1. The Gospel Given as a Promise and the Mystery of the Incarnation
Reflecting on Romans 1:2–7, based on Pastor David Jang’s teaching, we can first explore what exactly the gospel is that Paul proclaims, and why it appears among us as the “fulfillment of God’s promise.” Pastor David Jang highlights that the gospel is never a product of human theory, philosophy, or any individual’s opinion, but is rooted wholly in God’s promise. Indeed, within the statement, “the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son” (Rom 1:2–3), we find the marvelous providence of God, who planned from long ago that this gospel would eventually be announced to humanity.
We should remember that the gospel is not some “completely new teaching that suddenly fell from the sky,” but rather the concrete promise concerning “the Christ” foretold throughout the Old Testament. Here, the core of the gospel Paul speaks of is summarized in the declaration that “the Son of God came in the flesh.” In Romans 1:3, Paul proclaims that Jesus Christ “was descended from David according to the flesh,” thus boldly asserting that Jesus truly came to this earth as a human being just like us. All biblical prophecy points toward this fact. Throughout history, God revealed His providence through prophets at every turn, and its ultimate fulfillment is found in the “Incarnation” of Jesus Christ.
At this point, Pastor David Jang reemphasizes that Christianity is, in fact, “a religion for sinners.” The reason the Gospels declare that Jesus came not to call the righteous, but to seek out sinners is precisely bound up in the event of the Incarnation. Jesus dwelt among sinners. The phrase “descended from David according to the flesh” is not merely a historical or genealogical reference to Jesus’ lineage from the royal house of David; it is a symbolic expression announcing that the Almighty God actually entered this world as a true human being.
This event of the Incarnation is the greatest paradox and hallmark of the Christian faith. In Philippians 2:6–8, Paul describes it as “kenosis,” or self-emptying. Though Jesus was by nature God, He took on the form of a servant and became like us. The astounding truth that He is simultaneously “truly God and truly man” (Vere Deus & Vere Homo) is the decisive foundation of what Christians believe to be the “good news.”
In Romans 1:3–4, Paul succinctly but powerfully summarizes this kenosis, the Incarnation, and the resulting events of Christ’s death and resurrection. Jesus came in human form, was crucified, and then was raised from the dead by the Spirit of holiness. That is what Paul means by “Jesus Christ our Lord… who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead” (Rom 1:4). Though humans viewed His death as the fate of a condemned sinner, God declared Him to be the one who overcame death. The gospel points to this historical, existential event. The message that Christians proclaim is “Jesus Christ, who saves sinners,” not a set of moral teachings or abstract philosophy. In Paul’s day, Greek philosophers spent their entire lives pursuing the “logos” or “truth,” yet they found that human strength alone could not attain it. However, the Gospel of John proclaims, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The truth that sages and philosophers longed for so desperately actually became a person and lived on this earth.
In Romans 1, Paul refers to Him as the “Son of God who came in the line of David” and, at the same time, “the One declared to be the Son of God with power by His resurrection from the dead.” Thus, Jesus was truly human in history, yet also indisputably the Son of God. Pastor David Jang teaches that when we stand before this gospel, grace descends upon us—grace that transcends our intellect and reason. It is the unconditional love of God, the surprising gift that only He can give. When a sinner who has never known this gospel hears the message and is moved to tears by Christ’s love—who descended so low to save us—this is true grace. Paul experienced this firsthand. Formerly, he was a persecutor of the church and a cruel oppressor of Christians, yet he completely collapsed before the love of Jesus Christ who came to find him. Immediately he became an apostle of the gospel, proclaiming it passionately, planting churches, and devoting his entire life to spreading this “promised gospel.”
