Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God (2) which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, (3) concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (4) and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.  (5) Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, (6) among whom you are also the called of Jesus Christ.  (7) To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ 

The great book of  Romans was written by the apostle Paul.  From the beginning verses Paul intends to persuade Christians in Rome that the gospel he preaches is true; to unify the church and to resolve any conflicts between Christian Jews and gentiles and  to defend the gospel of grace he preached everywhere. The theme of Romans is the gospel; the imputed righteousness of man in faith in Christ Jesus – the path of sanctification worked out through the Spirit.

Paul was a rabbi and also a Roman citizen.  He begins by asserting his authority as an apostle who through divine will was called to preach the gospel of God who is not only its object but also the source of salvation history. Paul teaches in our verses today that the Messiah was expected and promised from the beginning of the world and brings in the prophets as witnesses – their testimony is recorded in Holy Scripture.  Paul writes in Romans that salvation comes to us by the favor of God in Christ. The grace of God In Christ alone is the source of all blessing in this life.

Again to quote my favorite c.s.Lewis:  (To have Faith in Christ) means, course, trying to do all he says.  There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow you are trying to obey Him.  But trying in a new way, a less worried way, not doing these things in order to be saved but because He began to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleaming of heaven is already inside you.