Let's take a look at the Book of Romans

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Paul, as great as he was, being the author of many of the New Testament books, staring churches all over Europe, still considered himself to be nothing more than a servant.

He listened to Jesus who said, the greatest among you shall be servant of all. And in another place he spoke about Jesus himself:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross

Philipians 2:6-8

I often think about what it means to be a servant, to carry the cross. After all, Jesus said, "You want to be a disciple? Pick up your cross and follow me."

The cost of discipleship is to carry the cross.

Lord grant me the courage, and the humility to serve.

called to be an apostle

There is always a call and response with God. Even in nature, we hear of it. Go outside in New England on an evening in August. What do you hear? Crickets rubbing their wings together, making an orchestral sound of sorts. Calling summer home. Come here summer, you've had quite a time of it, time to come home and rest. Time is running out summer. Come on home.

But summer doesn't answer, summer is still hot, lot's of time left for barbeques and beaches. Nevertheless, the crickets are calling summer home and God will have his way with the seasons. As Job said "Naked came I into this world and naked shall I return, blessed be the name of the Lord."

We send out the call, and God always responds. "Lord I need you!" -Listen- "My child, I AM here. I love you, do not be afraid. You can do it. Press on".

Paul got the call and he was like summer. Not now Lord, I've got things to do, a church to persecute, not now - I'm hot. I have letters and I'm on my way to Damascus. Not now...

"Paul, Paul why persecutest thou me?" "Isn't it hard for thee to kick against the pricks?"

Music understands the call and response. The saxaphone sends out a flurish of calls, running past and into the C and the F seventh...
Whoa... The drummer responds with a flurish of his own. - The piano sets up an ocean of sound, the bass digs deep to usher in the last four bars.

When the trumpet sounds a very certain sound, the christians, the Christ lovers are on their way home.

separated unto the gospel of God

Be ye separate saith the Lord. God has always asked his people to act differently, to be Holy not holier than thou. Jesus is in the business of separating. Separating his people from their sins.

He will separate the sheep from the goats on judgement day.
Holiness can only come from the Holy Ghost. So how do we get that holiness that can only come from God?

Jesus wants you to have it. He died a miserable death so you could be set free. He died a miserable death for the joy that was set before him. What a paradox. His misery created our joy. Not the joy of knowing he was miserable. But the joy of receiving the Holy Ghost through the operation of the spirit.

Jesus was operated on without anethesia so we could have our cancerous fleshy tumors removed. By his stripes we are healed. Do you believe in miracles?

The spirit of God, which is the Holy Ghost of Jesus can live inside of you. He absolutely wants it to happen. Died to make it so. Then rose from the earth in complete authority over death. It's all in Jesus.

Holiness is an inward appreciation and commitment to the word of God and the Holy Spirit. It is manifest on the outside by our actions and appearance. It's felt on the inside without a shadow of turning. Jesus called it rivers of living water, Luke a rushing mighty wind.

The call to holiness is the challenge to cling to Christ the lover and captain of our soul and not to fall into sinful temptations.

Sin separates us from the love of God. Separation makes us sad, but being separated from the world draws us closer to Him. Not taken out of the world like in a monastary. Not hating the world like a fool, but seperated. We are but strangers and pilgrims on this earth.

The world and the Word. Keep them seperate. What is the world? The Lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. That is the world.

What is the word?

The word is the seed. Let it grow in your heart.