David Bahn – Reflections

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David  according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I remember the day vividly. We went to Little Rock for a sweat chloride test for our youngest son. He had been born 8 weeks early and after three days was thought to have symptoms consistent with those of Cystic Fibrosis. This terrible genetic disease brought with it many troubling implications for both him and our whole family. The definitive test, however, was the test he was having that day. The results would be available to us six hours later that day. So we spent the day shopping, and hanging out…waiting.

When the results came in, “negative” I felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. Hours of prayer and petitions of many had been offered to God. Even today, I am struck with how favored we were in regard to this health threat. Our son is strong and healthy, with two children of his own – two of our five granddaughters, and 3 grandsons. That was a day of good news.

The Good News (“gospel”) of God to which Paul refers is even better news than what we learned that day. It is the basis for the entire letter he is writing to the people of God in Rome. It was promised many years previous through the prophets of the Old Testament. It centers in Jesus Christ, Son of God, descendent of David. It holds the hope of the resurrection from the dead. It is grounded in the Trinity. It overflows with God’s grace. It compels people (like Paul) to go great distances to proclaim. It is received by faith. It brings glory to God. It is a gift that brings peace. Those who embrace this Good News in faith are saints.

This “gospel of God” is both from God and about God. God is the source of this good news. He was moved by his love for the world to send his Son to redeem the world. He was at work when Jesus died and when he was raised from the dead. The Holy Spirit declares this Good News by means of Jesus’ resurrection. The message itself is all about God’s good will for us who belong to Christ.

Some will not see this as Good News. There are those who are both disobedient and unfaithful. Even we who believe sometimes lose sight of just how good this Good News actually is. But the constancy of God’s grace and peace centers our hearts whenever we pause to remember. Just as I did today, thanking God as I recall the the good news of the sweat chloride test results, we can all thank God as we reflect on the Good News he brings to us in his great love and salvation. It is the substance of grace and the source of true peace.