Romans 1:16-17 - I am not ashamed of the gospel

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Romans 1:16-17

Commentary

The Oklahoma Sooners will face the Florida Gators today in a football championship game. The buzz around this event is big and if you are a football fan the game promises to be a good one. The media has focused on the two quarterbacks: Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Tim Tebow of Florida. Tebow won the acclaimed Heisman trophy last year and Bradford won it this year. They are known as extremely talented players, but did you know that they are also outspoken Christians? Tim Tebow wears Philippians 4:13 on his face during games: Sam Bradford spoke boldly of his faith during his Heisman speech. They both have an unashamed approach to their faith. When the apostle Paul stated that the gospel IS the power of God for salvation, he is saying that when the gospel is known to people, God's righteousness is revealed. This is not an act of convincing; it's an act of revelation. When we do our part, God will do His part. That kind of trust can hold us from first to last. It gives us an opportunity to live by faith in God and watch His promises work!

Today's commentary by:
Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, Grace NYC

2 Corinthians 4:18 - So we fix our eyes not on what is seen...

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18

Commentary

Our world is filled with unsolved mysteries. How did the universe begin? How can it expand infinitely? What are sub-atomic particles made of? Science can only go so far until it collides into things that are not measurable. According to Scripture, we live in a miraculous world that ultimately defies explanation. Jesus tells us that there is a place where rust or moth can't destroy our treasures. C.S. Lewis stated that every person we see is immortal. God gave us the Scripture and prayer because we need eternal reference points to navigate in a world that is passing away. Both the despair of our struggles and the ecstasy of our successes are temporary, so keep your eyes on that which lasts forever - the Kingdom of God.

Today's commentary by:
Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, Grace NYC