Ultimately, the gospel is both the “message of salvation” and the “culmination of history.” God sent His promised Son—Jesus—who came in human form, and through His cross and resurrection, He shattered the powers of sin and death. This had been prophesied through the prophets and was ultimately fulfilled before our very eyes. That is the gospel, and that is why the gospel turns our lives upside down. Furthermore, anyone who makes “Christ the Lord in your hearts” (1 Pet 3:15) must be ready to give an answer when the world asks about it. That answer is our “testimony”—sharing “the gospel I heard and the Christ I encountered” just as it is.
It is in the same spirit that Paul said, “I have nothing to boast in except the cross and the resurrection.” Our mission work and evangelism are never arenas for showcasing our own thoughts or knowledge. We must bear witness to “the love of the cross that saved a sinner like me” and “the power of the resurrection that raised me to new life.” If someone asks about the gospel, we simply testify to how Christ entered our lives, how He transformed us, and how He planted an everlasting hope within us. In opening his letter to the Romans, Paul likewise declares, “I am called to be an apostle for the gospel,” and proceeds to bear witness to what the gospel is and who he has become within it.
In the end, the gospel is not some mystical theory or fable that stands in opposition to the world, but rather an event that God’s prophets foretold long ago and that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Moreover, the gospel is the “story of God’s love,” whereby the infinitely holy God directly seeks out sinners like us to bring salvation. Pastor David Jang underscores that the core of Christianity is found in this incarnational love: “The Son of God has come directly into our midst.” Because He came, we are freed from the bonds of sin and given new hope and new life.
Once we receive this gospel, the natural response is “the obedience that comes from faith.” This is what Paul means when he says, “to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles” (Rom 1:5). Even people who were once outside the covenant of salvation have now heard the gospel by God’s grace and experienced its power. Having come to “believe and obey” in the gospel, their lives can never remain the same as before. Though they were once enslaved by sinful habits, now they are forgiven through the cross of Jesus Christ and emboldened by the resurrection life to bring glory to God in a brand-new manner.
It is because of this power of the gospel that Paul can address the believers in Rome as “all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (Rom 1:7). Living in the vast Roman Empire, Christians continually collided with the prevailing ideologies and the polytheistic culture of their time, yet they held fast to the gospel and boldly proclaimed it. Consequently, from a human standpoint, the Christian community might have seemed like an insignificant minority group, but it moved the course of history. That is why Paul returns again and again to the theme of the gospel’s power, essence, and the transformed life that the gospel brings throughout the entire letter to the Romans.
The Incarnation is both the “breathtaking mystery that the Word, who is God, became human” and also “the light that pierces through our despair.” That the eternal and perfect truth, the God of infinite brightness, should enter directly into a world shrouded by sin and darkness is, in itself, a declaration of hope. It surpasses “human thought and philosophy,” which might remain mere intellectual constructs, and becomes a “personal truth” that can be genuinely encountered and experienced. This is the greatness of the Incarnation. From that moment on, the gospel is no longer just a rumor that reaches the ear but a “life-giving message” that penetrates the heart.
On another note, the event of the Incarnation conveys an invitation to “live a holy life.” That Jesus took on a body like ours means He did not merely “borrow human clothing” for a moment to save us, but rather opened the way for us to attain the holy character and life that reflect Christ. When Paul speaks of those “called to be saints” (Rom 1:7), he implies “those who follow the path Jesus Christ walked.” The people in Scripture are never perfect or without sin. Yet they clothed themselves in Christ’s grace within God’s redemptive plan, and imitating the humility, self-sacrifice, and resurrection power demonstrated by Jesus, they walked this new way of life. This is the essence of being a “saint.”
Ultimately, what truly matters is that we not limit ourselves to merely intellectual knowledge of “the Jesus Christ who came to history through the Incarnation,” but that we reveal His self-emptying and sacrifice through our lives. Pastor David Jang repeatedly stresses this in his preaching. Even those who occupy pews in churches may remain stuck in “head knowledge” if they do not embody the true meaning of Jesus’ Incarnation, Cross, and Resurrection. The authentic witness of a Christian is never purely theoretical but rather the testimony: “This is how I met Jesus. This is how my sin and death were resolved in His cross and resurrection. And I have experienced it firsthand.”
