Verse of the Day 8/3

Verse of the Day 8/3

Romans 1:16-17

English Standard Version

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

The read through the New Testament plan that I follow has brought me to the book of Romans.  It is my favorite book of the Bible and over the years, I've probably spent more time in it, read more commentaries, listened to and read more sermons from it than any other book in the Bible.  Today's verses are part of that reason, thinking about the "gospel" what it means to us as Christians and considering the power of God to salvation.  God's power that brought the universe into being has also brought salvation to us in the person of Jesus Christ.  We live by faith in Him and are powered by the Holy Spirit living in us.

Stop for a few minutes today and think about what this means to you.  Then think about the last statement, "the righteous (those in right standing before God) shall live by faith. It is a way, it is the way of life for us.  Through joys and sorrows, through sickness, trials and through the good times in life, we are to live by faith.

John Piper writes, "what this means is not that the gospel is God's power to convert people to faith (although that is indeed true!), but that it means the gospel is God's power to bring those who keep on believing to everlasting safety and joy in the presence of God.....The gospel is mainly the good news that God himself has rescued us from the wrath of God. Not mainly from ourselves and the mess we make of our lives, but from his own anger and his own righteous judgment. The gospel is the power of God for salvation from the wrath of God — the power that brings us to eternal safety and joy in the presence of God."

That power is available to us through the blood of Christ that was shed for us on the cross. That precious blood has given us new life and the power to live life by faith.

1. Would you be free from the burden of sin?
   There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood;
   Would you o'er evil a victory win?
   There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.
   • Refrain:
     There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
     In the blood of the Lamb;
     There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
     In the precious blood of the Lamb.
2. Would you be free from your passion and pride?
   There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood;
   Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide;
   There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.
3. Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
   There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood;
   Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
   There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.
4. Would you do service for Jesus your King?
   There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood;
   Would you live daily His praises to sing?
   There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Romans 1:8-16

English Standard Version

Longing to Go to Rome

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[a] that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.