We identify ourselves in many different ways. Our identity might come from our name, our job title, our favorite sports team, our family, our school. But who are we really?
In Romans 1:1, Paul identifies himself as “a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” And in Philippians 3:4-9, he writes, “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” Paul’s identity revolves around Christ. He is an apostle and servant, and everything else he counts as “loss.”
In the New Testament, the word servant can also be translated as slave. The point Paul makes is that he does not own his life; he belongs to Jesus. Paul leads by submission before he leads by instruction. His example is that of someone who has completely given himself over to Christ’s commands, and he is a leader because of it.
In Romans, authority flows from belonging to Jesus Christ. “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness…For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:16-18, 20-23).
Our primary goal and identity should be in serving God. That’s what Jesus modeled for us in his obedience to the cross. Paul’s identity didn’t come from choosing to be an apostle; Jesus told him to do it, and Paul followed. We don’t have to be talented or good at something to be chosen. If Jesus was looking for someone good at preaching the Gospel, he never would’ve picked Paul, a persecutor of Christians. When our identity is rooted in Christ, we realize that the life he offers is better than anything else we could rest in.
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