The Gospel: Our Anchor - Part Two
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Introduction
Introduction
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
PRAY
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
The Strength of the Gospel
The Strength of the Gospel
This is the first reason Paul is not ashamed of the gospel.
For it (the gospel) is the power of God - Strength or potency for effective action possessing ability. We know from the Scriptural witness that God possesses all-power. He is omnipotent.
11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
Paul is speaking about the gospel being the exercise of God’s power in the realm of human deliverance. Let’s hear Paul:
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For salvation - Salvation is deliverance or rescue. This word implies bondage. In redemptive history, we recall of Israel being rescued from Egypt. In the New Covenant, the good news concerning Jesus Christ is he liberates his people from sin’s power, reconciles them to God and sets them free from judgment. This word speaks of the whole of salvation not one aspect of it.
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
The Scope of the Gospel
The Scope of the Gospel
In other words, how far does the Gospel reach or who does the good news rescue?
To everyone - everyone, to all - Paul emphatically declares to the Romans that the gospel message is for all peoples. See the phrase, To the Jew first and also to the Greek - To those of Jewish lineage and those without, Greek or often communicated, Gentiles. The gospel is offered to all peoples, Jews and non-Jews alike.
14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Who believes - The gospel of salvation is not preached without condition. The gospel is NOT the power of God everyone indiscriminately though it is preached in this manner. What is the condition?
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
This salvation is not for one ethnic group. It is for all ethnicities, classes and types of people. It is to be freely offered to all without fear, doubt or discrimination or presupposition. Nevertheless, it only comes in power to those who believe. One must personally trust in Jesus to experience the full extent of God’s delivering power.
To the Jew first and also to the Greek - Though the gospel would be preached to all peoples, it would be first declared to the Jews.
46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
The Summons of the Gospel
The Summons of the Gospel
Who believes - in reality, believing in Christ Jesus is not optional.
29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
It is the one way to be restored to a right relationship with our Creator and the only way to avoid certain destruction both temporal and eternal. Mankind was made to enjoy God in relationship, represent him on the earth and reflect his goodness to each another. In sin, we rejected this purpose and are naturally in bondage. Our bondage does not excuse us of our responsibility. In mercy, God provides restoration in the gospel. Man must trust Christ Jesus or suffer the consequences.
5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Biblical belief consists of knowledge and trust. You must know your need for a Savior; you must know he alone can save from sins; You must know God accepts you because of Jesus and only Jesus. You must place all your confidence and all you hope in him to save you.
Illustration: You are fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and suddenly a storm hits. Your boat is capsized and you are adrift. You have been treading water for hours hoping someone can rescue you when you hear a large boat in the distance. You know that those on the boat can rescue you, if they knew you were there. You scream with all you might hoping the crew in the large boat passing by will hear you.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
One final note about the word for believes. It is in the present active tense, which is to say that salvation does not come to those who believe and stop believe. Salvation comes to the one who believes and keeps on believing.
Practical Application
Practical Application
God can deliver you - He has staked his reputation on it.
He will start it, carry it out and complete it.
God can deliver anyone you know and anyone you meet.
He will sinners as his people share his gospel