Footsteps #232

“¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.^{[g] 17} This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” NLT (Rom1.1:16-17)

Consider the word ‘Gospel’ in v16&17 and its connection to living by Faith. (Compare 1Cor.15:1-4, Eph.28-9 and Rom.3:21-25.) Savor the great gospel words of “grace” and “faith.” Note that the promise, sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Christ form the foundation of Paul’s understanding of the gospel. This small word has literally changed the world! Praise God for the good news of His gift in Jesus!  

That English word ‘power’ comes from the Greek ‘dunamis,’ where we get the English word dynamite. Paul uses the word in v16 in relation to the work of salvation. He expresses the fact that the gospel carries with it and is backed by the power of God, who alone is able to save individuals from sin and gift them eternal life. 

One thing the apostle will make crystal clear in the early chapters of Romans is that people are unable to save themselves from the ravages of sin. No matter how hard they try, they can’t free themselves from the corruption that abides in their very nature. That’s where God’s power comes in. He can do what we can’t do. And it’s very good news. 

God’s power, the apostle claims, is aimed at salvation, a word meaning to rescue, preserve, deliver or save. The basic idea is that the power of God in salvation rescues people from the penalties of sin. 

Salvation will – among other things – deliver people from wrath (Rom.5:9), from hostility to God (v10), from sin (Matt.1:21), from being lost (Luke.19:10), from futility (1Peter.1:18), from a “yoke of slavery” (Gal.5:1), from demon possession (Luke.8:36), and from sickness (v48). Salvation also brings reconciliation with God (Rom.5:9,10) and a multitude of blessings.  

God’s work of Salvation has past, present, and future implications. In one sense it has already been accomplished and provided for by the once-for-all death of Jesus on the cross (Heb.7:27). But it is also the present experience of those who accept God’s gift and are learning to walk with Him (Rom.6:1-10). Then again, salvation has a future aspect. It will not be completed in all its fullness until Jesus comes again in the clouds of heaven (1Thess.4:13-18; 1Cor.15:51-55). Theologians call this Justification, sanctification and glorification.