Positioning and Practicing the Power of The Gospel 2
March 6, 2023
Positioning and Practicing the Power of The Gospel Part 2
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
In last week’s blog, I shared that there was a divine dynamic that changed an adversarial relationship with my in-laws to a rich relationship infused with acceptance, appreciation, and mutual admiration. The absolute game changer in my relationship with my wife’s parents was a six-letter word. GOSPEL!
After some meditation on our opening text, I was directed to the fact that God made man on the Sixth day.
Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them
Genesis 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Spiritually speaking It is believed that the meaning of the number six is associated with man.
The number 6 and its meaning are correlated to the characteristics of mankind, specifically man's weakness and propensity to sin.
Therefore, I submit to you the following summation for your consistent consideration:
The Gospel is a six-letter word which is centered on a six letter divine designation (Christ) and man who was created on the six-day must receive and obey the Gospel or face the judgment of God.
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
To obey the gospel means you believe the gospel. And your belief is made bona fide by your behavior. That is the power of the Gospel which is sourced by God and changes your mind, heart and will. In addition, belief is a criterion to conversion or salvation.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
The language "obey the gospel" undoubtedly demonstrates the certainty of man's obedience. The son or daughter of God the Father must also obey the gospel. It is the gospel that must be obeyed - not human dogmas and religious rites void of the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of the word of God.
The Gospel is also the Death- Burial- Resurrection of Christ. So, the Gospel manifested the power of God when Jesus Died -and was buried and rose again on the third day. Likewise we express the power of God when we died to our human condition aka (old man) , buried the deeds of the body and rose again to the newness of life!
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
In closing we position ourselves and practice the Power of The Gospel (God) when we walk in obedience.
Not a Sermon But a Thought
For the Glory of God,
PBKSR