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. (Romans 1:16)
Daily reading: Deuteronomy 21
Paul wasn’t ashamed to bring the gospel of an obscure Galilean to the heart of the Roman Empire. Though Rome boasted wealth, power and military might, Paul knew its glory would fade. The gospel he preached—the message of a crucified and risen Saviour—carried eternal power. While Rome enslaved and oppressed, the gospel set hearts free. It broke spiritual chains, offered lasting peace and revealed the hope of eternal life. Paul came not as a flatterer, but as an ambassador of the King of kings, frankly calling people to repentance and faith in the One whom Rome had crucified. Where Rome’s power destroyed, God’s power saved. And that power in our text still works today. No matter how small our faith may seem, when it meets God’s power it’s enough to rescue, redeem and restore a sinner to life.
