Paul And his Good News
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
St.
Paul opens his Epistle to the Romans by declaring that he has been
“separated unto the gospel [good news] of God” (1:1). This agrees with
Galatians 1:15,16, where he says:
“It pleased God, who separated me, from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me…”
The
last book of the Bible tells of the coming “revelation of Jesus Christ”
in glory, to judge the world and reign on earth, but here in Galatians
we have “the revelation of Jesus Christ” in Paul, the chief of sinners,
saved by grace. The salvation of Paul, the one-time leader of the
world’s rebellion against Christ, indicated God’s willingness, yes His
desire, to save sinners. Thus it was appropriate that God should choose
him as the apostle of His grace, making the good news known “to all
nations for the obedience of faith.”
Let
us not suppose, however, that Paul’s gospel concerned only himself or
God’s grace to him. Apart from Christ’s payment for sin at Calvary God
could not justly have saved Paul — or any of us. Thus the Apostle goes
on, in Romans 1, to explain that this good news which God has sent him
to proclaim is “concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1:3).
All through Paul’s epistles he proclaims salvation by grace, on the basis of Christ’s finished work of redemption:
“Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).
“Who
was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ” (4:25; 5:1).
“Where
sin abounded, grace did much more abound, that… grace might reign
through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord”
(5:20,21).
So the message of salvation by grace is essentially good news about Christ and what He has wrought to purchase our redemption.
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King James Bible
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