"The Power of the Gospel"

Some of the most powerful forces in the world are invisible. You can’t see the wind, but you’ve seen what it can do in a Texas storm—ripping through fences, lifting roofs, even toppling trees that stood firm for decades. You can’t see gravity, but it holds oceans in place and keeps planets in orbit. You can’t see electricity pulsing through wires, but without it, at this time of year, we’d be sitting in the dark and would be feeling pretty miserable.

Now imagine a power even greater than all that. A power that doesn’t just move objects or generate light—but a power that moves hearts, resurrects dead souls, and shines light into the darkest corners of human life. That’s the gospel. And that’s what Paul says in Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation…”

This gospel Paul is talking about—it’s not a stale set of religious rules. It’s not just a historical story or a spiritual slogan. It’s the most powerful message the world has ever heard. Because it tells us what God has done to save sinners like you and me.

But let’s be honest—we live in a world that doesn’t always see that power. People are impressed by money, fame, and strength. But the gospel? A crucified carpenter from Nazareth? That doesn’t sound powerful to the world.

And yet Paul, writing to Christ-followers in Rome—the heart of the greatest nation on the earth at the time—boldly declares, “I’m not ashamed.” Why? Because Paul had seen firsthand what this gospel could do. He had seen it raise the spiritually dead. He had watched it turn enemies into brothers. He had lived it himself.

And this morning, I want us to see that same power. Because the gospel still changes lives. And it’s still changing mine.

So if the gospel is that powerful—if it’s the power of God to save—why doesn’t it always feel that way?

Let’s be honest. Some days, the gospel doesn’t feel like dynamite—it feels like a distant echo. You know the message, you believe it, but it can feel like you’re still stuck in the same struggles, the same doubts, the same weariness. You see people going through deep pain, or caught in cycles of sin, or drifting away from God, and you wonder, “Where’s the power?”

And then there’s the pressure we face in our culture. It’s not always popular to follow Jesus. Being a Christian today often means you’re seen as behind the times, closed-minded, or even intolerant. And while we want to stand strong, sometimes we shrink back. We stay silent. We hesitate to speak the name of Jesus—not because we don’t love him, but because we fear rejection, misunderstanding, or being labeled.

And maybe, deep down, we’re asking the same question: Is the gospel really enough?

Enough to speak into a world this broken? Enough to sustain my faith when I’m barely holding on? Enough to change lives when everything seems stuck?

That’s why Paul’s words matter so much. He wasn’t writing from the comfort of a Bible Belt town—he was writing from a world where Christians were mocked, marginalized, and even martyred. And yet Paul says, “I’m not ashamed.” Why? Because he had seen what we need to be reminded of: the gospel doesn’t depend on our strength; it delivers God’s power.

And that’s where Paul starts: not with our shame, not with our fears, but with a declaration that the gospel is the power of God for salvation.

Let’s lean in and see exactly what that means.

The Gospel Is God’s Power to Save

Paul begins his great letter to the Romans with a bold confession: “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” Now, that may sound simple on the surface, but don’t miss the weight of it. Paul was proclaiming a message about a crucified Jewish man being Lord of the world…in the heart of the Roman Empire.

This gospel wasn’t fashionable. It wasn’t safe. It wasn’t well-received in elite philosophical circles or among religious traditionalists. In fact, it sounded like foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews (1 Corinthians 1:23). And yet Paul wasn’t embarrassed. He wasn’t apologizing for the gospel—he was proclaiming it boldly, because he knew exactly what it was: “The power of God for salvation.”

Now let’s pause and let that settle in. Paul is not saying that the gospel points us to God’s power, or that the gospel contains helpful insights. He says the gospel is the very power of God for salvation.

That word “power” is dynamis in Greek. It’s where we get the English word “dynamite.” The gospel is explosive—it doesn’t merely inform you, it transforms you. It disrupts. It demolishes old ways of thinking. It breaks the chains of sin. It doesn’t just tell you how to live better—it brings dead things to life.

But here’s what’s really striking: Paul says the gospel is the power of God for salvation. In other words, salvation is not something you climb toward or earn by sheer effort. It’s not a reward for the religious. It’s not a promotion for good behavior. It’s a rescue operation initiated by God himself.

Salvation isn’t imposed, but it is graciously offered—and when someone believes, it unleashes the full power of God to redeem, renew, and reconcile. No one is born into this salvation. No one drifts into it. It comes by grace, it comes through faith, and it is powerful enough to reach the lowest sinner and lift them to new life in Christ.

And think about Paul’s testimony for a moment. He wasn’t always this bold gospel preacher. He was a persecutor of the church. He stood by while Christians were being dragged out of their homes and executed. He was on a self-righteous crusade—and then the gospel met him. Not in a classroom, not in a comfortable setting, but on a dusty road to Damascus, with a blinding light and a booming voice that called his name.

