(Rom) 1:5, 16-17 CJB “Through him we received grace and were given the work of being an emissary on his behalf promoting trust-grounded obedience among all the Gentiles, For I am not ashamed of the Good News, since it is God’s powerful means of bringing salvation to everyone who keeps on trusting, to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile. For in it is revealed how God makes people righteous in his sight; and from beginning to end it is through trust — as the Tanakh puts it, “But the person who is righteous will live his life by trust.”

Paul describes the Christian life with a powerful phrase in Romans 1: “trust-grounded obedience.” We are saved entirely by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that saving faith produces a life increasingly characterized by obedience to Him.

Grace comes first.

God came for us in Jesus. Jesus lived the righteous life we could not live, gave Himself for our sins, rose from the dead, and offers forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who trusts in Him.

We don’t earn that pardon.

We receive it.

Paul says the Good News is “God’s powerful means of bringing salvation to everyone who keeps on trusting.”

Then he explains that in the Gospel we discover how God makes sinners righteous in His sight: “From beginning to end it is through trust.”

Our righteousness before God rests on Christ’s work, not ours.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Trust-Grounded Obedience Changes How We Live

Paul says he received grace and was given the work of promoting “trust-grounded obedience.”

That’s important.

Biblical faith isn’t merely agreeing that Jesus exists. Saving faith rests entirely upon Jesus while submitting to Jesus as Lord.

We repent of living for ourselves and turn toward God.

Then obedience follows.

Not to purchase salvation.

Not to keep God from taking salvation away.

Not to prove we’re better than somebody else.

We obey because we belong to Christ.

We love Him. We’re grateful to Him. We want to please Him. And increasingly, we want our lives to reflect the character of the One who saved us.

Grace doesn’t eliminate obedience.

Grace produces it.

Don’t Be Ashamed of the Good News

Our obedience also includes telling others about Jesus.

Paul says: “I am not ashamed of the Good News.”

Why would he need to say that?

Because proclaiming Christ could cost him something.

The Gospel declares something our culture doesn’t naturally want to hear: humanity cannot reconcile itself to God.

There aren’t many equally valid paths to Him.

There is one God, and God has provided one Savior.

Jesus said no one comes to the Father except through Him. Peter proclaimed that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

That’s an exclusive message—but it’s also an extraordinarily gracious one.

God has provided a way!

Therefore, we must love people enough to tell them.

Some will believe.

Others may ridicule us, reject us, or even persecute us because we insist that salvation is found in Christ alone.

Our responsibility isn’t controlling their response.

Our responsibility is faithfully proclaiming the Good News.

Please God Rather Than Men

Every Christian man eventually faces a choice:

Whose approval matters most?

If pleasing people requires remaining silent about Jesus, then pleasing people has become more important than obeying God.

We shouldn’t be obnoxious.

We shouldn’t seek confrontation.

And persecution isn’t evidence of faithfulness if we’re simply behaving badly.

But neither should fear of rejection silence our witness.

Paul wasn’t ashamed because he understood what the Gospel actually is:

“God’s powerful means of bringing salvation.”

How could we be ashamed of the only message that can tell a sinner how to be reconciled to God?

Saved by Grace—and Changed by Grace

The Christian life isn’t grace or obedience.

Neither is it grace plus obedience as the basis of our justification.

It is grace received through faith that produces trust-grounded obedience.

Christ’s work alone is sufficient for our pardon.

We trust Him.

We belong to Him.

Then we increasingly obey Him—not to become His children, but because through Christ, we are His.

And part of that obedience is telling others how they can know Him too.

Run Today’s Play

Ask yourself:

Where is my trust in Jesus producing obedience today?

Identify one command of Christ you know you need to obey—and do it.

Then ask:

Who needs to hear the Good News from me?

Pray for one person and intentionally move toward a Gospel conversation.

Men, don’t be ashamed of the message that saved you.

Trust Christ completely. Obey Him increasingly. And love people enough to tell them that Jesus saves.