from Gary Hamrick
... Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Chapel
for Sat 06/13/2026

... The more clearly we understand our need for grace, the more deeply we will treasure Christ.

Romans 1:16 NKJV (devotion translation)

The opening chapter of Romans reminds us that the gospel is not merely religious information. It is the good news of what God has done through Jesus Christ to save sinners. Before we can appreciate that good news, however, we must understand why we need it. Scripture teaches that God is both loving and holy. Because He is holy, He cannot ignore sin. Because He is loving, He provided a Savior.

Paul writes that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. Salvation is not achieved through human effort, personal merit, or religious performance. It comes through faith in Jesus Christ. This truth stands at the heart of Romans. God extends His grace, His undeserved favor, to people who could never earn His acceptance on their own.

At the same time, Romans teaches that no one is without accountability before God. Creation itself bears witness to His existence, power, and wisdom. Every sunrise, every star in the heavens, and every detail of life points beyond itself to the Creator. Yet the human heart is often tempted to suppress that truth and live independently of God. When we do, we exchange the worship of the Creator for lesser things that can never satisfy.

The beauty of the gospel is that God does not leave us in our guilt. He meets us with grace. Christ took upon Himself the judgment our sins deserved so that all who trust in Him might be forgiven and reconciled to God. The Christian life begins and continues by faith, resting not in what we have done for God, but in what God has done for us through His Son.

Father, thank You for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the grace You freely give to undeserving sinners. Help me to walk by faith, worship You as Creator and Lord, and rest in the finished work of Christ. Amen.

• Romans 3:23-24 ↗ - All have sinned, yet are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption found in Christ Jesus.
• Ephesians 2:8-9 ↗ - Salvation is the gift of God, received by grace through faith and not earned by works.
• Romans 1:20-21 ↗ - Creation clearly reveals God's power and nature, leaving humanity accountable before Him.
• John 3:16-18 ↗ - God's love provided His Son so that all who believe may have eternal life instead of condemnation.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 ↗ - Christ took our sin upon Himself so that we might receive His righteousness.
• Titus 3:4-7 ↗ - Salvation comes through God's mercy and grace, not through righteous deeds we have done.
• Hebrews 12:2 ↗ - The Christian life is sustained by looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.