THE UNASHAMED GOSPEL
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. The gospel is the only reason we can worship as His children.
Apostle John wrote this in his last letter, “And they sang a new song,
saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you
were slain, and by your blood you
ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign
on the earth." Rev 5:9-10
Paul continues to remind us of that truth in the opening greeting to these dear saints in Rome. A greeting he did to encourage his listeners when he sent his letters to the churches….with the exception of his letter to Galatia. Where he said, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Gal 1:6-10
Unlike the Galatian church mishandling of the gospel….. Paul was encouraged and desired to see these saints face to face for the first time. This was not some casual visit, but of one to edify and be edified as the church gathers together. (v11-v12) He says “ I thank my God” this indicates his personal relationship that he has with the Lord. Paul is grateful despite his conflict to come to them and He praises God for the people of this church. (v8) Paul loves them “All” he considers them all in his prayers, not just a few of his favorites, but all people of this church family.
What is Paul thanking God for here?
Paul is thankful because of
their “faith is
proclaimed in all the world.” (v8) These believers faith and proclamation was
known throughout the world “the cosmos” Though this is a hyperbole, the faith of the
church was known throughout the Mediterranean
World. Rome was the city of the world. Her Law was the foundation for all that
followed her. Her artwork and structural beauty was
brilliant. Her military system was the wonder of the
world. But amoung all her beauty
laid…. a people dead (spiritually) corrupt in nature, lost and waiting judgment, apart from the good news
of the gospel power. The Roman Empire was the center and whatever
happened in Rome became known universally.
The impact of the gospel was known amoung these people
throughout the land.
So much so they were told to
leave the area. “After this Paul left Athens and went to
Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come
from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because
Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.” Acts 18:1-2
This powerful message offends some, because it upsets the apple cart or their personal comfort bubble. We are committed together for the sole cause of something to flourish, and that is the cause for Christ and the gospel to be known and heard. The heart of the unashamed life of the gospel is….self-sacrificing, its gospel- centered living. This is important…..Why? Because the message of the gospel is everything to Paul, and it should be for you and me as well. The power of the gospel is what Paul is not ashamed to proclaim to the cosmos.
Why? Paul knows….. The absolute inability of man to save himself from his sin and our condemnation is a constant theme throughout Scripture. Job said, “If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me.” Job 9:30-31. Jeremiah knew this truth as well. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” Jer 13:23. David knew his own inability to save himself, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” Psalm 51:3. Paul Washer wrote, “The walls of depravity around the heart of man are much stronger and made of harder stuff than those that surround Jericho. If men could not bring down the walls of the great city by their own power, they cannot conquer the depravity of their own hearts. It must be the power of the God.”
In this letter to the Romans alone…. Paul would state that we are “powerless or helpless,” This means… we are apart from the gospel, “impotent, weak, and feeble, someone without strength” to save ourselves. In Rom 5:6 Paul would say, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Paul would later remind the Church of Rome couple of chapters later this reality about his own life. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Rom 7:24. This is why it’s the power of God unto salvation; this is why the gospel is not a lifestyle, but a message of hope for lost sinners. Left to ourselves man cannot be saved, but God hasn’t left man to himself, He has provided us means of salvation through His Son.
As Jesus said when His disciples were amazed at His teachings
on the gospel. “And
the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again,
"Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter
the kingdom of God." And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to
him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus
looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For
all things are possible with God." Mark 10:24-27
This is why Paul boldly says
“I am
not ashamed of this gospel. (v16)
The Gospel is a scandalous message! Why? The world at large see’s Jesus and the gospel as hate speech; the gospel is a major threat to our so called “Civilization”. The Gospel takes someone that is unholy, and declares them holy; solely on the grounds of God’s unmerited grace. It’s taking someone who drinks iniquity like water and regenerating them into His likeness, solely on the grounds of His sovereign goodness. It’s taking sinners like you and me, and declaring us His adopted sons and daughters. See! When a child of God looks back to the Cross it should instantly cause our hearts to melt with adoration and praise. This scandalous message is so amazing that it saved you and me from the wrath that is yet to come. The Scriptures recognize that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a “stumbling block” and “foolishness” to all men of every age, and of any culture. However…. if we seek to remove the scandal from the message; this is to make void the cross of Christ and it’s saving power.
As Paul clearly proclaims
here
to the saints in Rome.
What does the power of the gospel of His redeeming grace look like? The God of the universe looks at your life and my life through the lenses of the gospel and says, “I have absolutely no record of anything ever having gone wrong in your life.” That is scandalous grace……..knowing who I was, before Christ saved my wretched soul. And what’s equally is amazing! God also says, “I have a record of everything having gone right in your life.” That is the scandalous grace of God in the gospel and the power of God in our salvation.
This is why we proclaim the gospel. The gospel isn’t a lifestyle; but a message of “GOOD NEWS” to the world; that there is saving power in the gospel; to save weak, and impotent people, like you and me.