We all face moments of weariness and despair in life. In any era, injustice, suffering, disease, and death have been constants in human society. Yet when we look upon “Jesus Christ, descended from David,” we witness in His Incarnation the confirmed assurance that “God has not abandoned us!” Through His death on the Cross and His resurrection, we discover “God’s holy passion to hold fast to us to the very end.” When Paul mentions “grace and peace” (Rom 1:7), and explains that this grace flows from God’s love, he is emphasizing that no matter how frail and sinful we may be, God’s determination to save us remains steadfast—and this is made crystal clear by the Incarnation, Cross, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
A proper understanding of the Incarnation leads to an “accurate understanding of the gospel.” If we consider Jesus exclusively as God, we lose sight of His experience of human suffering and temptation. If we view Him solely as human, we fail to grasp why we ought to worship Him, or why He alone has authority over eternal life. In Romans 1:3–4, Paul reveals Jesus as both “truly human” and “truly God,” thus establishing the core structure of Christian Christology. Jesus came in the line of David, genuinely human, yet also rose from the dead, declared the Son of God. When these two truths stand firm, the gospel can be rightly comprehended and proclaimed.
Hence, the ultimate message we discover in Romans 1:2–7 is twofold. First, it is that Christ came according to God’s promise; second, by coming as one of us, He opened the door of life to sinners. As we trace how this promise was fulfilled—through the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets, the admonitions and hopes they voiced, and throughout Israel’s history—we see that all of it was preparation for “the Incarnation of Christ.” We can even say that the construction of Roman roads played a part in readying the way for the spreading of the gospel. Thus, the scope of God’s plan is extensive and precise. All of it culminates in the fact that “the Son of God, Jesus Christ,” actually came into history, and to those who believe and follow Him are now granted grace and peace.
2. The Power of the Gospel Made Complete through the Cross and Resurrection
When Paul declares in Romans 1:4 that Jesus “was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness,” the second crucial pillar of the gospel emerges: the Cross and the Resurrection. As Pastor David Jang frequently reminds us in his sermons, the gospel does not end with, “Jesus came.” Without the life of Jesus, and particularly His crucifixion and resurrection, the gospel is incomplete.
The Incarnation announces that “God is with us,” the Cross declares that “this God died for us,” and the Resurrection affirms that “the God who died for us has risen again.” According to Paul, it is specifically through the Resurrection that Jesus Christ is publicly—and powerfully—acknowledged to be “the Son of God.” Since the Resurrection has completely nullified the power of sin and death—humanity’s greatest enemies—those who believe in Jesus Christ are granted “new life” in Him.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul firmly states that without the Resurrection, “our preaching and our faith are in vain” (1 Cor 15:14ff). Even the love of the Cross by itself cannot be regarded as the finished gospel; that love must be sealed by the Resurrection, which conquers death, the wages of sin. Historically, Jesus truly died, and His body was placed in a tomb, yet He could not be bound by the grip of death (Acts 2:24). Hence, Jesus Christ’s Resurrection is the final “confirmation” of His identity as the “Son of God.”
Believing in the gospel means accepting that the Cross and Resurrection are “for me.” It requires the personal conviction that “His love saved me, and His Resurrection gave me eternal hope.” Only when this becomes a personal experience, the gospel can truly be called my “life.” Pastor David Jang refers to this as a “personal confession,” emphasizing that “mission is self-defense, self-testimony, and self-witness.” In other words, the starting point of mission is that I recognize I am a sinner, that Jesus Christ’s Cross has forgiven my sin, and that Jesus’ Resurrection has led me into a new life.
