Romans 1:16-17 Now Available feat. Aryn Michelle

Aug 25

Romans 1:16-17 is now available on all streaming platforms!

THE VERSE

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."

Everything changed in a moment for him.

It happened on a dusty road to Damascus around 2,000 years ago. Saul, soon to be the apostle Paul, was en route to a city seeking to do away with those spreading the Christian message. After a surprise encounter with the risen Jesus (you can read all about this in Acts 9), he suffered possibly the biggest shift he could have and it centered around the gospel. The word “gospel” means “good news” in Greek (euangelion). In this case, it’s the good news of what Jesus accomplished for us through His life, death, and resurrection!

At the beginning of his journey, he held a deep conviction that the gospel of Jesus was “bad news.” It was a shame and sham; anyone seeking to spread what he believed was a false message should be imprisoned or killed because they were spreading lies. After the journey, we find this “bad news” that he was fighting against so vehemently suddenly became something treasured and worth fighting for! It became “good news” in his eyes and one that he was unashamed of and would suffer for repeatedly until he was put to death for it years later as a martyr. He couldn’t help but spend the rest of his life trying to share this good news with others and start little communities of faith around the known world of the time that built lives around this good news. These communities of faith were made of Jews but also Gentiles (Greeks)! This good news had a universal scope to it. Paul describes it this way in Romans 1:16.

… it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

From the worst sinner to the most pure, the truth is we all need saving alike and that’s precisely what the gospel does! It doesn’t matter where you’re from, who your parents are, what color of skin you have, what language you speak, or what passport you own. While salvation came through and to the Jews through Jesus initially, the message is universal: it is for Jews and Gentiles alike. The gospel is as expansive as the diverse world we live in. God’s power meets the human in the gospel as they believe and put their faith in Jesus and what He’s done for them! We’re told that as we are saved through this gospel, God miraculously takes His righteousness and puts it in us. How does this happen? Jesus the Righteous One, through the gospel, takes on our sin and flips the script by giving us His righteousness (Romans 3:21-26, 2 Corinthians 5:21). Some have called this “The Great Exchange.” We began our faith journey and continue to live by faith for the rest of our lives in this reality of what Jesus has done and its beautiful implications for us. This is precisely the gospel that Paul was unashamed of and wanted to give his life for as he shared it with others.

As you think about the news of what Jesus has accomplished (i.e. the gospel), how would you describe it in your own words? How do you feel about it? Do you live by faith in this message? If you do believe it’s true, is it a truth that you want to shout from the mountain tops or one that you want to tuck away in a nightstand and hide from others because you don’t know what they would think about you if they knew you believed it? What would it look like for you to live your life more unashamed of the gospel than you do right now? Ask the Holy Spirit for the eyes to see His gospel for what it really is: good news, the power of God for salvation! Then ask Him for opportunities to share this with others…

The Song & The Artist

Aryn Michelle (who wrote and recorded the song) shared what drew her to these verses and a little about how the recording unfolded:

I was drawn to this verse because it opens with such a strong, declarative statement “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” In a culture that is easily offended and quick to draw lines, this is a bold proclamation and one that’s even harder to live out than to simply say. However, this opening statement doesn’t strike me as aggressive or combative, but rather confident and joyful. I wanted to give people a melody that was as confident and joyful as the verse. A tune for the heart to remind ourselves that God had given us faith in order to live out our faith “from faith for faith.” I collaborated with some of my favorite musicians who I know how to lean into the “gospel” style of music as well because I felt like the content of the verse and the character of the melody simply called out for a “gospel” feel.

Song Credits

Lead Vocals - Aryn Michelle
Keyboard & Piano Arrangement - Steven VanHorn
Background Vocals - Brandon & Bunni Ramey
Bass & Sound Design - James Driscoll
Production - James Driscoll
Mixing - Andrew Aurora Productions

You can find Aryn Michelle on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/CwXpavHO0zm/ ).

Website: https://www.arynmichelle.com