For the apostle Paul, that one thing is the Gospel. Paul begins his letter to the church at Rome with these words, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17).
This fall, we begin a study of the book of Romans entitled “Saved for Life.” For those raised in reformed protestant church traditions, like Presbyterians, being ‘saved for life’ means we can never lose our salvation. But for Paul, being saved for life means so much more. It means being saved for a kind of life that begins this side of the grave and continues for all of eternity. Being saved for life means we are saved for a life of redemptive purpose within the cosmos God is making new. That is nothing to be ashamed of!
I’m encouraging every individual and small group to take up the study of this rich and profound book. While there are many re-sources available, I especially commend N.T. Wright’s study guide on Romans (N. T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study). It is available on Amazon® in paperback and e-reader formats. Our study this fall will take us through the first eight chapters in the book of Romans.
I look forward to this practical and theological journey as we learn from the great Apostle what it means to be Saved for Life.
