Articles
The Power of the Gospel
The apostle Paul said, "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, emp LS). Let's notice an example of the POWER of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
Notice the CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE: On the day of Pentecost, there was gathered a group of religious Jews that had just crucified the Son of God. The apostles said, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, YE have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:22-23, emp LS). These religious Jews were MURDERERS!
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST IS TAUGHT. The apostles taught the Gospel like Jesus told them, "that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me" (Luke 24:44). After all had been said, the apostles concluded, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).
THE RESULTS. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do" (Acts 2:37)? Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). Again, teaching what Jesus had told the apostles to teach (Mark 16:15-16), we then see the POWER of the Gospel of Christ: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41).
WHAT THE PEOPLE BECAME. Those that obeyed the Gospel of Christ that day, "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). Those murderers became disciples of Christ, later called Christians (Acts 11:26). Those murderers became the "saved" of God. WHAT POWER!
All this was made possible by a POWERFUL and LOVING God. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). My friend, the Gospel of Christ IS STILL THE POWER OF GOD TO SAVE. Why not obey the Gospel of Christ TODAY!
