Many will no doubt spend this Super Bowl Sunday in front of
their televisions surrounded by friends, chips, dip, and wings. Some watch the
Super Bowl for the football, others for the commercials, and still others for
the halftime show. Regardless of why anyone watches this spectacle, one thing
is true, the Super Bowl garners a lot of attention from all kinds of people as
it is the most-watched and highest-rated television event broadcast every year.
Though I’ll join the ranks of those watching tonight’s special event along with
some friends over at our home, I cannot help but find the fascination with and
anticipation of what will go down tonight a bit convicting. After all, football
is just a game. Commercials, no matter how clever, are just thirty-second
sound-bites intended to sell material products. In the grand scheme of things,
these things matter very little.
Thankfully, this morning’s message offers something truly
special and life changing. In Romans 1:16-17, Paul reveals a thesis statement
that successfully introduces the remainder of his letter to the church in Rome.
Therein, three invaluable declarations are made that speak to the most
important topic and greatest spectacle of all—the gospel of Jesus Christ.
1. The Gospel is
Nothing to be Ashamed of-1:16a-“…For I am not ashamed of the Gospel…”
Romans 1:16-17 mark Paul’s transition from the introduction of
the letter to its body. As such, these verses acts as a kind of thesis
statement that informs the major themes of the letter to follow. This thesis
statement is divided into three declarations that are each introduced by a
forceful “for.” At the beginning of verse 16, the declaration is clear—“For I
am not ashamed of the Gospel” (1:16a). Several different views concerning this
opening remark have been offered in an effort to explain why Paul begins with
this strikingly defensive statement. For instance, some have suggested that
this is an example of the literary device known as litote in which one implements
an understated negative comment to make a positive point. An example of this
can be seen in the phrase “I am not without some understanding of the New
Testament.” This is a round-about way of saying “I know a thing or two about
the New Testament.” Here, when Paul says “I’m not ashamed of the gospel,” he
may be implying that he is exceedingly proud of the gospel.
This was important for Paul to communicate to the church in
Rome, especially as he sought their support. It is possible that more timid souls
would have been sheepish in offering to the sophisticated elites of the Roman Empire
a message involving a poor carpenter’s son who was believed to have risen from
the dead after claiming to be the Son of God. Paul’s appreciation for the gospel
message was anything but sheepish—he was proud to be associated with this story
and the facts therein.
Not only was Paul not ashamed of the gospel, but Paul was
not being put to shame by it. He was working not to let the gospel message down
and believed that it had not let him down either. For these reasons, and
perhaps more, Paul could say without equivocation that He was not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ.
The proof of this statement’s truthfulness is witnessed in a
small survey of Paul’s ministry found in 2 Corinthians 11:21-33. As Paul seeks
to defend his ministry and apostleship there, he goes to great lengths to
delineate exactly what he was willing to do for the Gospel message.
2 Corinthians 11:21-33-“To my shame I must
say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone
else is bold—I speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. Are they
Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of
Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so;
in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number,
often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was
shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on
frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my
countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the
wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been
in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst,
often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external
things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the
churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my
intense concern? If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my
weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is
blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the ethnarch under
Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and
I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped
his hands.”
This does not sound like someone who is ashamed of what he
stands for. The same might be said about what is found in Paul's earlier letter to
Corinth when he says the following in 1 Cor. 2:1-2.
1 Corinthians 2:1-2-“And when I came to you,
brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming
to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except
Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
It would appear as though, for Paul, the gospel and its
Christ was never hidden away behind other more friendly discussions and/or
safer topics. Instead, it was front and center, even at great cost.
Can the same be said of your life and my life? It is not
difficult to be proud of the gospel in the confines of this church, within the
fellowship of believers, and in the privacy of our own personal walk with the
Lord. However, would your family/friends/coworkers/passersby say of you that
you were proud of gospel of Jesus Christ or might they be surprised to learn
that you even have an opinion on the matter at all? If there was ever a time in
history for us to stand for something, if there was ever a need in our country
for the gospel to be exalted, if there was ever a need in our world for more
people to proclaim the good news unapologetically and without reservation, it
is NOW!
2. The Gospel is the Power of God-1:16b-d
The next two declarations help the reader understand why
Paul was so proud of the gospel of God. First, he says “for it is the power of
God for salvation, to everyone who believes” (1:16b).
“To say that the
gospel is ‘power’ is to acknowledge the dynamic quality of the message. In the
proclamation of the gospel God is actively at work in reaching out to the
hearts of people. The gospel is God telling of his love to wayward people. It
is not a lifeless message but a vibrant encounter for everyone who responds in
faith” (Mounce, Romans, 70). This
sets the gospel apart from other religious jargon. God is at work in the gospel
message. To hear the gospel is to encounter the power of God. Dwight L. Moody
once compared the gospel to a lion saying “All the preacher has to do is to
open the door of the cage and get out of the way!”
The acute power of the gospel is implied by the word “power”
(dunamiV) which in this context refers
to “a supernatural power having some particular role in controlling the destiny
and activities of human beings” (Louw Nida). In what way could such power be
realized more than in the program of salvation and the eternal implications
thereof?
This powerful gospel is able to bring salvation. In fact,
its proclamation exists for just that—to provide an opportunity for
life-transformation and, as a result, a change of destiny in those who respond
positively to it. Later, in highlighting how radical salvation is, Paul
compares the transformation to being alive from the dead (see Romans 6:13).
