The Power of the Gospel

By Pr Zeny Vidacak, July 18, 2050

Genesis 1-4 is all about glorious beginning of human race and what went wrong with the human race. Romans 1-4 is probably the most comprehensive description of what God did about the most fundamental human problem

16 "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. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[a] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

The book of Romans has been acredited to the conversion of Martin .

“I greatly longed to understand Paul's epistle to the Romans, and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, ‘the justice of God’, because I took it to mean that justice whereby God isjust and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My solution was that, although an impeccable mong, I stood before God as sinner troubled inconscience, and I had no confidence that my merit would assuage Him. Therefore, I did not love a just and angry God, but rather hated and murmured against Him… NIght and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that, 'the just shall live by his faith.' Than I grasped that… through gift and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise.”

This was Luther's transformation.

How can you make a breaktrough or help someone else make this fundamental lifechanging spiritual breakthrough. Answer to three WHAT'S will help you in this:

  1. What is the gospel?
  2. What is the gospel made of?
  3. What is the power of the gospel?

1. What is The Gospel? - The First Breaktrough

gre. ‘euaggelion’ 'eu'= ‘good’ 'aggelos' = angel, herald of news

How was the news spread at that time? were sent to spread the news of military victories and to shout and proclaim: ‘VICTORY’.

The major difference between all other relgions and Christianity is in this: All religions give you Christianity gives you (NEWS)

The first can be achieved if you come to comprehend and experience what this means.

How would average persona answer the question, ‘What is the heart of Christianity?’ Answer: 'Try to be and live like Jesus. Try to love your neighbour and live by Golden Rule.' You see this is the advice. This is not the news. And it's not Good News.

What is news? News is something that comes from outside of you. If it is good news it gives you joy.

When Martin Luther made a breaktrough because he understood this news to be the best ever news, the major paradigm shift took place in his life.

This is how you can test yourself in relation to gospel as the good news. Ask yourself two basic questions. The answer to those questions may potentially determine if gospel is the good news for you.

  1. Is gospel mainly about and what you must do?
  2. Is it mainly about and what He did?

2. What is the Gospel Made Of? - The Second Breaktrough

17 "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[a] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

“We are justified by faith”

The most significant change has taken place which is proclaimed through the gospel. The question is WITH WHO?

  1. Is it the change with righteous ?
  2. Is it the change with me, the ? The Most significant change has taken place with

“Since we are justified by faith, we have access to THIS GRACE, in which we stand (in the presence of God).” (Rom. 5)

So, what happened that this change relating to God was possible? Jesus did somethingfor us so that when God looksat us, in spite of us, God's view of us has changed.

What are the consequences of this?
> "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor. 5:21) What does it mean that Jesus was made sin?
He was treated as our sins deserve to be treated.

“… in Him we became righteousness of God.” What does that mean? We becomecovered by His victory. All that He deserved is showered on us.

  1. The first spiritual breaktrough: Gospel is not good advice. It's good news.
  2. The second spiritual breaktrough: You are clothed in righteousness you don't deserve. You are legally right before God.

3. What is the Power of The Gospel? The Third Breaktrough

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation.” (1:16)

You know that you have made a major breaktrough in your life when the gospel which was offensive to you (‘ashamed’) and is still offensive to others has become attractive to you. You have made a breaktrough when gospel you. You have made a breaktrough when you start to feel it's power which changes your; motives and behaviour. You have made a breakthrough when you fall in love with .