This is the beginning of my new series on the Book of Romans. A book of the Bible written by the Apostle Paul that brings together everything about Christ and his mission. I have extracted key verses and highlighted key phrases from the Book of Romans Chapter 1. While it conveys many things I wanted to use the verses to highlight what the Gospel is.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God- Romans 1:1
The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son Romans 1:2
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, Romans 1:16
Because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16
For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17
So what is the Gospel? It is Christ Crucified.
It is the gospel of God and it is regarding his Son and it was The gospel he promised beforehand
When we proclaim the Gospel we are proclaiming not man made stories or mythology. It is the message of God, the truth. It is the true story of his son- Crucified Christ. It is the explanation of God’s design of bringing salvation to the human race through the single event of the Crucifixion of Christ. And he did this not as an after thought but foreknew and planned it from the beginning of time. Hmmm hard for a non believer or the rationalist to even read this leave alone believe it.
Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God
Christ Crucified is the right, left and centre of the Gospel message and has been and will be a stumbling block to any one who has not been led by the Father to it. To the one who receives it in the spirit, it will make sense.
God did help the human curiosity and human weakness to believe by even foretelling this truth at many points in history even before Christ landed on the scene- the Messianic Prophecies recorded all over the Old testament.
Why is it necessary? The Gospel empowers you.
it is the power of God that brings salvation, For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed
There is no other ‘Word of God’ that is as powerful as the Gospel. It is the very power of God- the Living word, the living God. And what is revealed is that God is Sovereign and Always Right- And then form that primary attribute of God everything else flows- His infinite Love, His infinite Grace, His infinite Mercy and His Wrath and and Anger too. The mystery is that we can’t fathom with our human brans how He can be all of the above in one instance, in one person, in one spirit. He Can…well He is God!!! But the revelation of power in God is power to us who believe in Him. As through the Gospel he opens that unlimited power to you.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 1 Chronicles 29:11
And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:19-21
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31
How to do we receive and benefit from the Gospel? By believing.
To everyone who believes: a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
The simple truth behind the Gospel of Christ is ‘by faith alone’ you will be saved. By just receiving the free gift of the Gospel by believing in Him you are entering into the Kingdom of God and gain access to the Throne of Grace. And that ‘Grace alone’ is sufficient. For once you learn to seek Him, he provides the rest.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
