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What God Taught Me Today
October 30, 2003 Romans 1:16-17
Special Reformation Day Issue
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to
the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith
for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
The Re-Discovery of the Word of God
The 16th century remains a theological watershed for the Church
of Jesus Christ. God used several men to re-discover what had been
neglected for the longest time. The Middle Ages—sometimes affectionately
known as “a thousand years without a bath”—had take
the life’s blood out of the faith and had substituted superstition,
cold, meaningless ritual, and works righteousness for true faith.
In his providential care of his people, God sent forth a reformation
of the Church. Looking around today I long for a revisiting of God’s
reformational grace upon us. Our time is almost unparalleled and
unprecedented in its blatant ignorance of God’s Word; this
in spite of a gazillion translations and a host of mega-churches.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 the Apostle Paul sets forth three redemptive
events that demand our attention. “For I delivered to you as
of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our
sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that
he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures”
(ESV).
These two verses form a backdrop for what Paul says in Romans 1:16-17.
Indeed, they underlie his words. Many reformers in the 16th century
commented on these words from Paul’s letter to the Romans and
found in them the gospel’s summary.
What is the gospel, the Good News? According to Paul, it is not
just a powerful work, but it is precisely the power of God for salvation.
In past ages it would be a foregone conclusion that Christians could
easily tell you what “salvation” meant. Today, sadly,
that is not always the case. Far too many Christians today cannot
tell you where the Ten Commandments can be found or even basic,
elementary, and fundamental truths about the Bible.
The English word, “salvation,” comes from the Latin word
for “health.” In short, salvation is everything that contributes
to the spiritual safety, health, and well being of the redeemed
sinner. It is the all-encompassing work of God’s grace to redeem
lost souls. Scripture is clear that salvation is from first to last
an act of God’s grace, ruling out any works on man’s part.
Any work, the slightest of works, disqualifies grace and ushers
in obligation.
If man does anything to contribute to his salvation, he has earned
it and it is no longer grace. When Paul wanted to make this point
explicit, he penned these words in Ephesians 2:8-9. “For by
grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own
doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no
one may boast.”
How does God save? Paul answers that it is through the message
of the gospel. Unfortunately, some today believe that it is through
the means of track lighting, drums, drama, or embracing techniques
of modern society that we would otherwise deem immoral and relativistic.
Odd. To my way of thinking, track lighting, drums, raucous live
bands, praise teams, and other paraphernalia are modern forms of
legalism. Legalism? Yep. All that stuff means that it’s the
gospel plus something else that is the power of God for salvation.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m enthralled by aesthetics and
I believe that worship should be God-honoring and tasteful. What
I’m referring to here is when all that stuff—drama, being
relevant, etc.—becomes the attraction.
At one of our recent “Presbo” meetings we were blessed
by a number of candidates for the pastoral ministry who gave us
their sense of calling and a summary of how they became Christians.
I sat in rapt attention and listened to one after another say that
it was through the preaching of the gospel. Nobody put their “hands
on the tube,” got swept away in an emotional moment by a praise
team, got hooked on a skit presently “a slice of life,”
or any such thing. It was the gospel, pure and simple. It was the
gospel in its power from God.
The gospel has been and continues to be the “omnipotence”
of God operative to save lost souls. The message is God’s Word
and the Word of God is living and powerful (Heb. 4:12).
Although Reformation Day is tomorrow I’m going to exceed the
celebratory day itself because I’ve already exceeded my allotted
space for this issue. Next week, Lord willing, we’ll delve
more deeply into these two verses that can rightly be said to form
the theme of Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Ron Gleason, Ph.D.
Yorba Linda, CA
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