SCRIPTURE

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel [good news], and this is it: the power of God saves [rescues, delivers, heals, helps etc.] everyone who believes.” —Romans 1:16

DEVOTIONAL PRAYER

The gospel is not a self-improvement plan. It is not a moral code, a checklist, or a call to be better. It is news—not advice. And news is something new, in this case, a new way of living.

Paul says he is not ashamed of this gospel because it is the power of God. Not the power of your discipline, not the strength of your will, not even the perfection of your conduct. And no one has ever been ashamed of power, have they? The gospel itself carries within it divine energy—the very dynamis (δύναμις) of God—to save, heal, restore, and transform those who believe.

The good news is this: the power that saves does not originate in you. It’s not your power, but God’s. It flows toward you. It’s not based on your intrinsic goodness or worth, but that of your Heavenly Father. You are not asked to achieve salvation, only to receive it.

Faith is an action, and the action required is thanksgiving for the gift that has already been given. That is the secret of receiving.

When you believe—meaning, give thanks and praise—you activate what heaven has already declared. Belief (deliberate joy) is the bridge between promise and possession. Faith, which dresses up as praise, is the door through which grace enters.

So many live exhausted, trying to work harder, perform better, or become holier—hoping God will notice and approve. Many children of God are still trying to earn (deserve) salvation. Yet the gospel overturns this entire human system. It says:

You do not climb to heaven. Heaven has come down to you.

Faith is not an effort; it is a surrender. It is the letting-go of every inner tension that insists you must earn what has already been freely given.

This is why the gospel offends both the proud and the pious. It exposes the futility of moral striving and the illusion of self-righteousness. It tells the saint and the sinner alike that salvation is not a wage but a gift.

The word gospel—in Greek euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον)—literally means ‘good news’. In ancient times, an euangelion was the joyful report of victory brought by a herald after a war had been won. He would arrive breathless, declaring,

“Victory! Peace! The battle is over! The king has triumphed!”

That is the Christian gospel: the war for your restored life is already won—you can breathe, you can rest. The cross was the victory field, and the empty tomb is the announcement. You are not being asked to fight for salvation—you are being told it has been secured—it’s already yours. That is what makes King Jesus so good.

What remains is only to actually believe the report.

Isaiah asked, “Who has believed our report?” (Isaiah 53:1). The question is not whether Christ has accomplished redemption, but whether we have accepted the truth of it. Isaiah continues, “…and who has seen the arm of the Lord?” This is a Hebraism; those “who believe” are also those “who see the arm [power] of the Lord,” at work in their lives.

The gospel is still good. It has not lost its power; only our hearing has grown dull. The world shouts of performance, perfection, and productivity—but heaven whispers, “Just believe.”