Romans 1:16-17 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it’s the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith Paul is telling us here the gospel is good news the gospel has power to bring people into the saving knowledge of the Lord that they could live eternally with him that their sin could be forgiven that is incredibly good news most people walk around feeling condemned feeling judged most people their own heart condemns them and tells them all the things they did wrong all day long and then as they go through life we live in a world of cursing where people around you are just waiting to tell you something you did wrong waiting to make you feel worthless the gospel is good news what is the good news? that God loves you that God is not mad at you that God is willing to forgive you that yes you’re in trouble that you are because of your sin and your selfishness yes it is true that you’re destined for eternity and torment separated from God that’s bad news but the good news that everybody longs to hear somebody paid that penalty for you and you get to be forgiven for everything you’ve ever done you get to live in eternity with God forever because of what Yeshua did He paid with His blood that is the gospel that is good news and Paul said I’m not ashamed to tell anybody that everybody ought to rejoice at the knowledge that God’s not mad at them that God is not like everybody else around them just waiting to hammer them with what they did wrong waiting to condemn them point His finger at them many people perceive God to be like their father or their mother and they grew up with a condemning judgemental mother or father and many people in their heart think God is just like that the gospel is good news the gospel says you are righteous when you receive Messiah what does that mean? He fulfilled the law He kept the commandments He did everything right and because you’re in Him His righteousness is ascribed to you not only that in your spirit your spirit is already 100% righteous who you actually are is you are a righteous person many people have trouble saying that because they perceive themselves in all their sin you ought to just say that to yourself right now I am righteous go ahead and say that, just say that I am righteous that’s not a lie that’s not fiction that is the truth of who you are in your spirit right now we’re not waiting for you to be righteous you don’t have to wait for some future state of perfection no in your spirit you’re righteous right now and today you have a choice whether you will identify with your mistakes whether you’ll identify with your sin whether you’ll identify with your problems and say that’s who I am I’m a lustful person or I’m and angry person or I’m a depressed person or will you identify with who you are in the spirit I am righteous I am pure I am full of joy do you know those things are not future things to come in your life they’re true right now about you about your born again spirit and that is the gospel the righteousness of God being embraced is the power to bring salvation not only to your spirit but also to your mind will and emotions today I encourage you to embrace the truth of who God has made you to be in the spirit that you are righteous, you are pure you are beloved of the Father that’s the truth that’s what He says about you God is delighted in you He’s not angry at you He’s ready to forgive you the moment you agree with Him and repent and that is the power of the righteousness that God has put in your life so embrace your righteousness embrace the gospel and share it with people today remember today as you go through your day love God with all your heart bless the people around you find kind words to say to people people so rarely hear kind words I encourage you speak a kind word to those that you work with to those that are in your family today if you do that you really will make a difference