#56 THE GOSPEL: THE POWER OF GOD 8-30-26
The Gospel of God is not merely a message among many messages. It is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The gospel is powerful because Christ is powerful. Its power does not rest in the eloquence of the preacher, the ability of the speaker, or the wisdom of men. Its power rests in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospel tells us what God has done through His Son so that sinners may be reconciled to Him.
THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. God takes the message of Christ and uses it to awaken faith in the hearts of those who hear it. The gospel announces that Jesus died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This is not simply information to be admired. It is truth to be believed and embraced. The Gospel points the sinner away from himself and toward the Savior.
This is why Paul could say that he was not ashamed. The world may consider the message of the cross foolishness, but the cross is the very place where God displayed His wisdom, love, grace, and saving power. “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” (1 Corinthians 1:18). What the world sees as weakness, God has made the means of redemption. What men may reject, God has used to save.
THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL
The gospel has a purpose. It is not merely to inform us that Jesus lived. It is not merely to tell us that He was crucified. It is not merely a historical account of an empty tomb. The Gospel calls people to faith in Jesus Christ. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). God has chosen the proclamation of His truth to bring people to faith.
There is therefore no reason for us to alter the gospel to make it more attractive to the world. We do not need to improve the cross. We do not need to soften Christ. We do not need to substitute entertainment for proclamation. We simply need to preach Christ faithfully. The Gospel has its own power because God has given it its own purpose. Our responsibility is to proclaim it, and the responsibility of the hearer is to respond in faith.
THE PEOPLE OF THE GOSPEL
The gospel is for people who believe. Paul said it is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The invitation is wonderfully broad. The gospel is not reserved for one race, one social class, one nation, one economic group, or one kind of sinner. Christ is proclaimed to all. Whoever believes in Him has life (John 3:16).
Yet the Gospel can be heard and still remain hidden from the heart. “Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The problem is not a weakness in the gospel. The problem is unbelief. The light is shining, but some refuse to see it. The message is being proclaimed, but some refuse to believe it.
How different it is for the person who hears and believes. The same gospel that is foolishness to one person becomes the power of God to another. The difference is not in the gospel. The difference is in the response to the gospel. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life” (John 3:36).
THE POWER, THE PURPOSE, AND THE PEOPLE
The gospel has power because it is God’s gospel. It has purpose because God intends to use it to bring people to salvation. It has people because God calls everyone to hear and believe. Therefore, let us never be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Let us preach the cross. Let us proclaim the resurrection. Let us call people to believe in Jesus.
The world does not need a new gospel. It needs the old gospel proclaimed with fresh conviction. It needs to hear that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died for our sins, that He was raised from the dead, and that salvation is found in Him. The power is in the gospel. The purpose is salvation. The people are those who hear and believe.
So preach the gospel. Believe the gospel. Live the gospel. Share the gospel. Never be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, because what appears weak to the world is the mighty power of God unto salvation.
_______________
Father, thank You for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Give us courage never to be ashamed of the cross. Help us faithfully proclaim Christ, trust Your power, and call people to believe in Him. May the Gospel reach hearts that are perishing and may many turn to Christ in faith. Let our lives point people to the Savior and let everything we say and do exalt Jesus. In His precious name, Amen.
BDD
