Devotion by Pastor Sun Ai Zhen
Romans 1:16 says, “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 said that he was not ashamed of the gospel, which is the good news of how Jesus Christ came in the flesh to save us from sin and death. After Paul experienced the Lord’s enlightenment, he began actively preaching the gospel. Through his missionary ministry, he started churches for the Lord in various places and strengthened fellow workers of the Lord. Whenever you open the Bible and read Paul’s epistles, you will see that besides Jesus, Paul is someone we can emulate—a life transformed after being saved by the Lord!
As Christians, we experience our heavenly Father’s love for us through grace. Because we believe in Christ’s redemption, we are able to know the Word of God, obey it and with guidance of the Holy Spirit, live out our lives different from others (the world). Through the Holy Spirit who empowers us, our lifestyle, thoughts, attitudes, and values can be sanctified and set apart from the world and all its lusts of the flesh.
This is the gospel—the power of God! The weak shall become strong in Christ, the sick shall be healed, and the lost shall find guidance. The power of this gospel is the light in this dark age! It is hope! And when the Church and the people of God gather, they should bring the true light of the gospel! All who are saved should live out their lives different from the world; bearing witness of the Lord boldly, preaching the gospel and winning souls for Christ. That is what it means to shine the light of God! This light now dwells in us, and it is our responsibility to keep this light shining continuously and always.
Romans 15:5 says, “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,”
Help us, Lord, so that we can be like-minded with other believers, working together to imitate Christ and the way He lived on this earth (praying to the Father, serving others, loving, accepting and forgiving). Because Mark 1:1 says that Jesus, the Son of God, is the beginning of this gospel. So it is all about Jesus! As long as our hunger for Christ does not diminish, our passion for evangelism will only increase! May we all continue to live lives that are different from the world and preach only the mighty gospel of Christ!