Paul knew this gospel had power—because it overpowered his pride, his religion, his hatred, and his violence when he was still known as Saul. The gospel reached him, changed him, and commissioned him. And if it could do that to Saul the persecutor, it can do it to anyone.

This has deep implications for how we view people around us—and how we view ourselves.

Some of us still carry shame for our past. We wonder if God could really save someone like us. Others look at the world around them—co-workers, friends, family members—and wonder if anyone will ever truly change. But the gospel reminds us: it’s not about how hard we try or how deep someone’s sin is. The gospel doesn’t work because we’re good—it works because God is powerful.

We also need to remember that the gospel is not a one-time message. It’s not just the ABCs of Christianity—it’s the A to Z. The same power that saves us is the power that sanctifies us. You never graduate from your need for the gospel. It’s not just the launchpad—it’s the fuel source for the entire journey of faith.

Let me say it this way: The gospel doesn’t just punch your ticket to heaven. It brings heaven into your life right now—healing brokenness, restoring dignity, calming fears, empowering holiness, and giving hope.

So let me ask you:

Are you living like the gospel is powerful?

Are you praying like the gospel can still raise the dead?

Are you sharing it like it’s the most urgent message in the world?

Because…it is!

We don’t preach sermons, host Bible studies, or send out missionaries because we’re trying to build a brand or grow an institution. We do it because we believe the gospel is still the power of God to save. For the addict. For the abuser. For the church kid. For the skeptic. For the brokenhearted. For the self-righteous. For the neighbor down the road and the people across the globe.

There is no Plan B. There is no other message like this one. The gospel is God’s chosen means to unleash his saving power in the world.

But this power isn’t forced on anyone. It’s not magic. It doesn’t override your will or control you like a machine. This power must be received—and Paul tells us how.

Let’s look again at the second half of Romans 1:16: “to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

This power is available to all—but it only transforms those who respond in faith. Let’s explore what that means.

The Gospel Is for Everyone Who Believes

This single phrase carries enough weight to shake the foundations of religious pride, ethnic superiority, and human self-sufficiency. Paul has just declared that the gospel is the power of God for salvation, but now he makes it clear who this power is for: everyone who believes. Let’s start with that word: everyone.

To the original audience in Rome, this was revolutionary. Jewish believers had long thought of themselves as God’s chosen people—and rightly so. They had the covenants, the law, the temple, the prophets. But Paul is about to spend the first few chapters of this letter showing that all have sinned—Jews and Gentiles alike—and all stand in need of salvation.

And here he makes his point unmistakable: the saving power of the gospel is for all people. Jews and Greeks. Insiders and outsiders. The religious and the irreligious. The moral and the immoral. The conservative, the liberal, the churchgoer, and the prodigal.

The phrase “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” is not about preference but about priority. The gospel came through the Jewish people—through Abraham, through David, through the prophets, and ultimately through Jesus, the Messiah. But now, the floodgates are open. The gospel is not confined to one ethnicity, one background, one personality type, or one nation.

This is an all-call. This is an open invitation. God’s grace does not discriminate.

But while the gospel is for everyone, it’s not automatic. It doesn’t work like a subscription that renews whether you want it or not. Paul says this power is unleashed in those who believe.

Let’s talk about belief for a moment, because in our culture, we often reduce belief to mental agreement. We say things like, “I believe in democracy,” or “I believe in hard work,” and what we usually mean is that we agree with the idea or support it in principle. But biblical belief—faith—is something deeper. It’s not just thinking something is true. It’s trusting someone who is true.

Belief in the gospel means entrusting your life to the good news that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again for your sin and your salvation. It means depending on what Christ has done—not on what you have done.

Faith is a genuine response of trust to the truth of the gospel—a response made possible by the grace of God and the drawing work of the Spirit. God invites people to believe. He invites people to respond. And when they do, the power of God is released in them for salvation.

This is why we don’t water down the gospel. This is why we don’t offer feel-good moral advice or vague spirituality. The world doesn’t need more self-help. It needs salvation—and that salvation is found only in the gospel.

But many people in our churches have grown up hearing the gospel without ever responding in faith. They’ve agreed with the facts without ever entrusting themselves to the Savior. The danger is that we can be around gospel things—sing gospel songs, read gospel words, even affirm gospel truths—without ever surrendering to the gospel itself.

Belief isn’t just the beginning of the Christian life—it is the ongoing posture of it. You don’t just believe once and then move on to bigger and better things. No—Paul will say in Romans 1:17 that the righteous live by faith. That’s not a one-time event. That’s a daily rhythm.