It’s The Power of the Gospel That We Are Unashamed Because We Are Justified by God Alone. “Righteous” means “in the right” this word here has a twofold sense of “the righteousness of God”. 1st This Is In Reference To God’s Personal Righteousness. God’s character is righteous, and is the definition of what righteousness is. See! We don’t declare what is right and what is wrong. God’s very character is the standard of what is right. And we are told by Jesus to do what? “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,…” Matt 6:33. The righteousness of God was revealed in His Son. “And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,” 1 Cor 1:30
2nd Is The Righteousness With Which God Justifies Sinners Through The Gospel. “For in the righteousness of God” where we get the word “justification” is a word we will see throughout this letter to the believers in Rome. By the term righteousness Paul uses these expressions to refer to God’s saving righteousness. This means God bestows a righteous status over our lives. God counts us as righteous, based solely on the grounds of Jesus Christ. His death takes away our sin, and His resurrection establishes us in His kingdom of righteousness. This is called an “imputed” (credited) righteousness.
God’s righteousness…… is “revealed” in (v17), and its “manifested” in Rom 3:21. This transformative righteousness is not limited to a mere declaration. What God declares or decrees become a reality since He is the Creator and redeemer of men. God’s righteousness……. is parallel with God’s power (v16), His righteousness (v17), and His wrath (v18). His righteousness is not static but unleashing power in active way. His righteousness is transformative and active. Martin Luther called this when he studied this doctrine an “alien righteousness” Why would Luther say that? Because this righteousness is not our own; it is Jesus’ righteousness.
The unrighteous now become righteous.
God’s righteousness in the gospel power puts sinners in a right position with a holy God. This righteousness, that which isn’t our own. As Paul said “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Rom 3:21-26
Paul unpacks how we received this new status. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:17-21. The righteousness that God requires of us is the righteousness God has provided for us in Jesus.
The power of the cross to
which
we are not ashamed to
proclaim.
The power of gospel for salvation brings deliverance from
spiritual infection. As we read in Acts 2:40. “And with many other words he bore witness and
continued to exhort them, saying, "Save
yourselves from this crooked generation."
The power of the gospel for salvation not only delivers us
from our spiritual infection, but delivers us from spiritual ignorance. “and
to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus
is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting
vengeance on those who do not know God
and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” 2 Thess 1:7-8
The power of the gospel also delivers us from darkness. “He has delivered us from
the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins.” Col 1:13-14
Paul Washer said
"God saved you for Himself; God
saved you by Himself; God saved you from Himself."
J C Ryle said
“Christ’s death is the Christian’s life.
Christ’s cross is the Christian’s title to heaven. Christ “lifted up” and put
to shame on Calvary is the ladder by which Christians “enter into the holiest,”
and are at length landed in glory. It is true that we are sinners–but Christ
has suffered for us. It is true that we deserve death–but Christ has died for
us. It is true that we are guilty debtors–but Christ has paid our debts with
His own blood. This is the real Gospel! This is the good news! On this let us
lean while we live. To this let us cling when we die. Christ has been “lifted
up” on the cross, and has thrown open the gates of heaven to all believers.”
That’s the glorious truth
of the GOSPEL!
Think about this as we close this morning. By the power of the gospel and the righteousness of God……for a sinner…. It is possible for men and women to stand sinless before God. It is possible to know that one has eternal life. It is possible to be free from the frustrations of trying to earn righteousness and Heaven.
For Paul, God has given him so much he could never pay Him
back. I count
everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my
Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as
rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a
righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from
God that depends on faith—“ Phil 3:8-9
This is what fueled Paul’s passion; and it this is what fuels my passion, to proclaim God’s righteousness and power of His gospel for sinner to turn to Christ and live. That’s the power of the Gospel and that is the Gospel we are never to be ashamed about. “The righteousness God requires from us is the righteousness God has provided for us in Jesus.” This why were not ashamed to proclaim this message to the cosmos. The Gospel unquestionably glorifies God as extremely valuable, which ultimately makes Christ all glorious and worthy of all our joy together. As His children who have been justified by His Son, and are to seek to become righteous people as we obey God’s law and walk in His ways.
Martin Luther…. sought every means in monastery to satisfy the demands of God’s Law, yet he had no peace. Luther was an expert in the Law of God, and every day he was in terror as he looked in the mirror of the Law, as he examined his life against the righteousness of God. We would be no different than Luther; if we did the same. Unfortunately we block out the view of God’s righteousness. Because we judge and measure ourselves by one another. Instead we should be measuring ourselves in the mirror beside the righteousness of God. If we did what Luther did, we too would be living in torment every day. But! When Luther saw the gospel for what it was and the righteousness that God bestowed upon sinners he found complete rest for his soul. This is what gave him the strength to stand from that moment on and that was most evident all the more when he stood before Kings and officials of the church, at the Diet of the Worms. He refused to compromise once he tasted the gospel of Jesus Christ and had been delivered from the torment of the Law and works righteousness.
Only the power of God could take that away from him. For in the righteousness of God we are declared justified by the only One, who can save us from ourselves. The Gospel justifies not in death of the sinner, but in the power of His salvation though His Son Jesus Christ. This is why we stand, proclaim boldly to la lost world. “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.” (v16)
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