The Gospel of God
(Romans 1:1)
The gospel is the news of salvation proclaimed to mankind who had fallen into despair because of sin. It is news that comes from God. So great is its value that it makes the proclamation of an emperor seem trivial. For this reason, it is called the gospel of God.
Humanity Imprisoned by Sin
Human beings are held captive by the dreadful, irresistible power of sin. By nature, they are self-centered, judging everything out of selfish desire. They ought to love people and use things, but instead they love things and use people to obtain them. For their own gain, they practice lies and deceit, and even they drive the innocent into destruction. All the while trying to shut out the fear of eternal punishment, they say, “This is the only life I’ve got.” Yet the fear of death—and of the judgment that follows—never truly goes away.God’s Calling
From such a desperate reality comes the good news that God saves us—this is the gospel. To proclaim it to all humanity, God Himself called Paul and set him apart. On the road to Damascus to destroy the church, Paul met the Lord, who said to him, “Why are you persecuting Me?” In that shock, he realized that God had set him apart for the gospel. From then on, he dedicated his life to preaching the gospel, enduring every suffering and hardship. As a result, we too have heard this message of salvation.A Mission to Be Passed On
The baton of the gospel, which the forebears of faith kept at the cost of their lives, is now in our hands. The gospel is the fruit of God’s unceasing work and the only message of salvation given to mankind, who had fallen into despair because of sin. The time given to us is running out, but people are rushing toward destruction. Now is the time to treasure the gospel and dedicate ourselves to it. Let us open our eyes to the absolute value of the gospel, and let us give our lives to pass this baton of eternal love to the next runner.
Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim
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