So let me ask you:

Are you trusting Christ today?

Is your faith in him fresh, or have you settled into religious autopilot?

Are you walking by faith, or are you trying to manage life in your own strength?

Belief is not about getting it perfect. It’s about continually turning to Jesus as the only one who can save and sustain. It’s about receiving the gospel—not just as a past event, but as a present reality.

When you believe, you are surrendering your story into the hands of a Savior who knows it better than you do. And when you do that, the gospel does what only it can do—it brings salvation.

Now, all of this begs the question: what exactly is happening when someone believes? What is God doing in that moment? What does salvation actually involve?

Paul answers that in Romans 1:17. He tells us that in the gospel, something is being revealed—something that changes not only your status before God, but the way you live every single day.

Let’s turn our attention now to the third truth:

The Gospel Reveals God’s Way of Making Us Right

Paul has just declared that the gospel is God’s power to save all who believe. But now he opens the curtain just a little wider and gives us a glimpse into what that saving power actually does.

He says, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed.”

That phrase—the righteousness of God—has sparked endless debate over the centuries. But at its heart, Paul is not just referring to God’s moral purity (though that is certainly true). He’s talking about God’s saving activity—God’s faithfulness to his promises, God’s way of making sinful people right with him, and God’s commitment to set the world right through the finished work of Jesus.

In other words, the gospel doesn’t just tell us that God is righteous—it tells us how he makes us righteous.

And this righteousness is not something we achieve. It’s not a status we earn. It’s something that is revealed—made known—when the gospel is proclaimed and believed.

God reveals his righteousness through the gospel, and people must respond in faith. And when they do—when they believe—God credits them with righteousness. He declares them right before him. That’s justification. That’s grace. That’s gospel.

Paul then adds this curious phrase: “from faith for faith.” Scholars have spilled a lot of ink on that one, but most agree Paul is emphasizing that from start to finish, the gospel life is a life of faith. You don’t begin by trusting Jesus and then move on to trusting yourself. You don’t graduate from grace to performance. The Christian life begins in faith, continues in faith, and ends in faith.

This is Paul’s way of saying: “You never outgrow the gospel.”

And then he quotes from Habakkuk 2:4—“The righteous shall live by faith.” Originally, that was God’s word to a people facing judgment and uncertainty. And yet God told them: the righteous one is not the one who tries harder, not the one with perfect performance, but the one who trusts in me.

And Paul is telling the Romans—and us—this same truth. You are not saved by moral effort. You are not justified by church attendance or cleaned-up behavior. You can be on this church’s membership rolls and not be in God’s Book of Life. You are not made right with God by doing enough good to outweigh your bad.

You are made right when you believe. When you trust. When you rest in what Christ has done.

That’s the beauty of the gospel. It flips the script of every religion and every self-help system in the world. Every other message says: “Do more. Try harder. Prove yourself.” The gospel says: “Jesus has done it. Trust him.”

And yet, this righteousness is not cheap. It was purchased at the highest price—the blood of Christ. When you believe, you are not just given a clean slate. You are united with Christ. His righteousness becomes your covering. His standing becomes your security. You stand before God not as tolerated, but as treasured.

That’s why Paul will later say in Romans 8:1“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

And this righteousness doesn’t just affect your status—it changes your lifestyle. “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Faith is not just how we begin—it’s how we breathe. Faith affects how we spend our money, how we forgive, how we parent, how we endure suffering, how we serve others, how we make decisions. Faith is not a moment—it’s a rhythm. A way of life.

When the gospel takes root, it doesn’t just give us heaven later—it gives us a new heart now.

This is why Paul can say so confidently: I am not ashamed of the gospel. Because he knows this gospel doesn’t just call us to something—it creates something in us. It makes us right with God and empowers us to walk with God. And here’s the good news, church: the gospel still does.

So now we’ve seen it. The gospel is the power of God to save. It’s for everyone who believes. And in it, God reveals his way of making people right—not through law or lineage, but through faith.

But we’re not just here today to nod along with Paul. The gospel demands a response. It isn’t something you analyze from a distance—it’s something you receive personally.

Let’s be transparent enough with ourselves to answer this: How should we live in light of the power of the gospel?

What do we do with all this?

Paul has shown us that the gospel isn’t just a message—it’s a miracle. It’s the power of God to save. It’s offered to everyone who believes. And it reveals the righteousness of God from start to finish.

That leads us to this, if you get nothing else from today:

The gospel doesn’t just inform your life—it transforms your life

This isn’t just something you believe once and move on from. It shapes who you are and how you live, every single day. So how do we live in response to the transforming power of the gospel?

