THE POWER OF GOD

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." - Romans 1:16

Here in the mountains of West Virginia, we had severe weather this past week.  Many homes, including my own, were without electric power for some time.  It has been a rather difficult time of recovery and survival during those days.  It is amazing how dependent we've become to electricity.  Without electric power, our lives almost come to a halt.  So many of the necessities and luxuries of life rely upon electricity.  When we have long-term power outages, it seems to cripple our lifestyles, drastically altering our daily routines.

I am grateful to have electric power.  The loss of electric power this past week was due to power unleashed through a storm.  Yet I am reminded that there is power that we need desperately.  This power is comes from God.  We are more dependent on His power than we are to electric power.  One day, this world (and its electric power) will cease, but God's power will still exist.  Even though His power is effectively working today, it is not being diminished.

When Paul wrote to the believers at Rome, he penned these words:  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."  In this verse, Paul reveals the nature of God's power.  His power is an unseen power, yet more dynamic than electric power.  God's power has the capacity to save and change people. 

God's power is unleashed as the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed.  Whether it is proclaimed from a pulpit, on a street corner, in a Gospel tract or through a one-on-one conversation, the Gospel message has the power to penetrate the heart of a man and bring him in humble submission to the Master.  In fact, Paul wrote that the Gospel was the power of God, "... unto salvation to every one that believeth."  The Gospel message is used of God to save sinners and change their lives.  That is powerful!

God has given His children the awesome privilege to share this Gospel message.  He has given us the blessing of speaking the truth to those who need it most.  It is glorious to see God's power at work in the hearts of men and women.  When we see sinners repent and believe, we behold God's power as He transform lives. 

No wonder Paul was unashamed of the Gospel.  He was an obvious example of the Gospel's transforming power.  He had personally been changed by the power of God.  Furthermore, he had preached the same Gospel and seen numerous lives also changed.  Why should he be ashamed of such a message?  Why should we?

Paul was unashamed of the Gospel.  How do we know?  First of all, he believed the Gospel.  The Gospel had changed his life & he knew it would change others also.  Secondly, he preached the Gospel.  He was consumed with a passion to proclaim the Gospel.  His passion compelled him to travel many miles, endure hardship & persecution, and ultimately give his life for the sake of the Gospel.

I fear that many in the American church have slowly departed from the Gospel.  Many ministers have diluted the Gospel with pop-psychology, human marketing techniques and self-help concepts.  It seems that we have departed from the simple, yet bold preaching of the Gospel.  While modern techniques may yield a following, only the Gospel can change lives eternally. 

Rather than trust in the power of persuasion, we need to get back to trusting in the power of God.  His power is unleashed as we boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Will you share that message with others?