1Paul,
a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, set apart into the Gospel of God, 2which
He promised beforehand through His prophets in [the] holy Scriptures …
I love studying the Bible. At first glance, these verses
seem like just routine introductory remarks; however, each phrase is pregnant
with profoundly important and encouraging truth! After introducing himself,
Paul goes directly to the centrality of the Gospel.
To begin with, we note it is the Gospel of God. It is “of
God.” And what is it? The Gospel. The Good News. I think it worthwhile to
observe that the Greek word translated “Gospel” was actually a common word
which was used most often in the case of “good news” from the battlefield. It
was a message of victory, of enemies defeated, of a city or nation delivered –
but this is, in particular, the Gospel of
God. This is God’s good news and it is all of the above – a message
of victory, of the enemy defeated, of
souls and lives of people delivered.
And this is not new
news. It is the Gospel of God which was promised beforehand. And when was this “beforehand?” This Gospel is nothing
less than God’s promise in the very Garden of Eden, of the “Seed of the woman”
who would “crush the head of the serpent” (Gen 3:15). This is nothing less than
God’s promise to Abraham some 4,000 years ago, “All peoples on earth will be
blessed through you” (Gen 12:3). It is seriously ancient. In fact, between I Peter 1:19,20 and Rev 13:8, we learn
that the promise even antedates Creation itself. Jesus is the Lamb “chosen” and
“slain before the foundation of the world!”
What Paul is about to tell the Roman believers was no
novelty. It wasn’t what the Ephesian philosophers liked to discuss – “new
teaching,” “strange ideas,” “the latest ideas” (Acts 17:19-21). Our Gospel is Truth, literally with a capital “T.” It
is ancient truth which antedates even human history itself. It was true before
there was a man to believe it. It’s been true ever since the Garden of Eden. It
is still true today, and its truth is our hope for all eternity. It is the Good
News of God that Jesus is the Conquering King, the Rider on the white horse,
who has in fact crushed the head of the serpent, and who has delivered us from
the dominion of Satan and into His marvelous kingdom of light. Even as you and
I live our lives here in this world still awaiting Jesus’ arrival, we live in
the hope that our King has already
won. Our enemy is a defeated enemy.
That hope means you and I can go out today into a scary
world where the very air we breathe would kill us and yet go bravely and confidently,
knowing that love will win, because He who is love has crushed the head
of that evil serpent, the dragon, our ancient adversary Satan. That adversary
is still the roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He is still the murderer
from the beginning, the liar and the father of lies, deceiving the nations, who
reigns as the prince of the power of the air, but our Jesus slays him with the breath
of His lips. It is tremendously encouraging me to remember that, although evil
seems very, very powerful in our world, all our God has to do is “huff” a
little breath and He blows it all away. That is how big a challenge it is to
Him! “Hoosh,” He breathes and all the most powerful designs of evil cease to
exist. Right now in America, it seems like evil has literally risen up on its
hind legs and is breathing out “threats and murder” to overwhelm any last remnants
of good left in our country, and perhaps it will; but above it all reigns Him
who can blow it all away with the breath of His lips. Perhaps evil will win,
but I don’t think so. Not this time. I believe the Lord will rise up and
deliver to the forces of evil a crushing blow. I can only pray that He will not
only defeat them but crush them and
let the good people of America be encouraged, let our America go on at least
for a time to be a place where good is honored, where the Bible is respected,
and where the nation of Israel supported. I don’t know how things will fall
out, but I know the forecast for our lives is God’s kindness.
That is God’s Good News. Our King wins.
God help us to be people of hope. We live because of an ancient hope, because of an ancient
message of hope, the Gospel of God.
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