Romans 1:8-17 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

I was reading an article the other day about the first vending machine ever made. In the article the author stated:

“the first-ever vending machine was utilized all the way back in the 1st century A.D. — by the Christian church. No, it didn’t dispense indulgences, though that would have been awesome, and probably have inspired rampant sinning in a 10-foot radius of the machine. What it did dispense, as if it was Fruitopia or Surge, was holy water.

Apparently, there was a real problem with people taking more holy water than they paid for. As a non-Christian, this is surprising on two levels because first, I didn’t think that was something you bought, and second, hoarding holy water seems like a heavy-handed metaphor, not a real problem.

Nevertheless, everyone wanted as much of this water as they could get. It was like reverse Dasani. Thus, a man named Hero of Alexandria, which I assure you is his name and not a placeholder I forgot to remove, designed a solution. People would be given tokens that they could trade for their allotment of holy water…”

Of course there were numerous comments with the article about how crooked Christians were even back then. This idea has been spreading through the Internet for years – I didn’t learn of it until this week. But the reality is that the inventor of the Holy Water Dispenser – Hero of Alexandria – died in 70 AD. At that time the Church was under heavy persecution, and had no temples nor buildings until the time of Emperor Constantine in 313 AD signed the Edict of Milan. Christians didn’t have holy water dispensers nor buildings to put them in, as Christians were being killed for their faith. According to the site History Facts, the Holy Water Dispenser that Hero of Alexandria created was made for the pagan worship temples of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian gods.

It had nothing to do with Christianity.

But I’m not surprised. If the devil and the devil’s world hates any faith, it is the faith of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. The devil and his dark kingdom is constantly at work striving to manipulate the Gospel message. The Apostle said:

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) .. we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The devil does not want us to understand the Gospel, for it is the Gospel and the Gospel alone that will defeat the forces of evil, and saved those which are lost.

The Gospel Is A Work Of God That
Produces A Visible Faith

Before the Apostle chastises or corrects the Roman Christians, he starts out with a positive note. He starts out with

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Paul thanks God for the Christian Churches in Rome. Paul does the same thing for the Churches at Corinth:

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 (NKJV) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him …

The Churches at Ephesus:

Ephesians 1:15-16 (NKJV) Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers …

The Churches at Philippi:

Philippians 1:3-5 (NKJV) I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now…

and to the Churches at Colossae:

Colossians 1:3-5 (NKJV) We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel …

I can go through every New Testament Book and find similar statements, but you see my point. When the Writer (inspired by God the Holy Spirit) addresses the Churches, he always notes that there is a clear evidence that the Gospel not only saved these communities of faith, but brought about a God given love in the hearts of its people – an enduring changed faith. The Gospel is not a “bootstraps” program where we work our way to God. Paul writes:

Romans 1:8 … I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all …

Paul does not thank the people for living in their faith. He says “I thank my God THROUGH Jesus Christ”. The Gospel is the message of salvation, but God is the worker in the Gospel. God the Holy Spirit – the same One Who controlled the writers of the Scripture – brings a Gospel change to those who repent and surrender their lives to Christ. Think about this statement:

Romans 1:8 … that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

The Roman Christians had a FAITH THAT WAS SPOKEN OF. Though there was no Internet, no Television, no Newspapers nor Radio, no Social Media of any type, the Roman Empire was SPEAKING about these Christians. They were living their faith out loud. Not just in Church buildings (which did not exist until after the Edict of Milan), but on the street, in their businesses, and in the marketplace. The Roman world was decidedly NOT sympathetic to these Christian believers. Had Christians worshiped multiple gods and goddesses, they would have been accepted. But Christians worshiped One God, serving Him alone. Because of this

Romans called Christians “atheists”.

The Roman citizen was taught falsehoods about Christian rituals. They were taught that the Lord’s Table was “actually a cannibalistic affair in which Christians ate the flesh and drank the blood of their master. The use of the holy kiss led the Romans to believe that the Christians were engaged in raucous orgies when they met together. And the fact that Christians referred to each other as “brother” and “sister” gave rise to rumors of incest among them.”

