:12]
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. for with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. [romans 10:9-10]
~ john ryan