Live unashamed of the gospel

Paul says, “I am not ashamed…” That means he’s not hiding it. He’s not apologizing for it. He’s not softening it to make it more palatable to culture.

And neither should we.

Some of you are the only Christ-followers at your job, or in your friend group, or even in your family. You’ve felt that tension before—when you’re tempted to keep your faith quiet to avoid the awkward moment or the sideways look. But hear this: when you speak the gospel, you are not relying on your power—God’s unleashing his power through you.

So don’t be ashamed. Speak with boldness and love. God will do more with your faithful witness than you could ever imagine.

Live by faith, not by performance

Some of us are still living as if our standing with God is based on how we’re doing that day. When you’re reading your Bible and resisting temptation, you feel close to God. When you stumble, you feel unworthy again.

But the gospel reminds us that our righteousness doesn’t come from us—it comes from Christ. You didn’t earn it, and you don’t maintain it by performance. You walk in it by faith.

So preach the gospel to yourself every day. When you fail, run to Christ. When you succeed, give thanks to Christ. Live by faith, not by fear.

Live with a gospel urgency

There are people in your life right now who do not know Jesus. They are not just “nice folks.” The Bible is clear that there are two eternal realities - with the Lord or headed to hell. So the people in your life right now are in need of rescue. And the only thing that can save them is the gospel. Do you hear me on this, church?

So pray for them. Look for opportunities. Share the hope that you have. And trust that the same gospel that changed your life can change theirs.

You don’t need a seminary degree to share the gospel. You just need a surrendered heart and a willingness to open your mouth.

The gospel is not something we keep to ourselves. It’s something we stand on, live by, and share boldly.

And if you’re wondering whether this message still has power in a world like ours—if you’re asking, “Can the gospel really change lives today?”—then let me remind you of the kind of God we serve.

Let me ask you—

When was the last time you stood in awe of the gospel?

Not just grateful for it. Not just familiar with it. But truly awed by it.

This message we carry—the message that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, lived the life we failed to live, died the death we deserved to die, and rose again to give us eternal life—is not stale theology. It’s not just Sunday content. It is the power of God to save, to restore, to re-create.

The same gospel that turned Saul the persecutor into Paul the preacher…

The same gospel that turned a ragtag group of fishermen into fearless apostles…

The same gospel that reached your heart when you were lost and wandering…

That gospel is still working. Still moving. Still saving.

You don’t have to dress it up. You don’t have to dumb it down. You just have to lift it up.

When we proclaim the gospel, we’re not offering good advice—we’re announcing good news.

When we share the gospel, we’re not offering people a crutch—we’re introducing them to a resurrection.

When we live the gospel, we’re not just playing church—we’re demonstrating the very power of God.

This world doesn’t need more polished presentations or trendy distractions. It needs the unfiltered, unashamed message of Jesus Christ—crucified for sin, risen in glory, reigning in power.

So don’t underestimate what God can do through one gospel-filled life.

Don’t underestimate what the Spirit can do through one surrendered heart. Don’t underestimate what can happen when a church says, “We will not be ashamed.”

The world is watching. The time is now. Let’s live like the gospel is what it truly is: the power of God for salvation.

And how can people like you and me live out the truth we’ve heard today?

Let’s take it from theology to the street. Let’s bring it home.

Recommit your heart to the gospel

Some of us have grown so used to the gospel that we’ve lost our wonder. We believe it, but we’ve stopped being shaped by it. Today is a chance to come back to it—not just as a doctrine, but as a daily declaration. Jesus didn’t save you just to get you to heaven. He saved you to change you now.

So ask yourself: Am I still living by faith? Or am I coasting on past belief?

Share the gospel boldly this week

Who in your life needs to hear the hope you have in Jesus? Don’t wait for the perfect moment—speak with humility, love, and confidence. Write a note. Send a text. Grab a cup of coffee. The gospel is not just for pulpits—it’s for kitchen tables, break rooms, and front porches.

You don’t have to be impressive. You just have to be faithful.

Remember: The gospel doesn’t just inform your life—it transforms your life. Let that transformation spill out of you into the lives of others.

Live like someone who has been made right with God

That means walk in joy, not fear. Serve with confidence, not guilt. Obey out of love, not legalism. You are not working for God’s approval—you are working from it.

The righteous shall live by faith. So live like it.

Walk into tomorrow with your head held high—not because you’ve earned anything, but because Jesus has done everything.

Church, we are gospel people. We are not ashamed. We are not timid. We are not going to bury this treasure in the ground—we’re going to lift it high.

And as we do, may God’s power flow through us—not because we’re strong, but because the gospel is.

Let’s live it. Let’s share it. Let’s never be ashamed of it.

Because this gospel is the power of God for salvation.

Romans 1:16 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…