As the Roman Empire grew, it became harder to maintain order over the various conquered nations with their gods and goddesses. To stabilize power Rome taught Emperor Worship – that Caesar was “Lord”. An article on the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary notes:

“Toward the end of the first century, (Roman) Emperor Domitian sent out a decree that all in his empire should worship him as “God the Lord.” Residents of the empire were ordered to come to the public square, burn a pinch of incense, and speak the words Caesar kurios, “Caesar is lord.” This act of devotion seemed little enough in light of the emperor’s divine power and benevolence toward his subjects. And refusal could result in imprisonment, confiscation of property, banishment, and even death. Christians, however, did refuse. They confessed a higher allegiance: Iesous kurios, “Jesus is Lord,” recalling Paul’s admonition, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)”

The Roman Christians were on the front line of this battle with darkness, and yet “their faith was spoken of THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD”. Christians in Rome were not just shamed, but were tortured, made sport of in the coliseum, and killed. Yet they continued to stand up for Jesus. Paul knew how hard this was, as he himself was a constant target for attack. He writes:

Romans 1:9-11 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established…

Paul prayed for these Churches, that they would be strengthened in their faith to endure the persecution they were going through. Paul wanted to get to Rome where he could share the Word of God with them, to strengthen them in their battle against darkness.

Paul Wanted To Preach The Gospel To The Romans

For some weird reason (and the devil is probably at the center of it), people think that the Gospel is only for the lost, to save a person to Christ. The Gospel is not just for the lost – it’s for the saved as well.

Romans 1:12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

The Gospel COMFORTS the believer, and brings us into union with one another. The Gospel bridges the differences in each person. We all have different opinions, different ideas, different likes and dislikes. But we have ONE GOSPEL. The Gospel is:

1. We are ALL SINNERS, and NONE are WORTHY on their own to come to God or be in God’s Presence. “No one is righteous – not even one” (Romans 3:10, NLT). We without Christ can do no good in God’s eyes. “No one does good, not a single one” (Romans 3:12, NLT).

2. We are born hopelessly separated from God. But “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV). We are born spiritually dead, but God came to this earth to give His life for us. Jesus came down from Heaven and “died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 5:3). His end goal was to call whosoever will to His side so that God the Holy Spirit could cause us to be born again, changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive children of God.

3. Repenting and calling on the name of Jesus, we are saved because Jesus purchased us to His Kingdom. The Scripture says:

1 Peter 3:18 (AP) Christ suffered ONCE FOR SINS, THE RIGHTEOUS (SUFFERED) FOR THE UNRIGHTEOUS, to BRING US TO GOD

and again,

1 Peter 2:24 (AP) (Jesus Christ) HIMSELF BORE OUR SINS IN HIS BODY ON THE CROSS. Why? So that we (who are saved by faith in Him) might DIE TO SINS AND LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. By His wounds WE ARE HEALED.

4. Saved into the Kingdom of God by faith, our faith SHOULD BE SPOKEN OF THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

We are saved from darkness, and to light; from sin to the Savior; from this world to the Kingdom of God.

Christians come together because our faith is ONE. We comfort one another by looking to the Gospel, and realizing how good the Gospel is. The Apostle writes to the Christian Churches of Philippi:

Philippians 1:27 (ESV) … let your manner of life be worthy (axios) of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel

Sinclair B Ferguson in his book “Worthy: Living In Light of the Gospel” writes:

“In English versions of the New Testament, the Greek word axios is usually translated “worthy.” But its flavor is expressed elsewhere when it is translated “in keeping with” (Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20). Like many other words, there is a picture lying behind the origin of axios. It means “Properly, ‘bringing up the other beam of the scales,’ ‘bringing into equilibrium,’ and therefore ‘equivalent.’ … The basic idea is that a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ expresses in the form of a lifestyle what the gospel teaches in the form of a message. Such a life takes on a character that reflects the character of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are to be like Jesus. He is THE Son of God, but we are to be “sons and daughters of God”. Those saved by Him are to imitate Him.

Those who PROFESS Christ are to be POSSESSED of Christ. The Gospel is not a “one and done” message, but is what saves us, and what we live by.

