Deconstruction: The Laundry Room–The Church Is Messy - Thursday
Today’s Verse
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. (NIV)
I stood frozen. Staring down an endless expanse of brightly colored detergent bottles, each promising unparalleled freshness and cleanliness. Which one? Clean rain or ocean breeze? Fresh lavender or mountain spring?
Choosing the right laundry detergent should be simple though. Pair it with water and a solid washing machine, it will transform a pile of dirty clothes into clean ones. The right gospel can transform us in the same way. I emphasize right because there are a lot of gospels out there…in fact everyone is telling some kind of gospel.
It may be the gospel of self-care, or financial security. Maybe certain political leaders or a trendy workout plan or diet. They are all where someone thinks the good life can be found. Where peace and joy are waiting.
If you’ve been around Christianity for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard the word gospel before. But over time, religious words can lose their power and meaning by becoming too familiar. So let’s take a moment to rediscover what this important word meant to the people who wrote the Bible.
“Gospel” translates in Greek as euangelion, which is a compound word. Eu means good, and angelion means announcement. Aka “good news,” but what kind of news?
It’s what we might call national news or a royal announcement. Like when a nation hears their army was victorious in battle or when a new king is inaugurated.
And, the gospel of a new king means not only a new kingdom but a new way of life.
Jesus often taught of this new Kingdom way of life. It was a place of radical love, where enemies became friends and the marginalized were celebrated. An upside-down kind of place. Where the last are first. The humble are exalted. The broken are healed. It was a kingdom demonstrated most powerfully on a Roman cross as the King died for his enemies.
Then the first followers of Jesus spread this gospel far and wide. They wrote it down in the four accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. They shared it verbally, traveling and teaching about this incredible King…proclaiming the royal announcement!
This gospel may not always be easy to believe. It sounds too good to be true. But when people encounter the real Jesus, something changes. Lives are transformed. Hope is ignited. That’s why we join in boldly declaring, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”
REFLECTION
Today’s invitation is to submit to the right gospel. Evaluate what you are putting your hope in. Are we simply going through the motions, or are we actively submitting to Jesus as King? Are we sharing that good news with the people He has put us around?
