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.

— Romans 1:16

17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,

18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

— Romans 6:17-18, 22

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

— Galatians 5:1

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

— 1 Corinthians 1:18

The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

— Isaiah 52:10

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and salvation from Christ to you.

The Bible tells us that by God’s power alone, He saves people from slavery to sin, setting them free to know, love, and obey God. We should not be ashamed of the gospel because the good news about Jesus demonstrates God’s mighty hand at work. God does not simply tell us about salvation; God Himself provides salvation through the gospel.

The gospel is for everyone who believes. In Romans Paul explained God’s systematic disclosure of His gospel – first for the Jews and then the Greeks. Chronologically, the Jews did occupy an advantageous place in God’s dealings with humanity. As God’s chosen people, they received amazing privileges, the greatest being that God’s promised Messiah came from their nation and the line of Judah. During that long period of time, Gentiles lived apart from God, worshipping other gods and living without the hope of the Messiah. We praise the Lord that through Paul and his coworkers, the gospel of the eternal salvation was preached to the Gentiles. (Inspired by BSF’s Study of Romans)