Few understood the power of salvation more than Paul,
formerly Saul. Remember, Saul was antagonistic toward the Christian movement in
general and the gospel message in particular. Believing it to be anathema to
the traditional Jewish teachings that he had studied at the PhD level under
Gamiliel, Saul stopped at nothing to see the Christian movement and the gospel
message squashed. However, after confronting the gospel message on the road to
Damascus, Saul’s life was forever changed. So radical was this change that he
even changed his name from Saul to Paul.
The transformation that Paul went through was so radical
that in some places he refers to himself as the chief among sinners and
elsewhere refers to himself as an apostle born out of time. What is able to
turn a persecutor into an apostle? What is able to bring the dead to life? What
is able to render the lost saved? The power of the gospel which is for
salvation.
However, this radical transformation was not available to
Paul only—it is also available “to everyone who believes” (1:16). This is the “good
news:” all have the potential of experiencing the same salvation and
transformation from death to life, lost to saved, that Paul experienced. The
wording here is especially important, for, the scope of the declaration, “everyone,”
suggests that the gospel and its many blessings is available to all—not just a
select few. Also, the participle “who believes” suggests that the gospel’s powerful
effect on a person seems to depend, in some ways, upon his/her believing it—that
is trusting it with all of themselves.
This suggests that the gospel does not negate a person’s
free will. In other words, God does not force himself on anyone against his/her
will. “For the power of the gospel to effect salvation, the hearer must respond
in faith” (Mounce). This faith is not a work, but a response to what is offered—accepting
a gift is hardly meritorious inasmuch as the gift is purchased and offered by the
giver.
That the gospel is available to everyone who will accept it
is reiterated by the phrase “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (1:16d).
In the New Testament world, there were two kinds of people—Jews and Gentiles (Greeks).
Here, it is clear that the gift of salvation was made available to God’s chosen
nation first—the Jews. After all, God had worked through the Jews via Abraham,
Moses, David, and Jesus to bring about salvation to the world. Unfortunately,
many Jews had and continue to reject the salvation that Jesus provided for a
myriad of reasons. With the gift of salvation burning a hole in God’s
proverbial pocket—he decided to make it available not just to his own people,
but to anyone who would take it. Paul will go into much more detail on this as
the letter continues later.
However, in this second declaration, Paul is hoping that the
church in Rome would marvel at the power of the gospel as witnessed in its
ability to radically transform the life of anyone who will believe it. Have you
trusted the gospel? Have you experienced the power of the gospel in your life
and passed from death to life?
It is one thing to be a football fan, but another thing
entirely to belong to a team. A fan appreciates things from the outside in.
Commitment is casual and subject to change. Fans also don’t pay much attention
to the team but once a week or so. A team member on the other hand has firsthand
appreciation for things. Commitment is profound, not subject to change and being
on the team consumes everything about their lives and has an indelible effect
on who they are.
Unfortunately, many people are merely fans of the gospel and
have never experienced its power of transformation. These fans like Jesus
alright, but only have a superficial connection to him and his teaching. Commitment
for them is casual and attention to him is only given about once a week or so. A
believer is someone who is not just a fan, but a member of the family of God. He/she
has experienced the power of the gospel firsthand, is committed to Jesus in a
profound way, and has been radically affected.
3. The Gospel Results
in Righteousness-1:17
This lasting effect of the gospel is emphasized in the third
declaration made in these verses—“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” (1:17). Many people believe that what they need to be saved is
God’s forgiveness for their sin. While this is true, the ransom for sin has
already been paid in full on the cross. What is keeping the lost from a right
relationship with God is a lack of God’s righteousness. However, those who have
believed the gospel have the righteousness of God! One of the powers that the
gospel has on the individual is its ability to justify a believer before God,
rendering them righteous in his sight. This results in a right relationship with
him.
Such righteousness is not given based on anything that the
human being has done. It is a right standing that is received by faith to those
who trust in Jesus. Previous sinful records are expunged. The believer has
received total commutation. The pardon has been issued to them and, as a
result, he/she can begin a new life.
Ephesians 2:8-9-“for by grace you have been saved
through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works
lest any man should boast.”
In this new life, Paul says “the righteous man shall live by
faith” (1:17b). Here, Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 and suggests that faith in God
not only is awarded with justification and God’s righteousness in a moment; it
is also integral to living in righteousness thereafter in a process known as
sanctification.
That the righteousness of God in salvation is brought on
totally by faith is central to the New Testament teaching of salvation. During
the 16th century, three phrases betrayed how the reformers
understood the gospel message: sola scriptura
(Scripture alone), sola gratia (Grace
alone), and sola Fide (faith alone). The
latter two are especially in view here as Paul introduces the major themes of
the gospel. It is God’s grace alone that extends the gospel to everyone who
will believe it. It is faith alone that results in the righteousness that one
absolutely needs to both know Christ and grow in Christ thereafter. We are both
saved by grace through faith and are growing by grace through faith. This is
the power of the gospel. This is good news!
Paul makes it clear in this final declaration that the gospel
results in righteousness. Is righteousness a pursuit of you life? Are you in a
right relationship with God almighty?
So What?
Super Bowl Sunday promises to be a spectacle for the sport’s
enthusiastic, commercial aficionado, and music lover. Against the bright technicolor
backdrop that is annual event garners, this passage reminds us of what is truly
remarkable, awe-inducing, and transformative—the gospel message! The gospel is
nothing to be ashamed of! Instead, it ought to be broadcast through our lives
as it was in Paul’s. The gospel is the power of God! It alone is capable of
bringing about the salvation that everyone is in desperate need of. The gospel results in
righteousness! This righteousness is what grants those who believe the permission to enter
into and grow in our relationship with God. Are you able to declare these
truths today along with Paul?
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