Paul himself had an intense encounter with this truth. After meeting Christ on the road to Damascus, he dedicated his life to preaching the gospel. The “Lord” he encountered was not a distant, heavenly divinity merely gazing upon humankind, but rather One who had been crucified. At the same time, the Lord he confessed was no mere corpse confined to a tomb, but the One who had broken the grip of death and risen again. Therefore, in Romans 1:4 Paul can boldly proclaim that Jesus was “declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead,” and then affix the most complete title, “Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus is our Lord—our life’s sovereign—and He is also the Christ prophesied in the Old Testament.
Here, Pastor David Jang highlights the profound message that “Jesus, who humbled Himself, has been exalted.” The world regards high status and authority as the mark of success, but Jesus did the opposite: He emptied Himself (kenosis) and submitted to the most humiliating form of death, crucifixion. Yet through His Resurrection and God the Father’s exaltation (Phil 2:9ff), we see that Jesus is the true Victor. It is a victory of love and self-sacrifice. Following Christ, therefore, means walking that same road.
Paul’s declaration in Romans 1:5 that “through Him we received grace and apostleship” echoes this concept. Because of the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Paul himself was utterly transformed and sent as an apostle of the gospel. So dedicated was he to this cause that he was willing to face imprisonment, beatings, and even death. His experience of the gospel’s power was so vivid that he staked his entire life upon it.
Indeed, the gospel bestows a power that transcends death, a liberation that no earthly authority can grant. Humanity is helpless before the dread of death, but because Jesus Christ, the “firstfruits of the resurrection” (1 Cor 15:20ff), destroyed that prison of fear, those who remain in Him need no longer be afraid. Paul declares that he is “not ashamed of the gospel” (Rom 1:16), for it is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Pastor David Jang points out that when believers lack the confidence to proclaim the gospel, it often stems from an unclear personal experience of “the power of the Cross and the Resurrection.” That is why we must continually return to the heart of the gospel—the Cross and the Resurrection.
Additionally, as the phrase “the obedience of faith” in Romans 1:5 suggests, believing the gospel should lead to obedience. If I truly believe in the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, I cannot go on living solely for myself. After all, the One who died for me and brought me back to life is Jesus. Therefore, my thoughts, words, and actions must all be brought under His reign. From a worldly perspective, surrendering my personal ambitions is difficult, but those who genuinely believe in the Cross and the Resurrection naturally entrust their lives to Jesus, and that belief is manifested through obedience.
Paul addresses the believers in Rome as “all those loved by God and called to be saints” (Rom 1:7), then prays that “grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ” would be upon them. Notably, Paul uses the phrase “God our Father.” In earlier times, it was almost unthinkable—even irreverent—to call the holy God “Father.” Yet through the Cross and Resurrection, and Jesus’ instruction, “This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven…” (Matt 6:9), we now have that kind of relationship with God. By being declared righteous and sanctified (called to be saints) through Jesus Christ, He becomes our Father and we His children.
In this reality, “grace and peace” come to us as a spiritual gift. Peace (shalom) was considered the highest blessing sought by God’s people from Old Testament times. Paul explains how such peace is possible: it begins with the “grace” that comes through Jesus Christ. A sinner cannot create true peace on their own. The transient calm that money or power offers never lasts. Yet once a person enters the grace of Jesus Christ’s Cross and Resurrection, he or she is set free from the guilt of sin and the fear of death, and a genuine, abiding peace settles upon the soul. This is why Paul consistently pairs “grace and peace” in his writings.
Pastor David Jang urges that the church must become not just “a religious gathering for us” but a “community defined by the Cross and Resurrection.” To share true grace and real peace in the church, its members must be believers who trust and obey Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross and rose again. When we truly believe that we have been crucified with Him and that we now live by His resurrection power, forgiveness, love, commitment, and service naturally blossom within our fellowship. Without such a spiritual foundation, a group that merely bears the name “church” can slip into strife and conflict, no different from secular organizations, when disagreements arise.
