Romans 1:16, 17 - Power of the Gospel.
Romans 1:16, 17 (NIV) I am not ashamed of
the gospel, because it is the power of God for
the salvation of everyone who believes: first
for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the
gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a
righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as
it is written: "The righteous will live by
faith."
INTRODUCTION
The theme of the entire book of Romans. [NIV
SB]
The Gospel: In the Christian era, gospel
came to be identified with the good news of the
life, death, resurrection, and second coming of
Jesus Christ. [Being Still With God Every Day by
Henry Blackaby]
It Is The Power Of God. The English word
"dynamite" comes from this Greek word. Although the
message may sound foolish to some (1 Cor. 1:18), the
gospel is effective because it carries with it the
omnipotence of God. Only God's power is able to overcome
man's sinful nature and give him new life.
[MacArthur Daily Bible 2003]
For Everyone Who Believes. Faith is not
simply a one-time event, but an ongoing condition.
True saving faith is supernatural, a gracious
gift of God that He produces in the heart (Eph.
2:8) and is the only means by which a person can
appropriate true righteousness. [MacArthur Daily Bible
2003]
The Just Shall Live By Faith. True faith
will demonstrate itself in action (Phil. 2:12,
13). This expression emphasizes that true faith
is not a single event, but a way of life it
endures. That endurance is called the perseverance of
the saints (Col. 1:22, 23; Heb. 3:12-14). One
central theme of the story of Job is that no matter
what Satan does, saving faith cannot be
destroyed. [MacArthur Daily Bible 2003]
COMMENTARY PEARL
My children were students when the See
You at the Pole movement started in the
nineties. Each September on the fourth Wednesday, I
dropped them off early to pray with their classmates
before school. After our nest emptied, I forgot
about the event - until early one September
morning when my daughter, Holly, texted me a photo
of her little boy Roman, leaning against a
flagpole. Roman wasnt just the only kindergartner
to show up; he was the only one from the
school. But Holly reported that Roman prayed a
sweet prayer for his school and country.
That photo reminds me that sometimes
following Jesus means standing alone - as His
disciples learned. It wouldve been easy to go with
the crowd who followed Jesus into Jerusalem,
waving palm branches and shouting, Hosanna!
But when He was arrested, even His inner circle
abandoned Him. Three times Peter denied knowing Him.
It takes courage to stand up for Jesus in
a setting where Hes not popular. If we
heard a friend being disparaged, wed most
likely speak up to defend her. Why dont we also
do that for our Savior who died for us? Yet, if
youre like me, you recall times when you stayed
silent. Or blended into the crowd instead of
standing out as a Christ follower. Im not proud of
those moments, but it helps to remember that
Peters failure helped him grow into a strong
leader. In the meantime, I want to be like that lone
little boy praying and standing by a flagpole. by
Dianne Neal Matthews
Faith Step: Is there an area in your life
where you fail to stand for Christ? Ask Him to
forgive you and help you remain strong. [Mornings
With Jesus 2020 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
Paul was a full-fledged, bona fide,
card-carrying apostle of Jesus. This man was a great
theologian, the greatest in the history of the church,
really. A deep thinker, he was schooled in the
culture of Rome and Greece. The greatest Jewish
rabbis had been his teachers.
Yet its interesting to note that on
almost every occasion when Paul stood before a
nonbeliever, he started with his testimony.
He didnt start with some theological
point or argument. Rather, he started with his
story of how he came to Christ, which is a great
way to begin.
Then Paul transitioned to the gospel,
which is the true objective of our testimonies as
Christians. This is the message people need to hear.
Paul said, For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to
salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first
and also for the Greek (Romans 1:16 NKJV).
The word that Paul used for power is the
Greek word dunamis. We get our English word
dynamite from it. In other words, theres explosive
power in the gospel.
The gospel is more important than
anything. Its more important than our programs, our
preferences, our priorities, and our politics. Its
more important than anything else. This is our
message to the culture. This is our message to a
lost world. Its the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, what are we doing about it?
The Bible says, But how can they call
on him to save them unless they believe in him?
And how can they believe in him if they have
never heard about him? And how can they hear about
him unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:14
NLT).
Are we getting this message out to our
sphere of influence? Are we getting it out to our
hurting world? [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
The study of the Book of Romans has
transformed the lives of very significant people in
church history, including Augustine, Martin Luther,
John Wesley, and even a pastor named Chuck
Smith.
Swiss theologian Frdric Louis Godet
wrote of Romans, The probability is that every
great spiritual revival in the Church will be
connected as cause and effect with a deeper
understanding of this book.
In all of the Bible, Romans is the most
basic, comprehensive statement of what the gospel
is. Its in Romans that we read, For all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
(3:23 NKJV). If Romans does nothing else, it once
and for all refutes the idea that were not
good enough to get to Heaven, regardless of how
many good works weve done.
