The Power of the Gospel

The Apostle Paul wrote that the Gospel “is the Power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Only the message of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection can deliver sinners from the dominion of sin and Satan, and impart the gift of everlasting life to those who believe in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing more urgent than proclaiming the Gospel, and nothing more transforming than walking in its truth. (B.G.E.A.)

What is the Gospel?

The word Gospel means Good News. The thing that makes Good News good news is the possibility of bad news. And the bad news is our sin. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

But in 1.Corinthians, the Apostle Paul gives the Good News: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

That is the source of the Gospel: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How does this deal with our sin problem? It pays the penalty for our sins. You see, a holy, righteous God cannot merely overlook sin. If He were to do that, He would no longer be holy. But Christ’s death made full payment for our sins. His burial shows that the pollution and defilement of our sin is buried in the grave of God’s forgetfulness. And in His resurrection He has demolished the power of sin and is declared to be the Son of God with power.

+ Romans 8:1-2: - 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Let’s look now at the force of the Gospel -- what the Gospel does. First, we see its saving force. In 1.Corinthians 15:2, Paul speaks of the Gospel “By this Gospel you are saved.” God has no other way for you to be saved apart from the Gospel.

In Philippians.1:6, we see its sanctifying force: “He who has begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.” After you are saved, He continues to work in you. Day by day He is making you more like the Lord Jesus Christ.

And in 1.Corinthians.15:1, we see the stabilizing force of the Gospel: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the Gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.”

We love that. It is good news that we can be saved. It is better news that we can be saved and know it. It is glorious news that we can know that once we’re saved, we can never lose Him: Wherein you stand. You see, when you get saved, you don’t keep Him; He keeps you.

Finally, let’s look at what this Gospel does in our world -- the course of the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ extends to every person. We can tell anyone, anywhere on the face of the earth, “No matter what you have done, if you’ll trust Jesus, He’ll save you.” The Bible says, “For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts.2:21; Romans.10:13; Joel.2:32).

Look at what Paul said in 1.Corinthians.15:10: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.” Paul, who was a persecutor of Christians before he was converted on the road to Damascus (Acts.9), called himself the chiefest of sinners. But God’s grace reached even him. (1.Timothy.1:15-16).

The Gospel extends to every place. Wherever you are at this moment, God will save you. If you can show me any time, anywhere that someone called on Jesus Christ to save them in repentance and faith, and He didn’t save them, then I’ll close my Bible and never preach again.

The Gospel extends to every problem. You say, “you don’t know my problems.” Well, we can reduce them all very simply. Every problem you have is a sub-category of three things: sin, sorrow and death.

The Gospel is the only answer to sin. It is the only answer to sorrow. And it is the only answer to death. There is no other way, apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to deal with sin, sorrow and death.

And of course, our greatest problem is death. We’re going to die. But the Gospel is that Christ was raised from the dead and has conquered the grave.

+ (Hebrews.9:27-28): "27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him."

+ (Romans.6:3-4): "3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a New Life."

+ (1.Corinthians.15:56-58): "56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Do you have a loved one in Heaven? If he or she is there, they are there because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has conquered sin, hell, death and the grave! And every problem that you’ll ever have is answered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s the reason the Apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the Power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Romans.1:16).

-- Adrian Rogers

The Gospel of Righteousness

How perfect do you have to become to be welcomed into Heaven?

No wonder Paul wrote that the Gospel is “the Power of God.” (Romans.1:16) This is a reference not just to the physical power of creation but to the spiritual power that declares us righteous and changes our inner disposition. When we trust Christ as Savior, there is something New created within us that wasn’t there before. Jesus referred to this process as being “born again” (John 3:3). The ancient prophet Ezekiel spoke of it as God creating a “new heart” within us, a heart with new desires and affections (Ezekiel 36:26). (2.Corinthians.5:17): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a New creation; the old has gone, the New has come!"

Paul makes it clear that “everyone who believes” (Romans.1:16) is given this free gift. It is not a matter of one’s ethnicity or previous religious upbringing that determines one’s destiny.

Paul says that this message is received “by Faith from first to last.” (Romans.1:17; Eph2:8) To believe means that we acknowledge our own sinfulness and inability to save ourselves and; then transfer our faith to Christ. No longer do we look to our own goodness to save us, but rather we accept the goodness of Christ, believing that He will do for us what we can’t.

No wonder David wrote, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." (Psalm 32:1-2). No matter how great our sin, the righteousness of Christ is greater. As Paul put it later in Romans 5:20-21: “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Perhaps now we are better able to understand why Paul began this section by saying, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.” (Romans.1:16) Not only could the Gospel have cost him his life, but it was so obviously opposed to human nature. Just imagine: This message says that our own good works cannot save us; indeed our good works might actually be a stumbling block because we might be tempted to think that we can stand before God based on our own achievements. This message humbles us; it tells us that human nature is corrupt and unable to please God. Also, what is more, this message is based on faith in a Christ who died on a cross, which in Paul’s day, as in ours, was seen as a sign of weakness and not strength. (1.Corinthians.1:18): "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

But, and let’s not miss this, it is in this Message of a crucified Redeemer that we see most clearly “the Power of God unto salvation.” (Romans.1:16) God’s ability to shower us with such favor is truly a wonder of both His power and mercy. Yes, creation shows the power of God, but the Gospel goes beyond this and shows us God’s power combined with His grace and love.

Once we have received the benefits of the Gospel, we will spend the rest of our lives loving and serving God. Imagine, if you will, a servant who works in a king’s estate but consistently criticizes the king, steals, tells lies and refuses to obey the king’s orders. Now this king has an obedient son whom he dearly loves. Then imagine that the king were to say to his beloved son: “I have chosen to love that wicked servant as much as I love you. But in order for him to be reconciled to me, you will have to die on his behalf and pay the demands of justice for his sin.” Once the servant understands and accepts what the king has done for him, obviously he would love and serve that king to the best of his ability for the rest of his life. And this is exactly what God the Father did for us in sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross.

Based on Romans 1:16-17: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the Power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes," we discovered that our works couldn’t satisfy God, but God’s Son could and did. And so the Good News is that the perfection God requires is given as a gift to all those who put their trust in the Perfect One.

-- Erwin Lutzer

-- Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The Impact of the Gospel

The Gospel doesn’t merely help us turn over a new leaf. We’re Born Again; we become New people. The Gospel is God’s power in concentrated form, and it changes us, imparting Christ’s own nature. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a New creation; the old has gone, the New has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). There’s a New Testament phrase that sums this up: "But now ..."

+ (Ephesians 2: 13): “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”
+ (Romans 6:22): “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."
+ (Ephesians 5:8): “You were once darkness, But now you are light in the Lord.”
+ (Colossians 1:21-22): “Once you were alienated from God. … But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation -- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel. This is the Gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.
+ (1.Peter 2:10): “Once you were not a people, But now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, But now you have received mercy."
+ (John 9:25): “I was blind But now I see!”

When we experience the Power of the Gospel, we become But now people. We were lost, confused, hell-bound, alienated from God, groping for answers when we didn’t even know the questions. But now we are children of God, members of the body of Christ, citizens of Heaven with one eye peeled to the Eastern sky for His return. When the cross of Christ enters our lives, it comes with But now differences. Our guilt is washed away.

We turn from old haunts and habits and establish new values. With God’s help, we clean up our lives and begin to worship Him. We go to church, read our Bible and learn to pray and to share our faith.

A “But Now” Joy:

Day by day our emotions are buoyed by the Lord’s presence and promises, and it makes a difference in our attitudes. The Gospel remolds our personalities from the inside out. The Holy Spirit develops the psychology of Christ in us: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians.5:22-23). These are the byproducts of the Spirit’s working in us as He conforms us to the image of Christ What a difference it makes in our relationships at home, work and school; in our ability to care for others; and in our morale as we obey the command to “Rejoice always, Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1.Thessalonians.5:16-18).

A “But Now” Job:

The power of the Gospel also gives us a new cause in life. As 2.Corinthians.5:14 says, “The love of Christ compels us.” We realize we have work to do. Once we lived worthlessly, but now we’re busy with eternal tasks. We’re obedient to our heavenly calling of sharing Jesus.

If you find it daunting to witness to others, remember that it’s a team effort. You don’t have to throw, catch, run, tackle, punt and score all by yourself. When someone comes to Christ, it’s through a chain of witnesses that often stretches back many years. We can all be links in the chain of someone’s story, though we may not know about it until Heaven.

We must not get discouraged when we don’t see immediate results from our work for Christ. The Gospel is powerful, and it does work even when we don’t see it. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). The whole operation doesn’t rest on you or me, though we have a vital part to play.

Our job is to share our faith, planting Gospel seed, inviting others to church, sharing literature, supporting ministries, giving out Bibles, working with children, or doing whatever the Lord leads day by day. Once we had no eternal purpose, but now we’re part of God’s everlasting work. And our labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1Cor.15:58).

What a difference it makes when we cross the border at Calvary. Our attitudes are altered and our life-agenda is re-made. We have a new joy and a new job. We discover truths to believe, promises to claim, commands to obey, disciplines to guard us, and a Friend we never knew. All that and Heaven, too. The personal impact of the power of the Gospel is nothing less than amazing grace: “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” (John.9:25)

-- Robert J. Morgan

Proving the Gospel For Yourself

In the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, that resurrection classic, Paul declares the Gospel. It was the Gospel that he preached, that the Corinthians had believed, in which they stood and by which they were saved. He presents The Christ of History, “Christ died ... He was raised”; The Christ of Doctrine, “Christ died for our sins”; The Christ of the Scriptures, “According to the Scriptures.” (1.Corinthians.15).

Then he sets forth The Christ of Experience. First, The Experience of Others: Christ was seen after His resurrection by Cephas, by the Twelve, by more than 500, by James and all the apostles. Finally, he declares The Christ of his Own Experience: “He was seen of me also.” (1.Corinthians.15).

