Eternity Daily Bible Study - No. 492 Series: Romans 1-8 "A Righteousness That Is By Faith" Verses: Romans 1:1b-4 Topic: The Gospel Is.... Date: 29th July 2005 Romans 1:1b-1:4..separated to the gospel of God (which He had promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures), about His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was marked out the Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; The gospel is: a) of God b) a promised gospel -as revealed by the prophets in the Scriptures c) about His Son d) who is a real person, a descendant of King David e) and also was declared to be the Son of God in power f) by the Holy Spirit g) through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The gospel is "of God" - it originated in the mind of the Father who then sent His Son for the redemption of all who believe. The Father was not reluctantly persuaded to have mercy but in fact decided on the gospel course of action "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:1-11). The gospel of Jesus the Son of God was "promised beforehand.. in the Scriptures" - through the prophets. The gospel was not made up in a day, or revealed as a new notion in a philosopher's brain. God was continually looking forward to the revelation of His Son and gave big hints to those who knew Him best - the prophets. These fragmentary hints (Hebrews 1:1-3) formed the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle with Jesus as the final answer. The gospel is what the prophets longed for. The gospel fulfills the law and the prophets. It is the completion of God's promise to fallen humanity made as early as Genesis 3:15: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." The gospel is "about His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord", in the words of the Purpose-Driven Life "it is not about you". The gospel is not about the individual Christian or even the needs of mankind as a whole. It is not a program or a doctrine. It is good news about the Son of God. Thus while the gospel enables personal salvation it is not wholly about personal salvation. The gospel is about the incarnation, ministry, suffering, death, resurrection and return of Jesus Christ - whether anyone gets saved or not. The good news would still be both true and good even if no one ever believed it. The fact that millions have believed it is wonderful, but the good news is simply and intrinsically good, because it is about the eternal Son of God. "Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" - Jesus is a flesh and blood person with a definite (and royal and traceable) ancestry. Thus Jesus is far more than a conceptualization or a philosophical theory. Jesus could be touched, Jesus got tired, Jesus wept and got angry and suffered and died. Jesus was fully, definitely, historically and genetically human. Yet Jesus was not an "ordinary human", He was of the chosen Messianic line via Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David, a line that contained such luminaries as Solomon and Uzziah and Rahab and Ruth. The only reason that Jesus was a carpenter was because the royal line had been suppressed. If Herod and the Romans had not been occupying Israel Jesus would almost certainly have been King. "who was marked out the Son of God in power" - this is translated in varying ways: the ASV has: who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord, and the ISV: and who according to the spirit of holiness was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead-Jesus Christ our Lord. Either way this means that the resurrection validated the claims Jesus made about being the Son of God. Claims such as "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.." require the strongest possible validation and this was provided by Jesus' rising from the dead. This declaration of Sonship was accomplished through the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, whose mission includes exalting and validating the work of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in power at His baptism and during Jesus ministry the Holy Spirit worked in and through Jesus to heal and teach and do signs and wonders that authenticated His gospel of the Kingdom. The means that God the Holy Spirit used to validate Christ was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This awesome act immediately made Jesus different from all other religious leaders whose graves are with us to this day. The resurrection meant that God had approved of Jesus and that one human being has overcome death - and by implication, many more would soon follow. The resurrection meant that the curse on those "in Adam" (death) did not apply to those who are "in Christ". Romans 5:15-19 But God's free gift is not like Adam's offense. For if many people died as the result of one man's offense, how much more have God's grace and the free gift given through the kindness of one man, Jesus Christ, been showered on many people! (16) Nor can the free gift be compared to what came through the man who sinned. For the sentence that followed one man's offense brought condemnation, but the free gift brought justification, even after many offenses. (17) For if, through one man, death ruled because of that man's offense, how much more will those who receive such overflowing grace and the gift of righteousness rule in life because of one man, Jesus Christ! (18) Consequently, just as one offense resulted in condemnation for everyone, so one act of righteousness results in justification and life for everyone. (19) For just as through one man's disobedience many people were made sinners, so also through one man's obedience many people will be made righteous. Blessings In Christ, John Edmiston (johned@aibi.ph) __________________________________________________________________ REFER OTHERS: If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving this daily bible study. 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