To God be the Glory!

Weekly Devotion

"Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith -- to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen." Romans 16:25-27

Who brings us to faith in Jesus Christ that we might have pardon and forgiveness through faith in His name? Who establishes us in the true and saving faith that we might continue to trust in Christ and receive eternal salvation? It is not our doing but solely the working of God through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. To God belongs all the glory. He sent His Son to redeem us; and His Holy Spirit, working through the Scriptures, creates and preserves us in the true faith unto life everlasting. To God be the glory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

In the beginning of his epistle to the believers in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote (Romans 1:16-17): "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.'"

He closes his letter, saying that God is the one who establishes us in the faith according to his gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, a mystery kept secret since the world began but now revealed and made known to all the nations by the prophetic Scriptures, according to God's command, that people might believe the Gospel and place their faith in Christ Jesus.

And, of course, God receives the glory, for He provided salvation in His Son and He brought us to trust in Christ and establishes and keeps us in the saving faith by the gracious working of God's Spirit through the Gospel.

We as individuals and as a church can bring no one to trust in Christ or establish anyone in saving faith. That is God's work, and He does it through the hearing of the Scriptures -- through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 10:17; John 6:44,63).

The Gospel of Christ "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.'" In the Gospel, the imputed righteousness which is of faith is revealed to and received by those who have faith in Christ Jesus.

We praise and glorify Your name, O God, for our salvation in Jesus Christ. Establish and keep us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

Editorial on 09/27/2017