So, as much as is in
me, I am ready to preach
the gospel to you who
are in Rome also.
For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power
of God to salvation for
everyone who
believes, for the Jew first
and also for the
Greek. For in it the
righteousness of God
is revealed from
faith to faith; as it
is written:
“The just shall live
by faith.”
Romans 1:15–17;
Habakkuk 2:4
I
will open with these questions: “Are you ready to preach the Gospel?” Are you
in some manner displaying that you are ashamed and in fear that you are a
Christian. Are you, or have you, become only a Sunday Christian? Do you really
believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God to salvation? Do
you believe that the world needs the Gospel now more than anything? Are you
willing to forgo yourselves and live solely for Jesus Christ in all you do? God
is revealed starting from faith and ending in faith. It is by faith that we
live and not by sight. Paul was ready to preach to whomever and wherever he was
and was not ashamed of the Gospel, even so that he was beaten, and left for
dead, and suffered a death at the hands of the emperor of Rome, preached even
with guards present and in chains. Paul lived for and looked for heaven. Do
you? Are you? Am I? We cannot prove God existence by science. We can by
science, have some proof that it is possible for a God to exist; yet, we cannot
have empirical truth outside of nature that God is and has spoken. God expects
us to have faith, for if we don’t have faith, then how can we know that we
actually believe in God, not the possibility that there might be a God, rather
by faith we believe with assurance that God exists and has spoken. Our faith is
not apathetic or just some tacit thinking that there is a God, rather it is
active and in force in our lives to live according to God’s commands believes
by faith that the righteousness of God is and has been revealed. Look around!
Can you see that what the world believes and how they live is not just, and is
harmful even if they believe that they are doing ok, and yet there is much
crime, unwarranted death, unruly rulers, backbiting, hate, etc. Do you think
that a God who is just and loving will continue to allow this? Do you think God
is asleep, or as the Deist believe that God created and sits back and allows
things to continue as they are without any interference by God? Think! The
Great Flood of Noah’s day is a major sign against such Deistic thinking and God
does allow man to sin, and to suppress the truth but not eternally: God will
and has acted: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness, because what may be know of god is manifest in them, for has
shown it to them” (Romans 1:18–19). God is seen in nature, in what governs
people, even though often wrongly governed, yet, the laws are of a moral
nature. Why? Because man was made in the image of God and His attributes, even
though corrupted by sin still exist, at least in some form and in a Christian
they exist by our faith in God. Man can look around at nature and see in
science that our world is not some haphazard appellation caused by evolution.
There is more than design, there is some harmony necessary within the world,
our bodies, that necessitates that there be life, and things. This all requires
information and science, evolution cannot explain how this information exists.
God has, for He has revealed Himself to us in nature, and in His word and in
the hearts of those who have faith. We have no excuse: “Because what may be
known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so
that they are without excuse, because they know God, they did not glorify Him
as God, nor were they thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their
foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:19–21). We can understand, that is,
if we look, at the world and all its wonders and see that God does exist, yet
men have become so darkened by their own thoughts and have little or no thought
of God. They ignore what is plain and in view. The power of the Godhead can be
seen in the body of man. The cell alone is so enormously intricate and yet so
wonderfully designed and of necessity by its design to give life. DNA which is
the foundation of life exists and is protein, and makes protein, and this by
another protein, and enzyme that must exist for DNA and for DNA to work and
cannot exist unless there is this enzyme: they must exist at the same time.
How? God designed this for life and it is this with its information to aid DNA
in making the necessary proteins with there various folded shapes that determines
what type of protein it is and for the need of the body. And yet, many will not
believe. Why? Their hearts are darkened. God is a Spirit. Man is carnal and not
a spirit. Therefore we cannot see God, and faith is required, and yet we are
not in some form of blind faith for God is manifested in all of nature and has
revealed Himself to man through many men throughout the ages. This can be found
in His written word preserved for us and for all who come after us until the
day Jesus Christ returns for God’s children.
This is the
Gospel. Are you ready, are you preparing, to preach the Gospel? To live the
Gospel? To be what God has called you to be? Do not be as those who have become
and allowed to happen; their darkness that is unwise: “Professing to wise,
they became fools” (Romans 1:22).
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin
is always before
Me. Against You, You only have I
Sinned, and
done this evil in
Your sight––that You may be found
Just why
You speak, and
Blameless when you judge.
Psalm 51:3–4
Live By Faith: Not By Sight
Richard L. Crumb
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