Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 1:1-4 (TNIV)

Here Paul cuts to the chase about Jesus and the Gospel. Regarding the latter, it is from God, which means we have a choice to make about it. The Gospel is no human invention as some have charged. Rather it is God’s Good News to us about how he has acted on our behalf  in Jesus concerning the alienation our sin has caused and the death to which that alienation inevitably leads. Paul reminds us that if we reject the Gospel, we are rejecting God and his grace demonstrated toward us.

Paul also reminds us that Jesus’ resurrection validated who Jesus was—God himself who became human for our sake.

Two centuries later, this existential choice remains for us. As our Lord asked his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29), so he asks us and we will eventually have to answer, whether we want to or not.

What about you? Will we choose life or death?