Romans 1:16-17 NIV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
In case you haven't been paying attention, we may as well have out with it: I'm no scholar. I mean, yeah. I know a skosh more about Scripture and theology than your average bear, but bears catch fish better than I do. So there you go. And I digress.
I did, however, get a few passing grades listening to theologians and this truth one of them drilled into my head:
The heart and center of the Letter to the Romans is "the righteousness of God."
You want to "get" Paul's point here? Pay attention to the word "righteousness" and everything associated with, compared to, and contrasted with "the righteousness of God." Why shouldn't we be embarrassed or ashamed by the Gospel of Christ? Because (and this is a huge deal) in the message of Christ's cross "the righteousness of God" is revealed through faith in Jesus Christ.
Stay tuned!
Thank you, God of All Holiness and Most Righteous, for loving enough to reveal and make available to us your goodness, that we might experience it and be that same goodness for others through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
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