THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL

"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. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17).

Devotion 13 of 27

THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION

The Gospel personalizes the grace of God. It brings the blessing of the Lord within our reach. How glorious the announcement of the Gospel! It truly is for all men, or everyone. "God was in Christ, reconciling THE WORLD unto Himself" (2 Cor 5:19). "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to ALL MEN" (Tit 2:11). "Through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to ALL MEN, resulting in justification of life" (Rom 5:11). "God our Savior, who desires ALL MEN to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4).

The provision announced by the Gospel reaches as far as the curse! In the furthest extremities of the moral universe, where sin has reached, the grace of God also reaches! The Gospel of Christ is the appointed means of announcing that provision.

However, when the Gospel is believed, it is no longer seen as a message of general salvation. Now it is the Gospel of OUR salvation. Paul's word to the Ephesians is an appropriate one for every one who chooses to believe the Gospel. "In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph 1:13). The Ephesians, through faith, were convinced the salvation declared in the Gospel was for them. That belief is what enabled them to receive the benefits declared in that Gospel.

A Gospel that has no immediate bearing upon the hearers cannot be the true Gospel! If it does not contribute to their confidence and assurance when believed, it is not the real Gospel of Jesus Christ! If those who stretch their souls to take hold on the message find nothing personal in it, they have not heard the Gospel.

In Antioch of Pisidia, Paul said the Gospel was the "word of salvation," and that it had been "sent" to them. "Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, TO YOU the word of this salvation has been SENT" (Acts 13:26). What a glorious message! The message was, in fact, the Gospel of their salvation, and he called upon them to believe it.

Christ's Manifesto

Our Lord's first message was delivered in His home town, Nazareth, where He had been raised. As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. When the book of Isaiah was delivered to Him, He found a certain place from which to read. It was the sixty-first chapter of Isaiah--Christ's manifesto. Luke records the incident. "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD" Lk 4:18-19). After He had "closed the book" and sat down, "the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him." It was then that He made this marvelous announcement. "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Lk 4:20-21).

Jesus announced the good news of salvation! When He said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing," He brought that salvation within the reach of everyone in that synagogue.

The Message Was brought to Us

The Gospel is a message BROUGHT to us--a message of deliverance and Divine acceptance. In a remarkable proclamation, the Spirit distinguishes this Gospel of salvation from the works of the Law. "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down from above), 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Rom 10:6-11)

Whereas the Law thrust the whole matter into man's lap, the Gospel; brings something to him. Man does not have to go into heaven to bring a Savior down to earth. Nor, indeed, is man required to descend into the depths and bring Jesus back from the dead. But if salvation was BASED upon our doing, that is precisely what we would be required to do. Instead, the Gospel announces that God "sent" His Son into the world and "raised Him" from the dead. Our acceptance of that testimony makes it the Gospel of OUR salvation. How gloriously personal!

PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus Christ I thank You for a Gospel that is personal, making it both effective and satisfying to me.

--Tomorrow: ILLUMINATION THROUGH THE GOSPEL--