In View of God's Mercies: The Gift of the Gospel in RomansНамуна

Day 5: I Am Not Ashamed

Read Romans 1:16-17.

I hope that as we study, memorize, think about, and discuss these two verses, our grasp of the greatness of the gospel will grow and our worship of the One who saved us will increase.

What Does It Say?

As you read these verses, did you wonder why Paul wrote, “first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (v. 16, NIV)? Was he prioritizing the Jewish Christians over the Gentile Christians? No. Paul was simply referring to the chronological history of salvation.

God chose to work out His plan of redemption over time, and He did it through the nation of Israel. The Jewish people were the ones with whom God entered into covenant. The prophets and priests were Jewish. And Jesus came as a Jewish man to the Jewish people first. That is what Paul was referring to—salvation came first to the Jew and then to everyone else.

What Does It Mean?

Paul wanted his readers to understand that salvation can never be “earned.” Nothing can be brought to God in exchange for salvation—no good works, no amount of money, no family legacy. Nothing. Salvation is always and only given as a gift to those who come empty-handed and believe in God. We are saved by faith alone. And we continue to live in the reality of our salvation by faith. That was Paul’s point: “the righteous” (those who have been saved by faith) are to (also) “live by faith” (v. 17).

What Do I Do?

In verse 17, Paul talked about the righteousness of God. Righteousness is not a wildly popular topic of discussion. If you’re a Christian, you might even shy away from using that word when you’re talking to unbelievers. It calls to mind phrases like “self-righteous” and “holier-than-thou”—a way none of us want to be described. But our entire salvation is wrapped up in this word: righteousness.

And that is Paul’s big point—salvation is all about God’s righteousness, not ours.

Name two to three mercies you have seen in our passage this week.

I’ve so enjoyed spending this time with you. May God, in His great mercy, give us all a greater hunger for His Word, love for His Son, and gratitude for our salvation.

For more of this study, including video teaching by author Courtney Doctor, visit lifeway.com/mercies.