The apostle Paul wrote that the ‘gospel of Christ’ (of which he was not ashamed to share) is the ‘power of God to salvation for everyone who believes...”. (Rom. 1:16). I bet you have read or heard that verse before.

What do you suppose he meant when he describes it as having ‘power...for everyone who believes’....the power to do ...what? If you recall, in yesterday’s post I pointed out that word power implies ‘miraculous’ working power as opposed to something man is capable of doing in his own strength or ability. (1 Cor. 2:1-5)

There are 3 words in that one sentence that we toss around a lot but I fear we fail to fully grasp what them are conveying; those words being: ‘power, salvation, & believes’.

When we speak of ‘salvation’, we understand that to mean being ‘saved’. But what is it we are being ‘saved’ from? If you glance at the Amplified Bible, it includes exactly what it is we are ‘saved’ from – God’s ‘wrath and judgement’. Romans 5:9 echoes this as well. But if you read on there in that first chapter, Paul goes on to say that in this present time, God’s wrath “is being revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..” (18). Please note that he is not suggesting this wrath will be revealed at some future date in time, or during the tribulation...or after you die; he is pretty clear when he writes in present tense: “is being revealed”.

And what exactly is God’s wrath and judgment being poured out on or falling upon? Please underline that three letter word ‘ALL’...unrighteousness and ungodliness of men. Those last two words also get tossed around and can sound pretty religious. Allow me to clear up for anyone who may be unsure of their meaning: ‘righteousness’ has to do with what is right in God’s eyes. We don’t get to set that standard. (1 John 2:29; 3:7,10) And ‘ungodliness’ has to do with anything that is not like God.

Are you aware that many gospels being peddled today teach that we could never be ‘like God’, or we could never be ‘holy enough’ or ‘righteous enough’ for God ...so if we just ‘say we believe in Jesus’, then that alone...’saves us’. Want to hear something ironic? Many folks scoffed at the idea a few years ago that wearing some flimsy mask over your mouth/nose could protect or ‘save’ you from the Covid virus. And yet, many of these same people will tell you that all you have to do is verbalize some words - something to the effect you ‘believe in Jesus’ and you are ‘saved from God’s wrath’. I bet that felt like a ‘sucker-punch’ for some of you.

Here's something to chew on for the rest of the day: The power that lies in this ‘gospel of Christ’...to those who actually ‘believe’ it... has the power to miraculously transform you so that you actually become...’like Christ’ and receive His divine nature and actually walk like He did as you are conformed to His nature and likeness so that you can ‘go and sin no more’. (2 Pet. 1:2-4; 1 John 2:6; Rom. 8:29; John 5:14; 13:34-35). Any other gospel, at best, offers you a ‘form of godliness’. (2 Tim. 3:5; 1 Tim. 6:3) But if you don’t, what did Jesus tell that man he could expect in John 5:14? Sounds like ‘wrath’ to me.