I have recently started to study the book of Romans, reflecting on one verse at a time. Your thoughts are welcome.
1:1 "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of Go" What does it mean to be set apart? What is the purpose of life for those that are not set apart for the gospel?
Life for the believer is about the good news of God. I am set apart not so that I can hold my position over the heads of those who are not. Instead I am set apart meaning that this life which is only a small part of the life God is giving me to live, is marked for proclaiming God’s gospel.
The purpose of my life is to give purpose to all life. God did not mess up in creating humanity and we are not forgotten. Purpose in this life comes in surrendering our life to the Gospel of God. The life I live is now not my own, it is set apart with purpose.
The temptation in the face of this reality could be to resent the loss of my life to the Gospel. The reality is that my creator is a much better guide for my life then I am. I think that I know how to have a full life but the things that I focus my attention on really yield only momentary pleasures.
The things that God has me focus my life on bring Him eternal glory and offer me abundant life, both now and for eternity. My life yields so much more when I allow the creator to guide it. And my creator is guiding me to share with all people the good news of His love and the gift of His son, Jesus.
Tye Parks 