PASTOR'S CORNER

  Romans 1:8-17   The existence of the church and the Christian life is all about the gospel of God.  The gospel is not merely a lifestyle of Christianity; the gospel is a message of hope for sinners to come to and receive eternal rest by His grace.  The gospel is not a lifestyle, but a message that rescues sinners from death and destruction.   What the gospel is not….  To moralize the culture to do and be better.  To make our Governments and elected officials, as trustworthy.  To make our marriages better.  To make our children obedient and respectful individuals as they grow into adulthood.  To make us to feel obligated to going to church each Sunday.   What the gospel is…..  The gospel is the saving grace bestowed upon a sinner who doesn’t deserve it.  The gospel is rescue mission to save sinners from the Almighty wrath of God.  The gospel is God’s demonstration of His love towards the unlovable.  ...

  Rom 1:1-5 The gospel was not a divine after-thought, nor was it first taught in the New Testament.  This is exactly what Paul is affirming to his audience in his opening letter.  The Gospel isn’t some “back up plan” to God’s mistakes or strategies in dealing with sin.  According to Paul it was “promised beforehand” through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures. (v2)  Why would Paul begin his letter like this?  Maybe this was for the sake of his Jewish critics .  By emphasizing that the Gospel was God’s perfect plan of redemption spoken frequently throughout in the Old Testament.  This statement Paul makes in (v2) is very important, because what Paul is authenticating is that the gospel didn’t originate with him or even Jesus’s early ministry.   This was God’s plan before the foundations of the earth.   The Jews would understand what Paul was saying by “Holy Scripture” this is reference to the Old Testament.  Unfortunatel...