The Normal Christian Life: A Journey Through Romans
Monday, January 23, 2006
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, It’s another Monday, and for many Monday is the dreaded day when work or school resumes. I pray that by Your grace and presence today will be a day when I can boldly share Your gospel, Your Good News with someone in my family or as I go about my day. I pray that instead of being a “down” day, that by the presence of Your Holy Spirit, today will be a day for rejoicing and being glad, a day for living, loving and serving in Jesus’ name, and that by my presence among others, they will also experience the joy of Your presence! I pray that You will guide my life today and that I will walk in Your paths. I pray that I will never be ashamed of Your, but that I will always be eager to tell others that I belong to You and how they can belong to You as well. I ask all these things in the strong name of Jesus Christ, my risen Savior and Lord. Amen.
God’s Word Today—Romans 1:16-17
Romans 1:16-17 NLT
16For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—Jews first and also Gentiles. 17This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Romans 1:16-17 NIV*
16I 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. 17For 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.”
*Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.
Romans 1:16-17 MOT**
16For I am not ashamed of the Gospel; for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and to the Greek. 12For a righteousness of God is revealed in it from faith to faith, as it has been written: Now the righteous shall live by faith.
**MOT is a literal translation of the Greek New Testament by Dr. Chris E. Marshall
Reflecting on God’s Word
Look at Romans 1:16 in the New Living Translation. Consider this: Why do you suppose that the Apostle Paul said that Good News of Jesus is the power of God at work saving everyone who believes, but that it was FIRST for the Jews?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
As you look at Romans 1:16 NLT what are the key words?
How is Paul using the word “power” in today’s Scripture reading?
Understanding God’s Purpose for Us
According to the Apostle Paul, what does the Good News have to do with God’s purpose for our lives?
Applying God’s Word to Our Purpose
Make a list of folks you know who need to hear the Good News of Jesus. (Keep the list short—3 to 5 people)
Take some time in prayer right now for each of these people, and ask God specifically to give you the opportunity to share the Good News with them. (Keep this list, and keep praying for these folks until they come to know Jesus or flatly reject Him!)
Thoughts - I Am Not Ashamed!
The Apostle Paul made it clear that HE was not ashamed of the Good News of God. His reasoning is simple: That Good News is the power of God to SAVE everyone who believes, and Paul believed that apart from that salvation that no one would get to spend eternity with God. That motivation moved Paul to preach the Good News of Jesus all over the middle east and ultimately to Rome. Had Paul not been executed there, he even intended to preach the Good News in Spain! Consider your life as you are living it right now. On a daily basis with whom do you share the Good News of Jesus? Is the list long or short? Is there anyone on the list at all? George Barna, the “Gallop Pollster of the Christian World,” contends that the average Christian in America never shares his or her faith in Jesus with anyone—NEVER! Some of us think that we need more training, or that we need to develop a deeper understanding of the Bible, or we need to be a Christian for a certain period of time, before we can share the Good News of Jesus with others. The truth is I once had the opportunity of sharing the Good News of Jesus with a young woman in Beijing China. She responded, asking Jesus to become her Savior and Lord. The next day a couple of us on the mission team went to her home to take her a Chinese Bible, and we found much to our surprise and joy, that she had stayed up the entire night telling her roommate about Jesus, and she accepted Jesus, too! All it takes to tell others about Jesus is the boldness of the Holy Spirit. Evangelism classes may be helpful, and it’s always great to know more of the Bible, but the reality is every person needs to hear the Good News, and our relatives, friends, co-workers, classmates, neighbors and strangers can’t wait until we are “ready.” We are ready to share Jesus as soon as He is Lord. (More tomorrow!)
This Week’s Memory Verse:
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work. Romans 1:16a