Included In Christ

Romans 1:6

6among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

Although God gave His own Son to save the world (John 3:16) and does not wish for any person to perish (2 Pet. 3:9), it must be recognized that the primary purpose of the gospel is not for man’s sake but God’s, for His name’s sake. Man’s salvation is simply a by-product of God’s grace; its main focus is to display God’s glory.

The preacher (v. 1), the promise (v. 2), the Person (vv. 3-4), the provision (v. 5a), the proclamation (vv. 5b-6), and the privileges (v. 7) of the good news of God are all given for the express purpose of glorifying God. All of redemptive history focuses on the glory of God, and throughout eternity the accomplishments of His redemption will continue to be a memorial to His majesty, grace, and love.

Because of His gracious love for fallen and helpless mankind, salvation is of importance to God for man’s sake, but because of His own perfection it is infinitely more important to Him for His own sake. God is ultimately and totally committed to the exaltation of His own glory. That truth has always been anathema to the natural man, and in our day of rampant selfism even within the church, it is also a stumbling block to many Christians. But man’s depraved perspective and standards not withstanding, the main issue of salvation is God’s glory, because He is perfectly worthy and it is that perfect worthiness to which sin is such an affront.

Paul declares that one day, “at the name of Jesus every knee [will] bow of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11). Even the divine truths and blessings that are given for His children’s own sake are first of all given “that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4:15).

When a person believes in Christ, he is saved; but more important than that, God is glorified, because the gift of salvation is entirely by His sovereign will and power. For the same reason, God is glorified when His people love His Son, when they acknowledge His assessment of their sin and their need for cleansing, when their plans become His plans, and when their thoughts become His thoughts. Believers live and exist for the glory of God.

The believers in Rome to whom Paul was writing were among those who had been brought to “the obedience of faith” (v. 5) and therefore were also the called of Jesus Christ. And, as has already been emphasized, the called of Jesus Christ, those who are true believers, are called not only to salvation but to obedience. And to be obedient to Christ includes bringing others to Him in faith and obedience.

(Verse 6) - Among whom - That is, among the Gentiles who had become obedient to the Christian faith in accordance with the design of the gospel, Rom. 1:8. This proves that the church at Rome was made up partly at least, if not mainly, of Gentiles or pagans. This is fully proved in the 16^th chapter by the names of the persons whom Paul salutes.

The called of Jesus Christ - Those whom Jesus Christ has called to be his followers. The word “called” (see Rom. 1:1) denotes not merely an external invitation to privilege (as in Mt 20:16; 22:14), but it also denotes the “internal” or “effectual” call which secures conformity to the will of him who calls, and is thus synonymous with the name Christians, or believers. That is, when the New Testament uses this term in this context, it is never referring to those who merely hear the Gospel preached and are thus called, but always to those who are called by God to believe and respond to that Gospel.  That true Christians, and not merely the hearers of the message, are contemplated by this address, is clear from the whole scope of the Epistle; see particularly Rom. 8; compare Phil 3:14; Heb. 3:1.   It denotes the first great step in personal salvation and answers to “conversion.” Only the word conversion expresses the change of character which then takes place, whereas this “calling” expresses the divine authorship of the change, and the sovereign power by which we are summoned, Matthew-like, Zaccheus-like, out of our old, wretched, perishing condition, into a new, safe, blessed life.

Note the repetition of the word called: Paul was called to be an apostle; the believers were the called of Jesus Christ; and they were also called saints. (Not “to be” saints; they already were saints! A saint is a set-apart one, and the person who trusts Jesus Christ is set apart and is a saint.) Salvation is not something that we do for God; it is God who calls us in His grace (2 Thess. 2:13–14).  Just as Paul was a “called” apostle, so the believers in Rome were called to belong to Jesus Christ (lit., “called of Jesus Christ”) and called to be saints (lit., “called saints”).

He is assigning a reason more nearly connected with them - because the Lord had already exhibited in them an evidence by which he had manifested that he had called them to a participation of the gospel. It hence followed, that if they wished their own calling to remain sure, they were not to reject the ministry of Paul, who had been chosen by the same election of God. I therefore take this clause, “the called of Jesus Christ,” as explanatory, as though the particle “even” were inserted; for he means, that they were by calling made partakers of Christ. For they who shall be heirs of eternal life, are chosen by the celestial Father to be children in Christ; and when chosen, they are committed to his care and protection as their shepherd.

Those to whom Paul wrote, were included among the nations to whom his commission extended. He mentions this that it might not appear strange that he addresses them for the purpose of instructing them, but that, on the contrary, they should receive what he wrote with due confidence and respect. He was unknown to them by sight; he was far distant from them. They might say, what interest had he in them? He assures them that his apostleship regarded and comprehended them, and that he did nothing beyond his calling when he desired to increase their knowledge, and confirm their faith. They were the called of Jesus Christ. Thus he had a double right, and was laid under a double obligation to address them, both as belonging to the nations to whom his commission extended, and also as having already become obedient to the faith. The apostolic commission consisted of two parts: first, to make disciples, and then to teach them to observe all things that Jesus had commanded. Thus Paul had a measure that reached even to those to whom he now wrote, as he had to the Church at Corinth, (2 Corinthians 10:13).

Of Jesus Christ. - Not only called to Jesus, but called by Him; for He is not only that glorious person to whom we ought to go, but who Himself says, Come unto Me. The believers at Rome were called both with an external calling by the Gospel, and also with an internal calling by the Holy Spirit. Both these callings are ascribed to the Father, and also, as in this passage, to Jesus Christ, because the Son, as Mediator, is the minister of the Father, and executes all things for Him. As the high Priest of His people, He has done for them all that is required for  establishing the New Covenant; but as the Prophet and King of His Church, He converts them and leads them to the Father. This expression, the called of Jesus Christ, imports that they belonged to Him, as in Isaiah 48:12, “Israel, my called,” that is, who are mine by the right of calling.

It might be fitting to consider that, with all of the distaste we as believers feel for the current worldly concept of inclusiveness and the terrible things it does in demeaning people crippling cultural development; there is a Biblical sense in which the word “inclusive” has meaning.  That is, in the sense that all men are included in the invitation to believe and submit to the Gospel.  This is a concept that is often taught, particularly in the New Testament:  Mark 9:38–41 Luke 9:49, 50. Acts 10:1–48; Acts 11:17, 18; Acts 15:1–31; Rom. 1:1–7, 14–16; Rom. 3:20–31; Rom. 4:1–25; Rom. 5:1, 2; Gal. 3:27, 28; Eph. 2:14–17; Col. 3:11–15.  There are several marked instances of it for our consideration: There are, for instance, the words of Solomon, in his prayer, in 1 Kin. 8:41–43. Paul used the concept in recognizing devout heathen in Acts 13:16, 26, 42, 43. Peter spoke of it as well in Acts 10:34, 35. The rulers of the synagogue at Salamis, in permitting the Apostles to preach, demonstrated an awareness of this principle in Acts 13:5. 

Inclusiveness does not have to be something that ignores differences, but rather, Biblically, inclusiveness is something that calls all men to consider that they are, at the root, all alike in their sin and pollution, and that all need to come and receive the grace of God at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ.