We should never think that, having put our faith in the Lord for many years, we no longer need to know the gospel. During my sabbatical months, I have reflected on myself and found that my love for the Lord is not deep enough, and my love for others is not genuine enough. I have wavered between self-righteousness and self-blame. Then suddenly, I realized how candid Paul’s self-reflection in Romans was: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).

       Have you, a long-time believer, treated the gospel as familiar knowledge without letting it continually transform or change your life? You know you should pray, but you would rather scroll on your phone. You want to love your neighbors as yourself, but your words hurt them. You long to draw near to God, yet you treat the Lord’s day as a routine. At times, we think we can do everything by our own strength, but we are met with disappointment instead.

       Romans 1-11 speak of the gospel: how individuals are justified by faith, how the community is made one in Christ, how we now live in grace, our future hope of glory, how the Jews were chosen, and how the Gentiles receive mercy. The essence of this message is something every generation must hear. The very heart of the gospel has never been about us or how well we perform.

       In AD 386, after years of emotional entanglements, Augustine attempted religious and philosophical inquiries and still found no peace in his heart. One day, he felt led to open the Book of Romans. The first verse he read was “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14). From that moment on, his doubt and restlessness turned into firm trust. He later became one of the most important church fathers of early Christianity.

       When Martin Luther taught Romans, he was the first to understand the truth of “justification by faith.” His reflection sparked the Reformation in 1517. Later, in 1738, Luther’s commentary on Romans led John Wesley to a spiritual awakening, convincing him that Christ alone is the way of salvation. Wesley went on to lead a great revival, during which the church again lifted high the truth of the Bible and believers had their spiritual lives renewed.

       In 1934, a 16-year-old boy heard a preacher give an altar call based on Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He walked forward to make a decision for Christ. His name was Billy Graham, the greatest evangelist of the 20^th century. He spent his life sharing the gospel with over 200 million people.

       Yet, the gospel is not just the powerful beginning of salvation. It is also the foundation we must return to our entire lives. This year’s super typhoons made people understand the importance of a firm foundation. No matter how lush they may be, trees with shallow roots collapse in strong winds. On the contrary, Hong Kong’s buildings and bridges stood firm under the super winds, all because they have a solid foundation.

       May God help us return to the heart of the gospel. May the church and every believer be renewed by the Lord’s gospel, so that we have a strong foundation. This is my hope and prayer for the NPAC family as we celebrate our 73^rd church anniversary.