First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you — or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish — hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith."
Romans 1:8-17 - NRSV
Last night, Troy and I listened as Leroy Garrett preached this great text. Our brother in Christ reminded us that the gospel is, after all, a very simple and powerful thing. It is a word about God. It is, in sum, three things: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This, as he reminded us, brings about the threefold response described by our forebears in the Restoration Movement: faith, repentance, and baptism. Our obedience brings us into the blessing of three powerful promises: forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life.
There it is, in one paragraph, the simplicity of the gospel. That is the preaching, the kerygma, to those who are not yet in Christ. Yet for those who become Christians there yet remains learning the teachings (didache) of the church, our doctrine. Now teaching is an enterprise not accomplished in one paragraph. Actually a lifetime of study would not complete the task; the teachings of the church continue to grow as the world changes and new challenges require new responses.
How is the gospel alive and well in our lives today? How does it affect our world view, our actions, our words? How does it shape our interactions with one another and with those who have yet to claim it? As Leroy put it, “Let us treat others as Jesus Christ has treated us.” That is enough of a challenge for any of us on this good day, this day that God has given us.
Grace, and peace,
Ron
