"Real Power"
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God uses the Gospel to powerfully reveal the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ to cause people to have life changing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is really powerful to you?
What is really powerful to you?
Think of something that you would consider really powerful. What is it?
Engine, gun, fire, storm, etc. Whatever it is, it is real to you.
Paul wants his readers to know that the Gospel is real power.
Paul wants his readers to know that the Gospel is real power.
His statements in these 2 verses answer 2 main questions:
Why was Paul not ashamed of the Gospel? (v. 16)
How is the Gospel the power of God for salvation? (v. 17)
Why was Paul not ashamed of the Gospel? (v. 16)
Why was Paul not ashamed of the Gospel? (v. 16)
“Ashamed” - embarrassed and so reluctant to share when there was opportunity
Paul could have been ashamed (1 Corinthians 1:23).
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
But he had a certain confidence in what?
Answer:
The Gospel is the power of God for salvation (v. 16).
The Gospel is the power of God for salvation (v. 16).
“Power” - force, ability, working, it does something mightily
“Of God” - supernatural, impossible otherwise, unfailing, this is WHO does it
“For salvation” - this is WHAT it does
Deliverance FROM - sin, death, hell
Deliverance TO - forgiveness, life, a relationship with God
It saves, in this way, “everyone who believes” in it.
Believing is the only distinction in people that matters here.
Yes there has been a distinction historically/chronologically - “Jews” and “Greeks” (Gentiles).
It had to start somewhere. God never intended to limit it.
So it didn’t stop there. It expanded everywhere to everyone.
This expansion shows how powerful the gospel is (1 Corinthians 1:18).
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Application:
If you believe, be encouraged by the power of God in your life.
If you believe, be encouraged by the potential power of God in the life of others.
How is the Gospel the power of God for salvation? (v. 17)
How is the Gospel the power of God for salvation? (v. 17)
Is there anything that we should understand more about this?
In verse 17 Paul gives us more insight, and therefore more anticipation.
The word “For” links and points to further explanation of how the Gospel works mightily.
Answer:
The Gospel reveals the righteousness of God for faith (v. 17).
The Gospel reveals the righteousness of God for faith (v. 17).
“Righteousness”
What is right according to God. What God considers right because He is right.
It includes the concept of justice or morally/legally acceptable.
“Of God”
Not just His character. If just the character of God was revealed in the Gospel, it could not be considered good news. There must be more to the righteousness of God that is revealed in the Gospel.
Plus, this must be a righteousness that people also can have (because of the quote from Habakkuk 2:4). So the righteousness of God is revealed in such a way that this quote about righteous people confirms it.
Is there a righteousness of/from God revealed in the Gospel that can belong to people? The righteousness of God given to people through Jesus Christ. It is a right standing before God by imputation of the righteousness of Chirst (Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; 2 Peter 1:1).
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
This is the “righteousness of God” that Paul is referring to here. It is...
“Revealed” - unveil, uncover, make manifest or clear
This is true generally, but there must be something specific about this for those who believe. This revealing doesn’t happen to everyone otherwise everyone would be saved (v. 16).
Remember, this revealing is the mighty working (power) of God. It does something supernatural (2 Corinthians 4:3–6).
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Think of it as making a change that is impossible otherwise. What change? Faith
“From faith”
“From” - origin or source; can be “out of” or “by means of”
This revealing happens in faith.
So it is a revealing that takes someone from not believing to believing - faith.
“To faith” (without reading too much into this and still taking it literally…)
Simply a continuation of faith.
Faith from beginning to the end.
From initial faith to continuing faith.
This is supported by the quote...
“The righteous shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4)
Now this can be taken as... “the righteous by faith shall live” (Galatians 3:11).
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Or,… “the righteous shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38).
but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
This seems to be the original intent in Habakkuk - the righteous by his faithfulness (fidelity or steadfastness) shall live.
That is, living with an on-going hope in the promises of God. Which Habakkuk does (Habakkuk 3:17–19).
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
Either way, whether initial or continual faith, or both, faith is the result of the revealing power of the gospel, which is a work of God alone.
We should have Gospel centered lives because the Gospel changes lives.
We should have Gospel centered lives because the Gospel changes lives.
Benediction: Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Scripture Reading: Psalm 33:1–22