”For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes….”  Rom. 1:16.

I remember back in my early days with New Tribes Mission when in our “boot camp” in PA we were going through “the Romans” that our camp leader gave us this simple definition of salvation:  “It is spiritual health”, he said.  That has stayed with me over the years with “fiery characters”.

In Denmark I have to say this with caution as there are false teachers around that would equal salvation with physical health.  In this town of mine I once listened to a nationwide known “healing preacher”, cherished by many Christians, who superficially quoted Rom. 1:16 and said, “Isn´t it wonderful with that “power”?  I´m excited to see what it working at this meeting…” implying physical miracles.  And soon sick people were lining up before him at the platform to have him pray for that “power” on their sick bodies.  I felt both grief and holy indignation about this shameless distortion of the gospel.

When Paul dictated his epistle to the Romans it wasn´t just a “dry” theological treatise though he was very much to the point of enlightened, spiritual logic with all that goes with it, but he did so, I believe, with a burning passion!  Though opposed by the hierarchy of his day´s religious leadership with their external moral health (behavior), he with power laid open the lost and sick heart condition of both the immoral sinners, the moral sinners and the religious sinners “that every mouth may be stopped and all the world (including the religious world!) may become guilty before God”  (Rom. 3:19).

We need good, anointed teaching on the Romans in that same spirit today.  To my knowledge this practically never happens in my country.  However, when I, spiritually healed by the grace of the gospel, walk out as a happy “Roman” I´m not offering my surroundings health for their frail bodies, but the gospel medicine in Christ for their sick and lost souls.  This is really what is at stake.  This is the true need of my people, the immoral as well as the moral, including the religious (but not born again) church goers.

Our “approach” is not an intellectual nor a philosophical one.  It is an evangelistic one permeated with the apostle´s passionate cry, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry!”  (2 Tim. 3:5).

May 22, 2012 – jn