What the Gospel Reveals

About this sermon

Introduction: We are thinking about convictions that fuel gospel courage. We saw, last Lord’s Day, what Paul’s attitude was concerning the gospel. He’s not ashamed. But Paul didn’t just tell us what his attitude was; he told us why. And we noted how important the “WHY” is. The why of anything will determine our staying power. If our reason for something is sound, and convincing, then we are motivated for not being moved away from it. We noted that Paul’s reason is not something subjective. It is objective, it is concrete, it is fixed. Paul’s attitude concerning the gospel is explained by Paul’s convictions concerning the gospel. And last Sunday we looked at the first conviction upon which His confidence rests. He knows that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and to the Greek. That’s the first conviction. He’s not ashamed because he knows what the gospel is. And now this morning we begin with the second conviction that explains Paul’s glorying in the gospel. The gospel is glorious not only because of what it is, but also because of what it reveals. Paul is VERY CLEAR with his logic in these verses. Paul is eager to preach the gospel (vs.15). He is eager because he is not ashamed of the gospel (vs.16). He is not ashamed of the gospel because the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (vs.16). The gospel is the saving power of God because of what it reveals (vs.17). And this understanding of the righteousness of God is anchored in all the revelation of God. “AS IT IS WRITTEN,” PAUL SAYS. Here is the theme of the entire letter. We examine verse 17, under three headings as we continue to think about convictions that fuel gospel courage. (1) The great revelation found in the gospel (2) The great need addressed by the gospel (3) The great gift necessary for the gospel. THE GREAT REVELATION FOUND IN THE GOSPEL What is revealed in the gospel is righteousness. The word revealed is a present tense, passive voice, form of the word ἀποκαλύπτω. The passive form of the verb indicates that God is the one who is revealing His own righteousness through the proclamation of the gospel. It is God’s righteousness, being revealed by God, through the proclamation of the gospel. The words “in it” make clear that it is in the gospel message itself, and in its proclamation, that this revelation of righteousness is unleashed. Now what exactly is this righteousness? What is being revealed in the gospel? There’s been a debate about this. And the debate can be boiled down into two basic camps. Is the “righteousness of God” to be taken as a reference to a legal status before God? Or, is this a reference to a transformative work by God? God’s saving activity.