... Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ...
Romans 1:5-6
Not exactly something you'd put on a bumper sticker is it? Taken from Paul's introduction, this sets the stage for the delivery of his gospel to the churches in Rome. Tension is evident between the Jews and the Gentiles, so Paul sought to unify the church by proclaiming the glory of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The obedience of faith that Paul calls for is not simply performing a good deed, or a kind gesture, an initial faith offering, but obedience built on an ongoing faith. This is a faith manifested in honoring the name of Jesus, by being living examples called to belong to Jesus Christ. By associating ourselves with His name, we provide others the opportunity to judge us based on how we live out our faith. We can honor the name and live out our transformed lives or we can take the other path. It's our choice. Every moment of every day. It's our choice.
For the sake of His name, may we choose to live today and every day as an Alleluia to our King.
Earl Buffaloe (2010)
