Are You Living in Power Today?

Rom. 1:16    For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.  17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Paul really knew what he was talking about in this passage. For there had been a time when his academic and religious pride was very much ashamed of the news about Christ-- so much so that he was part of an international conspiracy against Christ-followers.However, though now he was, in deed, ashamed of that old life, he was not ashamed of a Christ-centered life--not now that Christ had made him into a new creation. As a new creature, made new again into the nature that God had ordained, he was discovering power that had always eluded him. This power was saving people from the consequence of their sin, and from their very sinful nature itself. This power was making Christ-followers to be seen by God as 'right' or righteous. This power comes from just faith alone, Paul reminds us-- from start to finish-- just faith. And, this faith brings righteousness. And, this righteousness brings life-- eternal life!

The earlier 15 verses of Romans chapter one reveal Paul's situation as a 'slave of Jesus Christ' and as one who was 'chosen by God.' We have recently rejoiced together in our discussions about being 'chosen by God. When God chooses, then He grants power to those who are chosen. This power is more effective than anything else we might experience in life.  Paul was reminding new believers in Christ from non-Jewish groups that they were now to be considered as "God's People" -- a status that the ancient and recent Jews had considered reserved to them alone. They seemed ignorant of the ancient Hebrew prophets who told them of the Messiah's coming and sacrifice and of drawing 'all men' to God as His people.  I am not Jewish at all. Chances are, you are not either, though you might have some of that heritage in your family tree. However it no longer matters about those roots as far as becoming the 'Children of God.'  Christ broke the barriers down and opened the holy place for all people of all nations to come. And, he invites men, women, all races, all languages to come together as 'one people' regardless of their past moralities. 

Are you living in this POWER today?  You could be.
Your Servant in Christ's Love
Dan Elliott
drdanelliott@gmail.com