Thus, the “completion of the gospel” is the victory accomplished through the Cross and the Resurrection, and when this victory is manifest in our personal lives and church communities, we become a true church. Like Paul, who staked his entire identity on “Jesus Christ our Lord,” Christians must be people who declare, “Jesus is the center of my life.” And if Jesus gained victory by humbling Himself and sacrificing, we too must choose the “way of sacrifice and humility” in order to serve our neighbors and bring healing to this world. This is the way of the Cross and the life of the Resurrection.
To live as a disciple of Jesus is to follow in the footsteps of the Cross and the Resurrection, “denying oneself and following the Lord” (Matt 16:24). This involves giving up our pride and desires in exchange for obedience to the will of Christ. Paradoxically, only then do we truly experience the reality of Jesus’ promise: “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:30). At first glance, it may appear to be a narrow, arduous road, but genuine freedom and joy are found in walking in obedience to this gospel.
Paul’s central message to the Roman Christians in the introduction of his letter is crystal clear: “The promised gospel from God, long foretold in the Old Testament, has been fully realized through the Incarnation, the Cross, and the Resurrection. Because of this gospel, I have become an apostle, and you too have heard this gospel. Therefore, let us share together in grace and peace, and let us respond with the faith and obedience befitting the gospel.” This is Paul’s earnest greeting in Romans 1:2–7 and, at the same time, the church’s mission.
Pastor David Jang’s emphasis aligns with this core truth: we must preach the entirety of the gospel—His coming (Incarnation), His dying (the Cross), and His rising again (the Resurrection)—as one cohesive message. We cannot select only one aspect or merely believe in a single event. We must boldly proclaim that Jesus came to this earth, died on the Cross, and rose again as the Son of God in power. This is the complete gospel—our life-giving good news.
Even today, the world offers countless perspectives. Some claim that human reason and knowledge are sufficient. Others declare that pleasure and material prosperity constitute life’s highest goal. However, no philosophy or system of thought can resolve humanity’s fundamental problem of sin and death. Only the Cross and the Resurrection provide the answer. Some have mocked Christianity as “a religion for sinners,” yet that is precisely where the beauty of the gospel shines. As Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt 9:13). Christianity is indeed a religion for sinners, and that sinner is every one of us. The moment we acknowledge this, the gospel becomes the most radiant message of hope.
Romans is often called the “magna carta of the gospel,” systematically unfolding this message of hope. Right from the introduction, Paul proclaims that “this gospel changed me,” and “now you are also called by this same gospel.” As the former persecutor of the church turned apostle who founded churches, Paul testifies that God’s love can transform even the worst sinner. The power of that love flows from the Cross and the Resurrection.
In conclusion, Romans 1:2–7 vividly portrays the essence of the gospel. It is not a human philosophy but the promise of God, fulfilled by the Incarnation, Cross, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He, who is truly human, defeated death and was declared the Son of God. To those who believe and obey, He grants grace and peace, along with a new identity (as saints) and a holy calling. Just as Paul identified himself as a “servant set apart for the gospel,” so we too, having been changed by the gospel, become instruments through which the gospel reaches the world.
Pastor David Jang adds a final note: “the gospel is love.” We cannot explain the Incarnation, Cross, and Resurrection without God’s unrelenting love for sinners. The gospel is the most definitive testimony of John 3:16—“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son”—and the indescribable joy of salvation that comes through the Cross and the Resurrection of that Son. Those who receive this gospel inevitably bear the fruit of obedience in gratitude and praise. That lifestyle is the “gospel-shaped life.”
Hence, we must remember these core points: first, the gospel is the fulfillment of what was promised and has appeared in history through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ; second, it is completed by the Cross and Resurrection, bringing liberation from sin and death and leading us into genuine peace. Throughout Romans, Paul unceasingly proclaims that “Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” is God’s eternal plan of salvation for us, and that this gospel possesses the power to transform both individual lives and the entire world.
