Romans 1:15–17 (ESV):  15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

      16 For I am not ashamed of the  gospel, for it is the  power of God for salvation to  everyone  who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is  revealed from  faith for faith, as it is written,  “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Abba,

Gospel.  Good news.

We could all use some of that these days.  The days of the year 2020 have been marked with hardship, difficult, fear, uncertainty, and the days of 2021 look to continue that trend.

Gospel.  Good news.

This comes back into focus right now, during times such as these. 

It should never have lost focus in our vision.

But it has.  It does.

Paul’s words out of Romans 1:15 burn in my heart today.

“So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”

Preaching the gospel to believers?

YES!

The gospel is not just for those who do not know you; who have not repented of their sins; who have not trusted you.

The Gospel is for US, for those of us WHO HAVE done so!  Somehow in the midst of life, the gospel drifts out of focus as the main thing in our lives.

The gospel is not only the hope for unbelievers, it is the hope for believers as well!  Paul’s next words speak of the power of the gospel to save.

Yes, the gospel saves those who repent and turn to Him.

This is MOST DEFINITELY true! 

But there is more here.  Paul wants to preach the gospel TO BELIEVERS because it is the power of God for salvation.

But wait, they are already saved?

How does this work for believers then?

This verse is a powerful statement of hope that the gospel does not just save us from our sins, IT ALSO SAVES US PERFECTLY in the future in final salvation at the end of days!

The gospel saves us from sins.

It keeps us safe.

It ensures our final deliverance and safety into the kingdom of God!

In a world of turmoil, difficulty, uncertainty, and fear, THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION!

What hope this brings!

What comfort!

What joy!

What peace!

Abba, help us to keep this GOOD NEWS in razor sharp focus in our every day lives!  Keep this good news as the greatest passion of our hearts and help us to teach and train this to the next generation so that they too carry this GOOD NEWS to their children and their children and their children! 

Abba, this is really THE ONLY GOOD NEWS!  What better news is there than the God of creation sending His own son to die in the place of sinners so that His own just wrath against sin can be appeased; so that upon the repentance of our sin and faith in the Jesus, the Messiah, that we would be forgiven and restored to right relationship with our maker; and that this very same GOOD NEWS secures us for final salvation from the troubles and turmoil of this life!

There is no better message of hope and joy and this.  There is no better truth; no better passion.

Oh Abba, that we might cast aside all our distractions and lesser passions to keep central at the core of our beings, this singular passion for the gospel of Jesus and for genius and heart of the origin of such GOOD NEWS.

We love you, Abba!