Power!

Power!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16 NIV

The Inspiration:

Paul would know what he is talking about here. He was relatively unknown, at least by bible records, until he burst into the scene while Stephen was being stoned to death. He had this raw, maybe misplaced, zeal for the Jewish customs and traditions, and he went to obtain permission to arrest all who belonged to the new 'sect' that was threatening all they knew. There is always fear of the unknown and the unpredictable, and like Paul at the time, Jewish customs were all he knew. Like all experiences that wil stay with you forever, it has to be something very personal, not the reported speech of other people. Paul was there when Stephen was being stoned, and he must have seen the peace in the life of the martyr as he lay dying. He would not have understood the basis of the peace, until he had his own personal encounter with Jesus. 

The Contention:

Like Paul, we all need our 'road to Damascus' experience. It cannot just be the stories of other people, or the accounts read about on the internet. It has to be an experience of a lifetime, whose lessons and impact wil stay with you for the rest of your life. Men must see the results of that experience in your own life. How would I testify of an inner change if there is no outer evidence? How would I convince anyone of the power of Jesus to save, if I do not have any personal encounter to speak about?  Paul would go on and arrest those who belonged to the Way, and I am sure he would have wondered what they saw in Jesus that made them surrender to whatever punishment was coming, even if it was death. You don't make such sacrifices for something that you are not convinced of its eternal value or the fact that it will outlive this earthly phase. 

The Conclusion:

Now, Paul had his own personal encounter, and he could not stop talking about it. At a time, he was the one pursuing; now he was the one being pursued and punished for belonging to the Way. The power of God can save a man, no matter how filthy his past or present is. The power of God is able to offer salvation to ALL men, irrespective of colour or creed. He had seen men and women come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, and he knew that no one was ever so sinful that s/he was beyond the grace and mercy of God. As the verse says, it may be for the Jew first, but thank God it didn't stop there. The Gentile is also included in the plan of salvation. All of us have received the free offer of life in Christ Jesus. What would you do, or what have you done, with this offer? Have I truly experienced this salvation? If I have, it will be hard to stop speaking about it. God's time of favour is here.