Paul’s greeting at the outset of Romans is not merely a customary pleasantry but both a blessing and a summons addressed to all believers: “Accept the gospel, enjoy grace and peace, and live worthy of those called to the gospel.” Pastor David Jang reiterates this same point in his sermons. We must not stop at hearing or intellectually grasping the truth of the gospel; we have to let it come alive within us every day, remembering the Cross of Jesus and practicing the power of the Resurrection in every area of our lives. Only then does the church become a genuine gospel community, and only then do individual believers live in a way befitting those “called to be saints.”
Above all, we must never cease to confess, “Jesus is the Christ.” Contained in this confession is the reality of His coming (Incarnation), His dying (Cross), and His rising again (Resurrection), inseparably bound together. Paul assures the Roman Christians, “You also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ” (Rom 1:6). The church is the gathering of people “belonging to Jesus Christ,” and for His Name’s sake (Rom 1:5), they go out into the world to proclaim the gospel. This is the fundamental reason we live as saints, and it is the most powerful mission given to us by the gospel.
It is my hope that everyone who reflects on Romans 1:2–7 will engrave deeply in their heart the grace of the Incarnation—“Jesus Christ came in the same flesh as ours”—and the saving power of His Resurrection—“He broke the chains of death and was declared to be the Son of God.” May we all be freed from the yoke of sin, savor the true freedom and joy found in Christ Jesus, and experience the gift of obedience. Through a life anchored in this gospel, let us love and serve one another, together illuminating the world with the light of the Lord.
This is precisely the direction Pastor David Jang has persistently pursued in his preaching and ministry. Anyone who calls themselves Christian must embody the full scope of Jesus Christ’s person and work—from Incarnation to Cross to Resurrection—in their own life. Then we can truly experience, in our own hearts, the blessing Paul proclaimed: “Grace and peace to you.” At last, we see the full meaning of the phrase “Christianity is a religion for sinners,” as we make the journey from “sinner” to “saint,” and from “despair” to “hope,” finding the heart of the gospel in the process.
In the end, the gospel’s path is our response to God’s call. How do you view the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus? Do you accept them only in your head but not in your heart? Paul, Pastor David Jang, and countless other faith predecessors have all testified repeatedly: “The gospel is real.” Experiencing this reality in our lives, witnessing it to others, and helping them to be born again as God’s children—this is why the church exists and what every believer should confess.
Therefore, let us cling today to the words of Romans 1:2–7, meditating more deeply on the Incarnation of Jesus—fulfilled as God’s promise—and on His Cross and Resurrection—through which He conquered death. As Paul proclaimed, “I am called through the gospel,” may we also remember that we are “called for the gospel.” May we respond in obedience, receive the grace and peace God offers, and become holy vessels to share this gospel with all creation.
Wherever such people gather, that place is the true church. The church’s emblem is the Cross, the church’s life is the Resurrection, and the church’s mission is to “proclaim the gospel.” Let us praise the God who sought sinners through the Incarnation, saved them through the Cross, and led them into eternal life through the Resurrection. May we live today, and every day, as those who carry this gospel story forward.
Furthermore, as we continue to study Romans, may we grasp ever more profoundly why Paul so fervently confesses, “I am called for this gospel.” It is not merely Paul’s personal story; it is the story of every Christian. We are all “called because of the gospel.” Through this gospel, we have moved from being sinners to becoming righteous, from death to life. Let us be ever grateful for this calling and remain alert so that the gospel continues to act as a genuine power in our daily lives.
Such is the reflection on Romans 1:2–7, summarizing the gospel given as promise, the wonder of the Incarnation, and the completed power of the gospel through the Cross and Resurrection. As Pastor David Jang continually emphasizes in his sermons, we must clearly recognize that the gospel is “the promised act of God’s love” and “the power that gives life.” May we use our words and our very lives to testify to this gospel, becoming holy instruments that bring “obedience of faith” among those who have yet to believe, be they far-off Gentiles or our closest neighbors. May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ overflow in all who hold fast to this gospel. Amen.