”For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Romans 1:16New International Version (NIV)
Romans 1:16 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
The gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes
Paul commenced Romans 1:16, themed “The gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes“, by stating that “he was not ashamed of the gospel. And in his combination of the words “not” and “ashamed”, both negative, Paul meant the total opposite of being ashamed of the gospel.
Therefore, Paul stated that he was unashamed of the gospel because it is God’s means of saving sinners, which all of us are (Romans 3:23). Because sinners cannot attain salvation through their own efforts or good works.
Salvation to everyone who believes
The salvation that Paul wrote about in the book of Romans refers to the state where God rescues you from His wrath and judgment that you deserve because of your sin. Therefore, salvation means that you have been delivered from the penalty of sin. And this happens the moment you believe in the Person, Name, and work of Jesus Christ.
Additionally, salvation refers to God’s deliverance of you from the power of sin, thus, growth in godliness (Jude 24). And you, therefore, get to enjoy a reconciled relationship with God (Romans 5:1) and receive all of the unfathomable riches of Christ (Ephesians 1:3 and 3:8).
However, salvation is received and sustained by faith alone from start to finish. And saving faith, which includes repentance, is not something that sinners can produce on their own. Because God is the One who gifts sinners with saving faith so that no one will not boast (Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 1:29; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; and Acts 11:18 and 13:48).
First to the Jew, then to the Gentile
Finally, Romans 1:16 is a reminder that God has a distinct calling and purpose for the Jewish people. This is because God chose Israel first to receive His law (as recorded in the book of Exodus) and then His Son Jesus Christ (as recorded in the Gospels).
Therefore, God planned for the Gospel to come out of Jerusalem. Because Isaiah 49:6 speaks of the Jewish people being made a light unto the nations so that salvation reaches the end of the earth. And Isaiah 56:7 describes a future Jerusalem that will be a house of prayer for all nations.
Nevertheless, I hope you can now appreciate that the plan of redemption is not limited to the Jewish people (Israel). It only started in Jerusalem and expands outwards just as Jesus had revealed to His disciples before He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:7-8).
Consequently, Paul, in Romans 11:11, beautifully summarised his Gentile calling. And in verse 12, He continued to declare the glorious implication of their inclusion.
Furthermore, Paul magnified his ministry to the Gentiles so that he could make his fellow Jews jealous and consequently save some of them (Romans 11:13-14).
Jews and Gentiles
Therefore, God’s redemptive plan included all the nations all along! No wonder Paul declared that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”. And everyone has a cause for his/her celebration and hope because of all this.
Additionally, the book of Ephesians tells us that as believers in Jesus Christ, we were chosen before the foundation of the world. And in love, God predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ in and for Himself (Ephesians 1:4).
Prayer/Blessing
Lord God, I too want to be unashamed of the gospel. I want to live it and proclaim it to the whole world.
So help me, Lord! I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Galatians 4-6 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
