Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

April 26th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The Apostle Paul had complete confidence in the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to change people wherever it was declared. It possessed more than enough power to blow open the capital city of Rome as well as the entire Roman Empire. Paul clearly grasped that the call of God on his life was to present the gospel throughout the earth, and we believe it was for that very reason that God was so able to use Paul in the 3 greatest cities of the known world at that time. He proclaimed the gospel in Jerusalem, the religious center of the world, causing a riot on the Temple Mount; in Athens on Mars Hill, the intellectual center of the world; and finally in Rome, the political and military center of the world. The gospel of Christ is just as powerful today as it was then.

We have a tendency to look at godly men like Paul and become discouraged that our own service for God doesn’t seem as amazing. But the Bible does not present its heroes and heroines of the faith only at their best but also at their worst. Moses was a great leader but also a one-time murderer. David penned many psalms but also committed the most often referenced adultery in the history of man. This pattern of full disclosure continued into the New Testament as well. Peter denied Jesus, and James and John selfishly jockeyed for the greatest position in Jesus’ kingdom. Even Paul wrote that he once despaired of life itself. This should give us all hope for our own faltering attempts to serve God. Reminding us again that it isn’t about us, but God’s power through us. God isn’t looking for superstars, but for people who are not “ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” and who still believe that “it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”

“LORD, please use our stuttering steps today to further Your Kingdom on earth. Forgive us and empower us we pray.”