Romans 1:13-14 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

Word Study: Though Paul has never preached the Gospel to the Churches at Rome, he has wanted to do so. He said “I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto)”. This is Old English. Let me put it in plain language. Paul is saying, “I tried to come be with you several times, but I was stopped up to this point”. Why? Because God sent Paul to preach the Gospel in other areas, to other nationalities of people. Paul says, “I am DEBTOR both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise”. The word “DEBTOR” is the Greek opheiletēs, which means “to be under obligation to another, be bound by duty”. Saved by the Grace of God, called to Christ’s side by the glorious Gospel, Paul is under obligation to “preach the Gospel”. He has preached the Gospel in other places, to well to do people, and to bums by the world’s standard. He has preached the Gospel to the wise, the educated, the Doctors and Pharisees. He has preached the Gospel to barbarians, uncivilized or savage people. Then Paul drops this bombshell:

Romans 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

Wait a minute! The Churches at Rome – we were told earlier – had a “faith spoken of throughout the whole world”. If they’ve got a faith that has endured through all the persecution at ground zero, through all the shaming, through all the torture and humiliation and, yes, the killing and raping …. then WHY DO THEY NEED TO HEAR THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL THROUGH PAUL?

Because the Gospel is the driving force of Christianity. The Good News that God loves us, and gave Himself for us – we need to hear some form of that every time we meet.

The Gospel reminds us that we need God in Christ every single moment of every day. The Gospel is God the Son holding my hand. I came to the Gospel when the Holy Spirit convicted me that I was damned and shortly headed to hell. Down on my knees I cried out, “What must I do?” (Acts 2:37; 16:30). Broken, I needed the Great Physician. I heard the answer of the Spirit, “Repent, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Give your life to Him, and you will be saved” (Acts 2:38). Forsake all you have, come and follow Jesus (Luke 18:22). And He will save – and keep on saving.

When people “backslide” from Christ, the problem always lies in their perception of the Gospel. When you become “your own”, then you have abandoned the Gospel. What says the Scripture?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (AP) … You are NOT YOUR OWN. You are BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: therefore glorify God in your BODY and in your SPIRIT, for they belong to God.

When you try to do penance for your sins, or say “I have no sin”, you have abandoned the Gospel:

1 John 1:7-9 (KJV) … if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When I consider myself superior to another believer, we have abandoned the Gospel. We are all broken. We all need the Gospel. Not just at the point of salvation, but every moment of every day.

The Gospel Is God’s Power Unto Salvation

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Paul loved the Gospel – and we should, too. We cannot change people. But God’s Gospel can. We cannot save the nation. But God’s Gospel can. The Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”. This is not talking about a momentary belief, a one time thing. When the Gospel is first believed, it brings about a change in that person. What is that change?

Romans 1:17 … the JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

We are born into Christ’s Kingdom by the Gospel. We live our lives by the Gospel. We leave this life confident of another, greater glory with God because of the Gospel. Do you know Him? Those who profess Christ, but live in sin, do not know the Gospel. The old time Puritan Chaplain John Owen (1616-1683) wrote:

“Never was there less regard of the person and offices of Christ, of his grace, and benefits of his mediation, among them that are called Christians, than is found among many at this day. Unless God graciously relieve, the world is like to lose Christ out of the gospel, as to the true glory of his person, and use of his mediation. … That which is the foundation of our profession in opposition hereunto, which we lay the weight of all our eternal concerns upon, is, that without Christ, before we receive him as set forth by God to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, we are in a lost, undone, and accursed condition; that our closing with him, our believing in him, is upon a conviction of our want of him for life, righteousness, and acceptation with God, both before and after believing.”

The Gospel is found in Christ. Christ is the Gospel. We need Him for salvation. We need Him for life. We need Him through life. We need Him throughout all eternity.

I think I’ll make Jesus my all and all
And if I’m in trouble on his name I’ll call
If I didn’t trust him I’d be less of a man
‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand
Oh Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand
The mountains too high and the valleys too wide
Down on my knees that’s where I learned to stand
‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand
Oh Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.
(Cody Johnson)

May God touch your hearts with His Gospel! Amen.