Unashamed | Morning Routine Daily Devotional for January 19

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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” — Romans 1:16–17 ESV

The letter to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul in part to address conflict in the church at Rome between Jewish and Gentile believers. Not many years before the letter was written, the Emperor Claudius expelled ethnic Jews from Rome, which would have included Jewish Christians. This left only Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians in Rome. After a few years, they were allowed to return but, if Romans 13–15 is any indication, their reunion was contentious. Paul’s letter seeks to disarm the two parties by expounding on the gospel message and how it applies to Jews and Gentiles alike.

So in today’s passage, at the outset of Romans, Paul emphasizes that the gospel saves all who believe—both Jew and Gentile. So when Paul says he is ‘unashamed’ of the gospel, he is giving his full endorsement to it and all of its ramifications. 

This truth that the gospel is for everyone may seem obvious to us, but it’s implications are profound: Even the person that you vehemently disagree with—if they believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ—they will be saved just as you are. This causes Paul to rejoice since Jesus’ death on the cross causes all who believe to be made righteous—justified in God’s eyes. To put it differently, the gospel that saves me should affect how I relate to other people, including people who are unlike me (and perhaps don’t like me!). Romans declares, There is NONE who is righteous, not even one, and We have ALL sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So now comes the hard question: As those who have believed this gospel message, is it affecting our compassion for others? Is it causing us to love others, even the unlovable? Perhaps there is someone in your life who has been difficult to fully love—a family member, student, coworker. Pray that you would see them as God does. And as we do let us, we are declaring in our very actions—this gospel is for everyone!