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 22 of 27

SOME PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS
Salvation Is Not Unsure

This understanding [that the preaching of the cross is the power of God to those who are BEING saved] is not designed put a question mark over our salvation, but to ensure us God is bringing His work in us to completion. The fact that we are "being saved" does not indicate we waffle in and out of acceptance with God. It DOES challenge us to continue to look to the Lord, Who will "complete" or "finish," the work He has begun (Phil 1:6, NIV). To assume the work in us is already finished, and that we have already attained, is a fleshly assumption, and it is disastrous.

The Appointed Means

The means our Lord is employing to complete this work is the Gospel--the preaching of the cross! God will not complete the work by using another message, another emphasis, or another gospel! Those conscious that they are being saved know this to be the case. In the life of faith there is no point where we may dispense with the Gospel, or retire it to an insignificant position.

Preaching!

Preaching the cross is not simply mentioning that Jesus died upon a cross. It is not elaborating on the tortures of the cross, or opening up the unspeakable bodily suffering that Jesus endured there. The purpose of Gospel preaching is not to leave a vivid picture of a Savior dying on the cross. Rather, it is to convince the individual that something was ACCOMPLISHED in the cross that could not otherwise have been achieved.

Multifaceted Accomplishment

That accomplishment is multifaceted, and is the most relevant message in all the world! In the cross God Himself came to grips with our sin and sinfulness (Rom 8:3). There, sin was cursed (Gal 3:10-13)! There, the devil was destroyed (Heb 2:14)! There, principalities and powers were destroyed! There, the law was ended as a means to righteousness (Col 2:14; Rom 10:4)! There, an end was made of sin (Dan 9:24)! There, the separating veil between men and God was violently torn away, giving us access to the Monarch of creation and salvation. Peace between an alienated race and God was made through the blood of His cross (Col 1:20). Jew and Gentile were reconciled in the cross (Eph 2:16).

Do you want power? When has the heart of men ever conceived of a power as great as that revealed in the cross of Christ--the heart of the Gospel.

Boasting in the Cross

No wonder believers make their boast in the cross. It is the line of demarcation between the old and the new, between heaven and earth. As it is written, "But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Gal 6:14,NASB). In the cross of Christ our "hostility" to God was "put to death" (Eph 2:16,NIV). The EFFECTS of the cross proclaim its power! No wonder Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel (Rom 1:16).

PRAYER POINT: Father, I praise and thank You through Jesus for the accomplishments of the cross of Christ.

-- Tomorrow: THE WORLD'S WISDOM IS FOOLISHNESS --