Daily Devotion (September 7, 2024)
Romans 1:16 (NKJV)
“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.”
Paul lived in a day of moral degeneracy, evil, wickedness, and corruption. It was much like today in the United States. Rome was a moral sewer, a cesspool of detestable and inconceivable wickedness. The people stood opposed to the moral righteousness of the Gospel.
Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome somewhere around 24 to 28 years after the death of Christ on the cross. Paul was a Jewish leader who accepted Christ as his Savior. He was a missionary, a warrior for Christ. He gave up a life of power and prestige to follow Christ. Before accepting Christ as His savior, he was a persecutor of those following Christ. He knew what it was to be a persecutor and be persecuted. He knew what it was to be abased, humbled, and humiliated. The one who walked tall as a persecutor now was imprisoned and persecuted.
Paul preached the Gospel of Christ. His focus was to preach the Gospel of Christ. Luke records Paul’s words in Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. In Romans 1:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Philippians 1:21; 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul’s passion to witness to and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus is found. Paul wrote to Christians exhorting them to not only live the life of believers in Christ but to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We need the same passion and zeal today. We need to be focused on Christ calling in our lives and not on our own passion. Daily our focus must be on Christ. In corporate worship our focus must be on Christ. We must admit it is only because of Christ you are reading this. It is only because of Christ you will be going to Heaven. It is only because of Christ you have life.
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” Do you have Christ living in you?