It is possible to know Christ as a fact of history and doctrine and Scripture, as a fact in the experience of others, but not as a reality in one’s own life. Our Lord Himself said that some would come to Him one day having prophesied and cast out demons and done many wonderful works in His Name only to hear Him say, “I never knew you.” (Matthew.7:23; 21-29).

Thank God for The Christ of History: Christ came, Christ lived, Christ taught, Christ died, Christ rose. That is the historic faith. A popular writer of some years ago said he would be a Christian even if it were proven that Jesus never lived. But most of us would find no satisfaction in a mere Christ of tradition, of imagination and fiction. The true believer rejoices in fact, not in fancy -- the Christ of history.

Thank God for The Christ of Doctrine. Christ died for our sins and rose for our justification. But one may come as close to Him as doctrine and still miss Him. The church at Ephesus was orthodox enough and went after false doctrine with a vengeance. Jesus commended their fidelity to the faith, but, for all that, they had left their first love. They were hot about the doctrinal but cold about the personal! (See Revelation.2,3).

Thank God for The Christ of the Scriptures. But Jesus said, "But you do not have His Word abiding in you, for you do not believe the One He sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." (John 5:38-40). One may come as close as the Scriptures and miss Him! The Scriptures indeed present Him, and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. But studying the Bible without personal love for Christ may be as dry as dust.

Thank God for The Christ of Other People’s Experience, not only of Cephas and the Twelve and the 500 who saw Him after He rose, but also of the witnesses through the centuries who have not seen but yet have believed.

But it is possible to know Christ as a fact in history and doctrine and the Scriptures and the experience of others and yet not be able to say, “He was seen of me.” (1.Corinthians.15:8). Paul’s desire was “that I may know Him.” He wanted no second-hand faith. He couldn’t live on the experience of Peter or of the Twelve or the 500. (1.Corinthians.15).

Thomas heard the experience of others: “We have seen the Lord.” But he said, “Except I shall see …” (John.20) He wanted an experience of his own. Our Lord said to him, “"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John.20:29). That’s where you and I come in! And it reminds us of that other verse, "Though you have not seen Him, you love him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1.Peter.1:8-9). And "We walk by faith, not by sight." (2.Corinthians.5:7).

The early Christians had seen Jesus, but they did not live on memories. There came a day when they saw Him not, but they went on believing. Eye experience had given way to heart experience.

When Philip witnessed to Nathanael, he said, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write.” “We have found Him” -- that is experience. Then he invited Nathanael to know Christ for himself: “Come and see” (John 1:45-46).

After we have presented the Christ of history, of doctrine, of the Scriptures and of the experience of others, let us be sure that we can add, “And He was seen of me.” (1.Corinthians.15:8)

It takes time to know Christ intimately. He has no favorites, but He does have intimates. It is easier to read history, doctrine, the Scriptures and the experiences of others than to cultivate a deep fellowship ourselves. The mood of the age is against it and does not lend itself to the pursuit of a personal experience of Jesus Christ. (See Jeremiah.29:13; Revelation.3:20).

One may believe that Jesus came and lived and taught, but if he does not believe that Christ died for our sins and rose for our justification, he is still in his sins and his faith is vain (1.Corinthians 15:2,17; John.15:22). The death, burial and resurrection of Christ are facts of history, of doctrine and of Scripture. But they may also be facts of actual, personal experience: "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4). We may know Him and the power of His resurrection. It is not imagination or mere inspiration; it is identification!

The Gospel is verifiable not only in history, doctrine, the Scriptures and the experience of others. You can prove it for yourself. You don’t have to stop with the testimony of Andrew or Philip. “Come and see” for yourself, and you will say, like the Samaritans of old, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." (John 4:42).

-- Vance Havner

-- Matthew 24:35 (Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away.

-- 2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 And how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

-- Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

-- 1 Thessalonians 1:5
For our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

-- 1 Thessalonians 2:13
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

-- 1 Corinthians 1:18
For the Message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the Power of God.

-- Romans 6:22-23
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ++ 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-- Romans 10:8-15
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," (Deut. 30:14) that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame." (Isaiah 28:16) 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile -- the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Joel 2:32)
14 How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!" (Isaiah 52:7).

-- John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

-- 2 Timothy 1:7-11
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-discipline. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the Gospel according to the power of God, 9 Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling (holy life), not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

-- 1 Corinthians 2:1-7
1 When I came to you, brethren, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.

-- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the Gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this Gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them -- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

-- 1 Peter 4:16
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that Name.

-- Luke 9:26
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.

-- Luke 12:8-9
8 I tell you, whoever acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

-- Matthew 22:29
Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the Power of God."

-- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
16 Be joyful always; 17 Pray continually; 18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

-- Psalms 71:14-19
14 But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. 15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

-- Psalms 119:105, 9-11
+ 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
+ 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. 10 I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. 11 I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.

-- Zechariah 4:6
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.