In Romans, the apostle Paul
systematically addresses every person and every type of
argument as to why God would accept someone on their
own merit. He deals with pagan people. He deals
with moral people. And he deals with religious
people.
The conclusion is that everyone has to
come to God through Jesus. Everyone has to
acknowledge their sin.
And Romans offers a solution to the sin.
In chapter 5 we read, But God
demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us (verse
8 NKJV). And verse 23 of chapter 6 says,
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
(NKJV).
Then Romans 10:13 tells us, For
whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be
saved (NKJV).
Its very important we understand and
appreciate all that God has done for us. If we really
get this, it will cause us to want to serve Him
and discover His plan for our lives. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
My life was dramatically impacted by the
power of the gospel in a single day. I came to the
Lord on my high school campus after hearing the
gospel presented in a way that I had never heard it
before. I responded and gave my life to Jesus
Christ, and immediate changes started to take
place.
The Lord used the Christians on my
campus, fellow high school students who were
unashamed to live out their faith. If someone had
tried to reach me by being cool or relating to me,
I dont know how well they would have done.
Id had enough cool to choke on in the world. I
had pretty much been there, done that, and I was
fed up with it. I was searching.
I had already, through the process of
elimination, determined where the answer in life was not.
It was not in the hedonistic, materialistic,
party lifestyle of my parents generation. Nor
was it in the choices that I made as a kid.
Being cool would not have reached me.
In fact, the people who reached me
probably were what I would have considered the lamest
people on the face of the earth. I thought you
couldnt be any lamer than a Christian. They walked
around carrying Bibles and talking about God. I
thought that was the most absurd choice a person
could possibly make. I had basically narrowed it
down to this: either these people were out of
their minds - actually disturbed mentally, or they
really did have an encounter with Christ. Of
course, in the end I concluded it was option two. I
heard the gospel and made a commitment to the
Lord.
I was looking for something real,
something authentic, and I found it in a relationship
with Jesus Christ. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Sometimes people ask me why we do Harvest
Crusades. Theyre a lot of work. They involve months
of prayer, planning, more prayer, more work,
money, and more prayer. Our team works tirelessly,
putting in hours and hours on these events.
So why do we do them? Its a very
simple answer: So people can be saved from their
sin. When its all said and done, there is
nothing more important than people coming into a
saving relationship with Jesus Christ and having
their eternal address changed from a place called
Hell to a place called Heaven.
I love the word saved, because thats
exactly what happens. Its a biblical word that is
used many times in the Scriptures. For example,
Romans 10 says, If you confess with your mouth
the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord
shall be saved (verses 9, 13 NKJV).
When Peter was preaching on the Day of
Pentecost, he said to the people who had gathered,
Be saved from this perverse generation (Acts
2:40 NKJV). Later in verse 47 we read, And the
Lord added to the church daily those who were
being saved. Hebrews 7:25 says, He is also
able to save to the uttermost those who come to
God through Him (NKJV).
Its a perfect description. We are
being saved. Its a term that we would use if a
lifeguard rescued a drowning person or if a
firefighter ran into a burning building and brought
someone out.
When we share our faith and someone
believes in Jesus, if they put their trust in Him,
they are being saved in the truest sense of what
that word means. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Ive been married to Cathe for 45 years
now. When I first met her, I was a little nervous
around her. I had butterflies in my stomach.
But I don't feel that way when Im
around her now. In fact, if I were to say to her
one day, Cathe, Im feeling kind of nervous
talking to you, she would think I was having a
heart attack or something. I cannot expect to have
that emotional experience every moment of every
day of our marriage.
Its the same with our relationship
with God. The Bible says the just will live by
faith (see Romans 1:17). It does not say the just
shall live by feelings. In fact, our feelings can
mislead us. We can have all kinds of emotional
reactions to all kinds of things.
I think sometimes we come to church and
want to have a breakthrough moment. We think we
need an emotional touch. No, we dont. We just
need to worship God whether we feel like it or
not. We need to understand that the Christian
life is a walk of faith.
I have a watch that gives me constant
feedback, telling me how many steps Ive taken and
whether Ive reached my fitness goal. Wouldnt
it be great to have a watch that tells us to
read the Bible and pray, that keeps us on track
in our spiritual lives?
I think one of the best definitions of
being a Christian is, to borrow Nietzsches
phrase, a long obedience in the same
direction. Its just putting one foot in front of the
other and walking with the Lord every day. Some
days you feel it. And some days you dont.
Thats because our objective as
Christians is to walk with God and live by faith. Are
you walking with God today? [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com re
Micah 6:8]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Romans 1:16, 17 - Power of the Gospel.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150713-1642.html
Romans 1:17 - Insights into Righteousness.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190210-1241.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio (currently live):
https://bible.awr.org/the-warning/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
