Power!

Power!

Romans 1:16 AMP

[16] I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Meet the One who is the focus of the verse above, and the One who holds all things together: Jesus Christ. He is described by Paul as the Son of God, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. He came to the earth in the form of the ones who needed help, and having tasted death on their behalf, He is now called the Captain of our Salvation. We have a Saviour who has walked in our shoes, in our humanity, and knows how and what we feel. Many of those who knew Him when He was here on earth did not recognise Him as anything else other than human. However, there were those few initially, and then the many who later came to believe in Him, who recognised the power at work, and put their trust in Him. Which group do you belong to? 

The reason why I must sort out my identity is because of the impact and relevance of that identity. Who I am defines what I can access, as well as what I can look up to. If I do not know what has been secured for me, and also released to me, I would be in perpetual bondage and slavery to the one who wants to keep me from accessing these resources. That is why a personal encounter with Jesus is critical to this mission. No matter what else is going on, please be sure of your walk with Jesus. The early apostles, including Paul who wrote this letter, had their own personal experiences of Jesus, and these became the inspiration and motivation for their conviction and persistence. When you know Him as Lord and Saviour, you do not need to know anyone else. Once He is in as Saviour, your heart is comforted by the knowledge that your eternity is secure. 

That is why Paul's letter here is an inspired view of the power of God. The gospel is the message of Jesus, His mission, and the offer He makes to all who will come to Him. The gospel points out that no other person can offer eternal solutions to the problem of sin. The gospel is the power of God, because in and by it, the truth of my helplessness, and the clean slate that the blood of Jesus gives me, are laid out so clearly. I am not required to do anything special; no blood sacrifices or rituals required. Just plain and simple faith in the  finished work of Jesus on the cross. The verse just after the one above says it so well:

the righteousness of God is a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. We come by faith, and remain in Him by faith. We lay claim to the eternal by faith. The offer is for every one who comes; Jew, Gentile, anyone. The offer is only redeemable in this present earthly phase, and it is open now. Take it before it is too late. God's time of favour is here.