20 October | EVERYONE
"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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” Romans 1: 16,17
Rome was a cosmopolitan city crammed with human philosophies. To argue, in the midst of that sophisticated world, that someone could be saved by believing in the gospel presented by a humble Jew from a colony of the mighty empire would be seen as madness. However, Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel." The reason Paul was not ashamed is because of the power of the gospel. The word power comes from the Greek dinamis, from which we get the Latin word "dynamite." The gospel is the divine dynamite that removes obstacles from the path of those who believe.
The gospel is not just another theory among so many others. It focuses on a person and not on an idea, or a simple human concept. The wonderful person of Jesus stands out from beginning to end. It is in Him that human hopes are concentrated. Without Christ, there is no gospel. He is the good news that even though we have all sinned and are destined to death, there is a way out of our sad condition. Jesus is the way out.
However, for the gospel to transform the situation of human beings, it is necessary to believe, to exercise faith, and to place our trust in the Author and Finisher of our faith who is Christ. The human tragedy is that we seem capable of believing in everything but the forgiving and transforming power of Jesus.
One night I found a tall, strong man crying. He hugged me excitedly and whispered in my ear, "I know I need to believe, but I cannot. My heart is hard as a stone. Please help me believe." His home was broken, his business had failed, and a murderous cancer was devouring his life, but he could not believe in the power of the gospel.
Take Action
Believing differently than most will make you feel uncomfortable on more than one occasion, but it will fill you with security to know that your faith has solid foundations (Jesus) and produces transformative fruit. That is why Paul spoke of the "power" of the gospel. Sing "The Just Shall Live by Faith" (if possible, with your family).